I Can't See My RAW ImagesWriten by Eric Hartwell
When I shoot in RAW format, I cant see the image
When you take an image in RAW format, the data is stored on the memory card in its unadulterated format. It is not a format that is visible without special software to view it. You may be able to see a representation of the image on your camera screen, but you will not be able to view it directly on the computer screen.
Software is needed to view the image. This will convert it into another format (e.g. JPG). You then have the ability to make adjustments as you wish to things such as the contrast, sharpness, white balance etc.
Your own adjustments can be fine-tuned to your liking. Any such adjustments in the camera are basically a gross and crude generalisation based on what the camera manufacturer feels is likely to work best.
Because the image in RAW format contains all the information from that exposure, you have a greater range of possible adjustments than you would if the camera had manipulated the image. Once an image has been saved as a TIFF or JPG file, some detail is permanently lost.
The software you use to view a RAW file will depend on your make of camera and your pocket. There are free packages available on the internet or software which comes with the camera itself. Otherwise you can purchase commercially produced platforms for this work.
Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com