8 or 16 bit?

[MrKickalot]

I just got PSCS and opened a RAW that I took today of a Blackhawk helicopter and for the first time I could choose 16 bit tiff (was using C1 with 8 bit). Did my usual sharpening and slight color correction and saved... then almost crapped my pants!!! 47 MB file!! That can fill a hard drive real quick!! Questions... Do I need to use 16 Bit tiff (most prints 8X10 or smaller)? Do you keep your Tiff files after correction or do you convert to JPG and trash them to save space??

P.S. I need confirmation on this... is it true that you can save TIFF files as many times as you want without loss?

[cecilc]

... is it true that you can save TIFF files as many times as you want without loss?

Yes, that's true.....

I shoot RAW and convert to 16-bit tiffs, too (which usually get converted to jpgs at some point either for the web or for some other printing). But after I'm done with that "job", I'll save everything I've done with those images - RAW files, tiffs, jpgs - to DVD. You don't have to keep it all - but I'm a pack-rat - I keep everything.

[Doom1701e]

Again, yes you can save TIFFs over and over without any loss. TIFFs use a lossless compression. I always shoot raw and then save to an 8-bit TIFF. Here is something I learned with printing TIFFs. Fuji Frontier Printers (Alot of instore photo labs) can not read a 16-bit TIFF. So you either have to use an 8-bit TIFF or JPEG to have them printed at a local photo lab, so, I always save to 8-bit TIFF. I also save everything to DVD when my computer starts to get full. I actually make 3 copies of the DVD. Remember, these digital files are like your negatives, if you lose them, they are gone forever.

[scottbergerphoto]

The real issue is what form should the file be in for editing. Once you are sure the file will never be edited again it doesn't matter if it's jpeg, 8 or 16 bitt tiff. For editing, you want 16 bit tiff.
I also keep my Raw, 16bit Tiff, and jpeg for Web on DVD. I only keep the files I'm working on on my HDD.
Regards,
Scott