Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

markoneswift

2

« on: 13 / February / 2011, 16:39:36 »

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Hi all, I've been a *very* grateful user of CHDK for my A650 for quite a while now but I now face a dilema. I want a new camera and had almost settled on the Fuji HS10 because I want a BIG zoom. I then spotted the SX30 and was about to buy, but then I realised that yet again, Canon have crippled the RAW shooting ! My question is - can RAW be used yet on the SX30, particularly with exposure bracketing because I love to shoot HDRs. The combination of the Canon camera, mega zoom, RAW / AEB would be my IDEAL camera but can it work yet ?

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philmoz

3450

Re: Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

« Reply #1 on: 20 / February / 2011, 17:49:04 »

Quote from: markoneswift on 13 / February / 2011, 16:39:36

Hi all, I've been a *very* grateful user of CHDK for my A650 for quite a while now but I now face a dilema. I want a new camera and had almost settled on the Fuji HS10 because I want a BIG zoom. I then spotted the SX30 and was about to buy, but then I realised that yet again, Canon have crippled the RAW shooting ! My question is - can RAW be used yet on the SX30, particularly with exposure bracketing because I love to shoot HDRs. The combination of the Canon camera, mega zoom, RAW / AEB would be my IDEAL camera but can it work yet ?

In my opinion it is - it's the main reason I ported CHDK to the SX30.

I took over 1300 images on a recent trip, all saved as DNG and processed in Lightroom 3.3.
You can see some of the results here - http://www.pbase.com/phil_a_mitchell/south_america

Phil.

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CHDK ports:
sx30is (1.00c, 1.00h, 1.00l, 1.00n & 1.00p)
g12 (1.00c, 1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
sx130is (1.01d & 1.01f)
ixus310hs (1.00a & 1.01a)
sx40hs (1.00d, 1.00g & 1.00i)
g1x (1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
g5x (1.00c, 1.01a, 1.01b)
g7x2 (1.01a, 1.01b, 1.10b)

waterwingz

12138

Re: Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

« Reply #2 on: 20 / February / 2011, 18:00:32 »

Quote from: philmoz on 20 / February / 2011, 17:49:04

I took over 1300 images on a recent trip, all saved as DNG and processed in Lightroom 3.3.

Wow - great shots. Makes me want to spend less time on CHDK and more time outside taking pictures.

[Off topic a bit ] I think from reading this forum that you have a G12 and a SX30 ? Both in the same prices range, SX30 has the Gigazoom, G12 has the manual control features. Do you prefer one over the other ? Or do you tend to use them both ? Looking for something bigger than my SD940 and more portable than my dSLR - those two are on my short list.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

philmoz

3450

Re: Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

« Reply #3 on: 20 / February / 2011, 18:39:22 »

Quote from: waterwingz on 20 / February / 2011, 18:00:32

Wow - great shots. Makes me want to spend less time on CHDK and more time outside taking pictures.

Thanks, it was a great trip and I'm pretty happy with the results (I'll add more images when I get a chance).

Quote

[Off topic a bit ] I think from reading this forum that you have a G12 and a SX30 ? Both in the same prices range, SX30 has the Gigazoom, G12 has the manual control features. Do you prefer one over the other ? Or do you tend to use them both ? Looking for something bigger than my SD940 and more portable than my dSLR - those two are on my short list.

I bought the SX30 for this trip because I couldn't take all the DSLR gear.
After working on CHDK I wasn't entirely happy with the wide angle (after seeing how much distortion and vignetting there was in the RAW images), so I got the G12 to complement it.

Used both equally on the trip. The SX30 was great for wildlife and candid portraits - I have some interesting shots from Rio; but probably can't post them

The zoom range is awesome when you're on the move and don't know what's around the next corner.

The G12 was fantastic when I didn't need the long zoom. It's easier to carry and will fit in a large pocket in a pinch (I use hand straps not neck straps). The controls are nicely laid out and easy to use. I had the built in level turned on all the time which is very handy for getting horizons straight and the built in ND filter also came in handy.

My only complaint with the G12 is that the labels on the buttons are only painted on - the Menu button on mine is now blank where the paint has been worn off. The SX30 has the button text indented into the button surface.

I think the G12 has the edge in image quality. The SX30 DNG files require a bit more work to get the best out of them - Lightroom handles them very well and copes with the CA and noise nicely.

Phil.

