Gimp and RAW images

[Stu1976j]

HI there everyone, I am hoping someone can cast a little light on a problem I seem to have. I am quite new to the world of AP and was A advised to put my Canon EOS500D into RAW file and was advised that Gimp 2.8 was the best software to use to then edit the images.

Now last night I went out and started as there where fantastic clear skies. This morning I put the images on the laptop started Gimp and to my surprise gimp will not find them. 

The images are in the correct folder I made. and gimp is looking in the correct location for these also. 

So I am now a little stuck, I have a day off work and cant play

I am hoping someone can shed a little light on this matter as it looks like I have managed to get some good data.

That or is there another bit of software that is good for editing Raw files ?

Thanks for reading 

[calli]

Gimp 2.8 is NOT the best for that. It is only 8bit/channel.

Use Gimp 2.9.x (beta but quite stable). There you can import your RAWs with UFRaw (just use the normal Open...). Dont forget to set the Output Depht to 16bit in the Color Management tab in the UFRaw dialogue.

Get you a copy of 2.9.x here: http://www.partha.com/

I like to use the portable builds, they dont need any installation.

Best,

Carsten

[calli]

More:

What OS you are on? May have asked that above... :-/

You can also try:

- RawTherapee

- FitsWorks (old but good batch capabilities)

Carsten

[wimvb]

As far as I know, GIMP cannot open raw image files. Your camera may come with software that will handle raw files, otherwise I suggest you look into either Adobe Camera Raw or the open source software Raw Therapee. With these packages you can convert raw files to something GIMP can handle.

I use Raw Therapee myself for cleaning up raw files before conversion.

As stated in another reply, GIMP 2.8 can't handle 16 bit image files. There is a 16 bit version (2.9 unofficial version), but I found this unstable (although other people on this forum use it).

Photoshop is able to handle 16 bit files, but I don't use this software myself, so I can't advise you on it.

Good luck

[Thalestris24]

Hi Stu

You really want to be stacking multiple images in DeepSkyStacker (DSS) and that will give you a better result and output in tiff (format selectable). Even if you only have singles you can still 'stack' and get the tiff output.

Louise

[calli]

Just to make it clear: Gimp can import/load RAWs with the UFRaw plugin. And since 2.9.x you can then also use 16bit/channel. When you read plugin, don't fear, it is well integrated and looks more like a Open-dialog on speed ;-)

Carsten

[Steve Ward]

To open and adjust RAW Canon files just use the free Canon DPP software that came on the disc with the camera .

[Stu1976j]

More:

What OS you are on? May have asked that above... :-/

You can also try:

- RawTherapee

- FitsWorks (old but good batch capabilities)

Carsten

Hi there thanks for the reply. I am using windows Vista at present. Thanks for the link am downloading now. will let you know what happens as soon as I do 

[Stu1976j]

To open and adjust RAW Canon files just use the free Canon DPP software that came on the disc with the camera .

Hi Steve I had no software with the Camera as it was second hand and for an xmas pressy, but have downloaded from the net and playing.

There just seems so many different programs out there and then add into the equation all the different ways in which people manipulate there AP images. Its all bit of a mine field for a newby like my self.

I have started getting the basics of the Camera under control, now I just have to try and get the basics of stacking images and retrieving the data from the images. Wow its one heck of a learning curve to say the least. Fun and frustrating at the same time. 

So any advice from anyone here is great and gives me something to try.

Hopefully will have some good ( or should I say ) interesting images to share before long with everyone

[Steve Ward]

Great DeepSkyStacker tutorial here ... 

[Stu1976j]

Thanks for the link for DSS that alone is a huge help and some brilliant advice on there, should help me on my way some further now

[Night Hawk]

I've been using this. You might find it useful http://www.stevebb.com/deep_sky_stacker.html

[Macavity]

With a bit of dogged persistence, I am finding that 8-bit GIMP can be adequate

for various FINAL image combinings and tunings, provided you performed the

initial stretch at higher precision? I'm now using "Arcsinh" from FiTS Liberator!

I am but a VIDEO Astronomer, so use Registax to stack to FITS. But see DSS

can also output FITS files. I begin to like the friendly interface of Fits Liberator...

Of course you have yet another file type to contend with! But, paradoxically, I 

quite like the way I can use / save a common file name in the process chain.

I have only *just* began to experiment seriously about such things! But e.g.

find that 8-bit GIMP processing seems safe enough if you make more use of

*masks* to do processing... Avoid "splitting the data" (histogram) so much?

See:  https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/ContrastMask/  for credible explanation!

No promises! But if one is... "funding limited", worth persisting with GIMP?  

Also using IRIS (gradient removal) and "Straton" (star / neb separation) etc.

[Stu1976j]

I've been using this. You might find it useful http://www.stevebb.com/deep_sky_stacker.html

Thanks for the link some more great help in there, I shall use it towards my latest image

[Stu1976j]

With a bit of dogged persistence, I am finding that 8-bit GIMP can be adequate

for various FINAL image combinings and tunings, provided you performed the

initial stretch at higher precision? I'm now using "Arcsinh" from FiTS Liberator!

I am but a VIDEO Astronomer, so use Registax to stack to FITS. But see DSS

can also output FITS files. I begin to like the friendly interface of Fits Liberator...

Of course you have yet another file type to contend with! But, paradoxically, I 

quite like the way I can use / save a common file name in the process chain.

I have only *just* began to experiment seriously about such things! But e.g.

find that 8-bit GIMP processing seems safe enough if you make more use of

*masks* to do processing... Avoid "splitting the data" (histogram) so much?

See:  https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/ContrastMask/  for credible explanation!

No promises! But if one is... "funding limited", worth persisting with GIMP?  

Also using IRIS (gradient removal) and "Straton" (star / neb separation) etc.

Thanks for the advice and extra info all helps very much.

[spaceman_spiff]

Hi Stu

You really want to be stacking multiple images in DeepSkyStacker (DSS) and that will give you a better result and output in tiff (format selectable). Even if you only have singles you can still 'stack' and get the tiff output.

Louise

I also find DSS works best for me! You can stretch the detail (DSS uses 16bit/ch) and then export the TIF to other programs.