Retreiving RAW

[tinwhistle]

I've been taking pictures in RAW for some time now, mostly because of the post processing. This evening I went into my archives and retreived a RAW file only to discobver that it apparently isn't in RAW . I'm obviously doing something wrong. What? I'm running PC with Windows 7 and use either CS6, Elements 11 or 12. Mostly 12. Any ideas...

[Waddizzle]

It is not all that difficult to accidentally change the setting when you are on the "Quick Setting" screen menu. 

I have caught myself shooting just JPG from time to time.  I have also taken an HDR shot, which requires you to shoot JPG only, and have forgotten to change it back to RAW.  Double check the camera settings, and keep having fun taking shots.

[kvbarkley]

Also, you might have tried to save a JPEG and overwrote the RAW. This is why it is good to use a DAM like lightroom, it makes it very difficult to overwrite/delete the originals.

[ebiggs1]

"... only to discobver that it apparently isn't in RAW"

What type file is there?  If you changed the format from RAW to jpg, it wouldn't have over written your RAW version.  No matter what software you are using.

Not on topic but nonsense ... "I have also taken an HDR shot, which requires you to shoot JPG only"      RAW is the preferred format for HDR.  Or, any DSLR photography, IMHO, for that matter.  RAW conversion is so simple and seamless, even the email to grandma can be a RAW conversion.

[kvbarkley]

in-camera HDR requires RAW.

[Waddizzle]

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@kvbarkley wrote:

in-camera HDR requires RAW.

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That's not true, either.

[ScottyP]

I found out the hard way that if you restore settings to default the camera switches from shooting RAW to shooting JPG.  That is one way to inadvertently switch to JPG.  

[tinwhistle]

Thank you all for the input, but I must have approached my problem the wrong way. The camera is recording just fine; RAW plus jpg. Downloading into the computer is just fine=RAW and jpg and both files are saved. When I open the RAW file for the first time it opens in RAW. Now comes the problem: after working on the image I'm given 4 choices for closing that screen, most of the time I click on "open image" and the image moves to whatever program I have open. At that point I've assumed that my oroginal RAW file is moved back whense it came, as a RAW file. However, the last few times I've gone back (at a later date) and retrieved that file it opens in the same condition (ie all the sliders, etc) just as I left them. I can, of course move the sliders back to "0", but why doesn't the orginal file (RAW) get sent back as a RAW and subsequently be re-opened in RAW? To make a long story longer; it's not the camera and it's not the original download. I am doing something wrong after post processing.

[ebiggs1]

No nothing wrong.

RAW can not be displayed on a monitor.  It has to be converted.  When this happens you make a data tag file that is associated to your original RAW file.  So whenever you open it, the computer reads that tag and displays it.  Rest assured the original RAW file is there and it is unchanged.  It is simply the tag that gets changed.

Most cameras use the settings you may have set in the camera as a starting point to display the RAW file.  These settings are not actually in or do they actually change the RAW file.

[Waddizzle]

"Not on topic but nonsense ... "I have also taken an HDR shot, which requires you to shoot JPG only"      RAW is the preferred format for HDR.  Or, any DSLR photography, IMHO, for that matter.  RAW conversion is so simple and seamless, even the email to grandma can be a RAW conversion."  

Nonsense?

Apparently, some cameras will only do in-camera HDR when you shoot as JPEG.  Of course, not yours.