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CHDK ports:
sx30is (1.00c, 1.00h, 1.00l, 1.00n & 1.00p)
g12 (1.00c, 1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
sx130is (1.01d & 1.01f)
ixus310hs (1.00a & 1.01a)
sx40hs (1.00d, 1.00g & 1.00i)
g1x (1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
g5x (1.00c, 1.01a, 1.01b)
g7x2 (1.01a, 1.01b, 1.10b)

Microfunguy

4037

Re: Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

« Reply #4 on: 20 / February / 2011, 18:42:22 »

Phil, I have always been unconvinced of the benefit of RAW on these small sensor cameras.
No-one has posted results that have impressed me.
Maybe it works better with recent 12-bit cameras.

HOWEVER, you are the person who could convince me

Would it be possible to upload somewhere a DNG/JPG pair that you think demonstrates the clear advantage of raw data ?

Thanks.

David

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philmoz

3450

Re: Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

« Reply #5 on: 20 / February / 2011, 19:46:22 »

Quote from: Microfunguy on 20 / February / 2011, 18:42:22

Phil, I have always been unconvinced of the benefit of RAW on these small sensor cameras.
No-one has posted results that have impressed me.
Maybe it works better with recent 12-bit cameras.

HOWEVER, you are the person who could convince me

Would it be possible to upload somewhere a DNG/JPG pair that you think demonstrates the clear advantage of raw data ?

I haven't looked that closely at the jpegs out of either camera to say if there is any real benefit to shooting RAW; but what I've seen looks pretty darn good. Probably for most people the camera jpegs are more than sufficient.

For me shooting raw is more about workflow and what I'm used to - it's what I've done for many years and I'm just more comfortable working this way.

There may be cases where the raw file contains demonstrably more information than the jpeg; but it's not something that I really pay much attention to, or go out of my way to find.

Phil.

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CHDK ports:
sx30is (1.00c, 1.00h, 1.00l, 1.00n & 1.00p)
g12 (1.00c, 1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
sx130is (1.01d & 1.01f)
ixus310hs (1.00a & 1.01a)
sx40hs (1.00d, 1.00g & 1.00i)
g1x (1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
g5x (1.00c, 1.01a, 1.01b)
g7x2 (1.01a, 1.01b, 1.10b)

waterwingz

12138

-delete-

« Reply #6 on: 20 / February / 2011, 19:59:59 »

< deleted a long post that basically said using RAW does not convert a $95 A495 to a $1500 dSLR >

« Last Edit: 21 / February / 2011, 08:52:17 by waterwingz »

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

Microfunguy

4037

Re: Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

« Reply #7 on: 21 / February / 2011, 05:25:15 »

@waterwingz

Perfectly reasonable comments, why self-censor them ?

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waterwingz

12138

Re: Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

« Reply #8 on: 21 / February / 2011, 08:51:08 »

Quote from: Microfunguy on 21 / February / 2011, 05:25:15

@waterwingz Perfectly reasonable comments, why self-censor them ?

When I looked at it later, it read like I was trying to start a flame war. Most of what I posted has been said elsewhere anyway so I just deleted it.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

Bernd R

430

Re: Is RAW for SX30 usable ? It's the only thing stopping me from buying one !!!!!

« Reply #9 on: 22 / February / 2011, 13:14:02 »

Quote from: Microfunguy on 20 / February / 2011, 18:42:22

Phil, I have always been unconvinced of the benefit of RAW on these small sensor cameras.
No-one has posted results that have impressed me.
Maybe it works better with recent 12-bit cameras.

HOWEVER, you are the person who could convince me

Would it be possible to upload somewhere a DNG/JPG pair that you think demonstrates the clear advantage of raw data ?

Thanks.

David

I think RAW is more important on this small Sensor camera.Only disadvantage i see is geomtetry correction.but luckily ixus 1000 have not smaller as 36 mm.

Here i upload a image shoot availible light with ISO400 on evening a doll by a girl friend.it was not bright in the room.time is 1/4 sec free hand.Camera is Ixus 1000 HS.

http://www.zshare.net/download/86945825dffd7ce4/

its dng and jpg that come out of Camera.I see in picasa without any RAW processing hair look lots better as jpg.you can see the dark accesoiry in the hair look in the jpg lots blury.

the jpg is blocky.and when you process this image then the jpg show more denoise artefacts.

the colors of the RAW are more natural.on left side the jpg is little overexpose, the RAW not

I can also upload images that contain wood structure, here RAW look too lots better.
and when you process this RAW you can get better image quality.

even the silky pics developer studio 3 free give better results as jpg i see.

« Last Edit: 22 / February / 2011, 13:36:48 by Bernd R »

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Ixus 1000 HS