Do monochrome files still have the colour infrmation?

[Lundavra]

I was out with my EOS6D yesterday and when I got home and downloaded my images, I found that about halfway through the day it had switched to Monochrome.  I have found it similarly switch to some unexpected mode previously presumably a button having been touched by accident.

I found it was in Monochrome after the images were downloaded and the images displayed in Canon Zoombrowser (I can't stand the default viewer selected by the downloader so changed it back to the previous viewer.  They were in monochrome.

I copied the RAW.CR2 files to a spare folder for editing and opened PICASA to edit them.  They displayed in colour.

I carried on edited, exported and uploaded to FLICKR and they were still in colour.

Do monochrome images (or at least RAW ones) still have all the colour information?

[jrhoffman75]

Yes, RAW files contain the original sensor data. RAW files only become images when they are processed; you can process in color or monochrome.

If you set monochrome in the camera Canon software will recognize that and display as set but non-Canon software will not (as you saw.)

[Lundavra]

---

@jrhoffman75 wrote:

Yes, RAW files contain the original sensor data. RAW files only become images when they are processed; you can process in color or monochrome.

If you set monochrome in the camera Canon software will recognize that and display as set but non-Canon software will not (as you saw.)

---

OK thanks, thought it must be something like that.

Just needto find now how it got into monochrome!

[jrhoffman75]

I don't know how the buttons are on the 6D, but on the Rebel it is easy to hit the Picture Style button.

[Lundavra]

I suspect it is similar on the EOS6D.

I had switch to a different mode previously and I was surprised how easily it can happen.

[cicopo]

As a long time Picasa user I know it can edit CR2's but DPP which came with your camera does a much better job & Photoshop's ACR does an even better job. Picasa really doesn't let you fine tune the images like the better software does.  

[Lundavra]

---

@cicopo wrote:

As a long time Picasa user I know it can edit CR2's but DPP which came with your camera does a much better job & Photoshop's ACR does an even better job. Picasa really doesn't let you fine tune the images like the better software does.  

---

It's just convenience, I might have a couple of hundred to edit and get through them quickly in PICASA as well as automatically overlay my name and sometimes other text.  I have a bad habit of rarely getting the image level, I can correct that very quickly in PICASA.  Similarly at this time of the year particularly, I often need to lighten them and can again can do very quickly.

Perhaps have to try DPP again and see if itdoes everything that I want and does it easily and quickly.

[cicopo]

By "at this time of year" you mean you're getting under exposed images due to the snow fooling your light meter may I suggest using 1 to 2 stops of exposure compensation when shooting. (I live where we see lots of snow).

[Lundavra]

---

@cicopo wrote:

By "at this time of year" you mean you're getting under exposed images due to the snow fooling your light meter may I suggest using 1 to 2 stops of exposure compensation when shooting. (I live where we see lots of snow).

---

I have done sometimes and have occasionally bracketed with AEB but I prefer to use RAW and can usually enhance any darker areas.

Most of the time I photographing to record something, the 'pretty picture' aspect is secondary though nice to have an attractive image.

[ebiggs1]

Definitely go to DPP over Picasa.  ACR 9 from Adobe in Photoshop or Lightroom is the best.  RAW files are not effected by most all the camera settings.  The settings you choose are stored in a tag file.  Your post editor uses this tag to set the imported files so you can actually see them.  You can not view a RAW file directly. It must be converted.

In ACR you have full control of the RAW file.  It is my recommendation.