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This deep dive looks into LOG vs RAW footage and how they differ for colour grading

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These days, whenever a new camera is released – particularly one geared towards video – I see two questions that come up repeatedly for days. “Does it have a LOG profile?” and “Can it shoot raw?”. They’re valid questions, but there are some pretty big differences between the two. In this video, the team at Syrp Lab take a deep dive into both to show how they differ and the potential problems you can run into.

In short, log footage tries to emulate the range of brightness that our eye is capable of seeing, but once you start to great it, it can fall apart pretty easily. Raw footage, on the other hand, contains much more data with a greater bit depth – and bit depth is explained in the video – offering a lot of latitude in post to adjust clips to match each other and give an overall artistic great. But it comes at a cost of space and computing power.

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Is there really that big of a difference between 12-Bit and 14-Bit RAW?

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12-Bit used to be the standard for most raw files in the early days. Then, somewhere around 10 years or so ago, most of them started switching up to 14-bit. There are a few that still only shoot 12-bit and some give the option of both. Why? Well, the lower bit depth allows for better performance due to the reduced data throughput requirements.

We all know to shoot raw rather than 8-bit JPG, but is there that much of a big difference between 12-bit and 14-bit? In this video, photographer Michael Brietung wanted to find out. So, he shot identical images using his Canon EOS R5 in 14-bit using the mechanical shutter and 12-bit with the electronic shutter to see if he could see any difference at all.

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The iPhone 12 Pro boasts more dynamic range than the Canon EOS R5 in iOS beta

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Apple recently announced the developer beta for iOS 14.3 which brings with it Apple’s new ProRAW photo feature. iPhones have actually had DNG RAW capabilities since iOS 10, but it’s never offered this capability in the built-in camera app before. You’ve always had to go for third party solutions, like Camera+ or Lightroom.

But now, Apple is implementing it in their own camera app and they’re calling it “ProRAW”. And according to PetaPixel, the cameras within the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will allow it to capture 12-bit DNG files with up to 14-stops of dynamic range. Other than the capabilities of the actual camera module itself, though, I’m not sure what it offers that iPhone users couldn’t do already.

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Comparing the Canon R5 and R6 file formats (RAW, CRAW, JPEG, HEIF)

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In my last post, I shot images with both the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6 to compare the ISO performance of both cameras. As always, this led to a lot of comments, emails, and DMs asking me if I could also compare the different file formats of these cameras. While I still have both these cameras on loan from Canon, I decided that now would be a good time to tests these parameters for all of you (and me too).

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This is why shooting in RAW is closer to what we see with our eyes

When I received my first camera I only shot jpegs. That was all I knew. A few months later a friend of our daughter came for a visit. She told me that it would be an idea if I started to shoot in RAW. I was like: “Say it again….what?” My ignorance was almost tangible. However, I took the challenge and have never looked back. Little did I know that my yes would start a life long learning and cost me a small fortune in editing software.

I soon discovered why RAW files are superior to jpegs, and in this brief article, we will have a closer look at one of the advantages of switching to RAW format. For landscape photography in particular switching to RAW has huge advantages.

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Three photography terms you didn’t know (or care) you were saying wrong

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From the beginning of time, photographers have argued about the crucial stuff such as how to pronounce the word “bokeh.” And from what I’ve heard so far, most of them are pronouncing it wrong. But guess what: there are a few other photography terms that you’re likely saying (or spelling) wrong. In this video, Gerald Undone discusses these and explains how you should pronounce them and why.

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This eclipse photo shows why dynamic range and shooting RAW are important

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Shooting raw or not shooting raw is probably not even questionable for most photographers. But if you’re for any reason still shooting JPG, this example could finally make you change it. What’s more, it shows why the high dynamic range is important, and what you can achieve just from editing a single RAW file.

Photographer Daniel Plucinski captured the total solar eclipse on Monday and retrieved an incredible amount of details from a single underexposed shot.

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RAW vs JPEG – The Only Guide You Will Ever Need

I did not plan on writing a dedicated article on RAW vs JPEG. Why? I thought this ship had sailed long ago and the time of heated debates over which format is better was well into the past. But, what I realized in teaching photography is that this topic is still confusing and unclear for every generation of newcomers who decide to join the exciting and wonderful realm of photography.

Here is my attempt to write the only article you will ever need to understand the difference between RAW and JPEG. Hopefully, you will have a profound Zen experience and move forward with your photography never having to think about the issue again!

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Wesaturate offers free raw files to practise your photo editing

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Not everybody who uses Photoshop is a photographer. Some are retouchers, others simply want to learn. Even for those who are photographers, it’s not always possible to go and shoot the kinds of images you need to test out certain techniques. Especially if you’re just starting out with photography.

This was the challenge faced by Kash Goudarzi and Gifton Okoronkwo. Too much of their time was being taken up by work and study, but they wanted to improve their post processing techniques. With little time to get out and shoot, they were lacking in photos with which to learn. Freely available raw files are limited in number, so they have created their own platform. Wesaturate.

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What Camera Quality Settings Should I Use for Photos and Video?

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One of the questions I get most often from people who have just picked up a new camera is: What camera quality settings should I use for photos and video?

I usually answer that question with another question: Have you ever desperately wished that you only had a low quality version of a specific image or video clip? No? Me neither.

So the short answer is: The highest quality setting your camera has.

Continue reading for the rational behind this, and tips for archiving high quality photos and video while saving storage space…
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