JPEG to RAW File Format

[robertderobert]

Hi,

Have been using the G2 in the JPEG file format (resolution @ large and compression @superfine) to do 8x10's. Have had some very good prints. However if I take the the prints to 11x14 I am unable to retain the quality of the 8x10 -- in some cases it really falls off. From a practical standpoint have I reached the limit in JPEG for the G2 at 8x10?

Should I now be looking at the RAW file format (recovering the original image data from the camera) to produce good 11x14's and even better 8x10's?

Having never used the RAW format are there some general guidlines that I should follow using the camera and while processing with Photoshop?

Thanks,
Bob

[henkbos]

You need to convert the RAW format to JPEG or TIFF before you can process the picture. The is a variety of options to do so. Search this forum or the web.

[John_T]

8 or 16 bit TIFFs converted out of RAW will give you a much better format to work with, but RAW will not give you a bigger image than the 4MP the G2 produces, so much above A4 will still be stretching beyond the original at 100% with the incumbent jaggies.

Shooting RAW will give you more processing options for your A4 prints to look better, and perhaps make a little bit bigger, but the limits will become quickly obvious. There is software that interpolates for better looking prints above 100%, but maybe somebody else can give you a tip on that.

[CyberDyneSystems]

You will have much better luck "blowing up" a RAW converted to tif than you will blowing up a jpeg.

Shoot raw for better quality prints at all sizes.

[anoop_mn]

Theoretically, one can interpolate a 12-bit image better than a 8-bit image. Hence the best option to:

1. Shoot in RAW
2. Convert to 16-bit TIFF
3. Enlarge the image to required size (interpolate)
4. Do any processing you require
5. Save it as 8-bit TIFF
6. Print.

If your printer supports > 8 bits, you can save it as 16-bit TIFF in step 5. With photoshop, you need the full version to do most processing in 16 bits. BTW, 11x14 is the limit of G2 for most people.. I stick with 8x10.