TIFF v RAW

[adrian arnett]

What would be the benefits, if any, to shooting in TIFF as opposed to RAW ?

 

[kenrivers]

TIFF files may be more easily edited in some photo editing software. But there is a trade off when using TIFF files. From what I have read TIFF files lose some information with each edit. RAW keeps more image data.
These links may help:
http/www.betterphoto.com/article.asp?id=44
http/www.thephotoforum.com/forum/digital-discussion-q/192057-tiff-vs-raw.html
http/photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00aZtn

 

[Bark80]

You can't shoot TIFFs in camera. In Camera you cam shoot RAWs or Jpgs. Raws are the proprietary file types for each maker. Canon uses cr2, cr1, etc. I think Nikon uses nef files. These are the files that are images and numbers as the camera saw them. Most software can not read these files. Things like Windows Image Viewer, Irfan View, most viewing programs will not be able to read the RAW file type.

You need RAW files when you process you images in programs like photoshop and correl. What RAW does for you is gives you the ability to control the color to photos. With Jpegs imagine laying a color film on top of an image. This degrades the quality some. With RAWs when you change the white balance, or color cast, at the image level itself. You don't lay a color on top, you change the numbers that the computer sees to change the color, the image itself changes.

TIFFs are the highest quality file tpe you can save to that allows most viewing programs to see them. The idea for TIFFs is mostly when you need to send files for printing and you need just the absolute best money can buy. The files are HUGE and truthfully, worthless to not only most people who shoot, but probably about 85% of pros as well.

 

[toyftw]

What would be the benefits, if any, to shooting in TIFF as opposed to RAW ?

Hi - I would be surprised if your camera offered TIFF files as a shooting option.
I think your options are raw & jpeg.

I find TIFF files useful once(don't use any compression) I decide to keep an image and am going to
edit it with the intent on printing. The reason: jpeg files lose a very small
amount of data every time you open & close the file(lossy compression).
Not noticeable to the eye(at least initially), but nevertheless it occurs and I find it discomforting.

Like jpeg, TIFF files can be used with almost any image editing software out there.

As Bark pointed out the file size is very large. But, storage space is so cheap these days
that is not a concern (to me anyway). 1tb port hdd are less than $100.

So, I would say use TIFF if the small increase in file quality is worth the large
file size these image files need. I do, and feel a little better when I print.

 

[Chiggs]

You can't shoot TIFFs in camera. In Camera you cam shoot RAWs or Jpgs. Raws are the proprietary file types for each maker. Canon uses cr2, cr1, etc. I think Nikon uses nef files. These are the files that are images and numbers as the camera saw them. Most software can not read these files. Things like Windows Image Viewer, Irfan View, most viewing programs will not be able to read the RAW file type.

You need RAW files when you process you images in programs like photoshop and correl. What RAW does for you is gives you the ability to control the color to photos. With Jpegs imagine laying a color film on top of an image. This degrades the quality some. With RAWs when you change the white balance, or color cast, at the image level itself. You don't lay a color on top, you change the numbers that the computer sees to change the color, the image itself changes.

TIFFs are the highest quality file tpe you can save to that allows most viewing programs to see them. The idea for TIFFs is mostly when you need to send files for printing and you need just the absolute best money can buy. The files are HUGE and truthfully, worthless to not only most people who shoot, but probably about 85% of pros as well.

The Nikon D300 DOES shoot TIFF as well as JPEGS and RAW (NEF). File sizes are bigger and quality is superb.

 

[toyftw]

TIFF files may be more easily edited in some photo editing software. But there is a trade off when using TIFF files. From what I have read TIFF files lose some information with each edit.
Not so, TIFF does not lose info with each edit, (jpg does)

RAW keeps more image data.
These links may help:
http/www.betterphoto.com/article.asp?id=44
http/www.thephotoforum.com/forum/digital-discussion-q/192057-tiff-vs-raw.html
http/photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00aZtn

 

[toyftw]

What would be the benefits, if any, to shooting in TIFF as opposed to RAW ?

Hi - I would be surprised if your camera offered TIFF files as a shooting option.
I think your options are raw & jpeg.

I find TIFF files useful once(don't use any compression) I decide to keep an image and am going to
edit it with the intent on printing. The reason: jpeg files lose a very small
amount of data every time you open & close the file(lossy compression).
Not noticeable to the eye(at least initially), but nevertheless it occurs and I find it discomforting.

Like jpeg, TIFF files can be used with almost any image editing software out there.

As Bark pointed out the file size is very large. But, storage space is so cheap these days
that is not a concern (to me anyway). 1tb port hdd are less than $100.

So, I would say use TIFF if the small increase in file quality is worth the large
file size these image files need. I do, and feel a little better when I print.

The Nikon D300 DOES shoot TIFF as well as JPEGS and RAW (NEF). File sizes are bigger and quality is superb.

Nice option to have.

 

[elecdance]

good info, File sizes are bigger and quality is superb.thanks

 

[jjwphoto]

What would be the benefits, if any, to shooting in TIFF as opposed to RAW ?

Hi - I would be surprised if your camera offered TIFF files as a shooting option.
I think your options are raw & jpeg.

I find TIFF files useful once(don't use any compression) I decide to keep an image and am going to
edit it with the intent on printing. The reason: jpeg files lose a very small
amount of data every time you open & close the file(lossy compression).
Not noticeable to the eye(at least initially), but nevertheless it occurs and I find it discomforting.

Like jpeg, TIFF files can be used with almost any image editing software out there.

As Bark pointed out the file size is very large. But, storage space is so cheap these days
that is not a concern (to me anyway). 1tb port hdd are less than $100.

So, I would say use TIFF if the small increase in file quality is worth the large
file size these image files need. I do, and feel a little better when I print.

The Nikon D300 DOES shoot TIFF as well as JPEGS and RAW (NEF). File sizes are bigger and quality is superb.

Nice option to have.

I am using a Nikon D700 12mp Fx camera, and it also shoots Tiff images. The resolution in these 35mb tiff images is amazing and I rarely have to post-edit at all. Awesome DSLR for the money!!

 

[basroil]

What would be the benefits, if any, to shooting in TIFF as opposed to RAW ?

Here's the benefits of RAW to TIFF:
1) Smaller size because each pixel is actually a single 12-16bit "color" rather than three 16bit colors
2) RAW quality is actually higher. TIFF export requires interpolation of color data in camera, which can cause artifacts in post.
3) RAW is faster to write to disk, both due to the smaller file size and the limited processing done in camera
4) RAW has more useful data when in high contrast scenes. RAW is in sensor read data linearity while TIFF is linear in the display space. For some situations a 12bit RAW will have better data (not necessarily more) than a 16bit/color TIFF made in the same camera and scene.
5) RAW guarantees data integrity. While you can overwrite a TIFF you can't do the same with RAW

The benefits of TIFF are:
1) Compatibility with basically all OSes and most image editing applications
2) Faster post processing, since data is already in an editable format
3) Uniform conversion quality. Basically 2) all over again, were editing applications have less to mess with.
4) Fully editable metadata and image previews

Benefits of JPG are:
1) Much smaller file size (at a loss of quality)
2) Fully compatible with nearly 100% of computers, phones, and tvs