EOS 7D RAW photos blown out but JPGs are OK

[MNshutterbug]

I shoot the Canon 7D and this camera I've typically used for wildlife and jpeg was always good enough for my purposes. Recently I've been shooting in RAW plus jpeg and I noticed this evening after shooting images of swans that the RAW files all showed blown out areas that I was unable to recover. However, the jpegs showed detail in the highlights and shadows. I'd expect it to be the opposite. This makes no sense to me. 

[MNshutterbug]

I did learn that my editing program works very poorly with RAW files and my outdated Elements doesn't open cr2 files. However, I did download DPP and saw what some have been mentioning. I was able to recover the highlights on the raw files and then save it and open it in my regular editing program and make the final tweaks there. Thanks everyone for your comments.

[johnrmoyer]

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@MNshutterbug wrote:

I did learn that my editing program works very poorly with RAW files and my outdated Elements doesn't open cr2 files. However, I did download DPP and saw what some have been mentioning. I was able to recover the highlights on the raw files and then save it and open it in my regular editing program and make the final tweaks there. Thanks everyone for your comments.

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One further suggestion. If one saves a 16 bit TIFF from DPP, then there will be more data for another program to edit. The other program can save a JPEG.

Digital Lens Optimizer in DPP works especially well if one has a Canon lens.

[MNshutterbug]

Good suggestion re: TIFF files. I'll be sure to remember that.

[ebiggs1]

"I did download DPP ..."

You don't need to, "... open it in my regular editing program and make the final tweaks ". You have all the ability necessary to do the edits in DPP4

[MNshutterbug]

I find DPP a pain in the neck and don't feel like learning another program. I did just figure out though that I can convert the CR2s to dngs and they will open in both of my programs properly. 

[ebiggs1]

Always best to use what works for you.

"I find DPP a pain in the neck and don't feel like learning another program."

Yeah, I know learning new software is always a PITA to start off with. I am going through a similar situation since my beloved music notation software, Finale, is going belly up and I need to switch and learn a completely new one, Dorico 5 Pro.

All I can say to perhaps help it does get easier although I may not have much of what is left of my vanishing hair after this switch over. Just go slow and there is lots of Youtube vids. I have been a Photoshop user almost from the beginning of PS. I hear the same complaints about how difficult it is to learn, too. But any software that is as capable as PS or DPP4 or Dorico Pro is going to be by its very nature, complex to learn. Keep in mind whether it is DPP4 or PS you can do as much or as little as you want.

Good luck to you and keep shooting.