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Canon sRAW?
#1

I just spotted this tidbit in the Canon EOS-1D Mark III press release -

Quote:in addition to the RAW and JPEG options found in previous EOS Digital SLRs, the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR now offers the "sRAW" recording format. "sRAW" has all the flexibility of standard RAW data recording, but at one quarter the resolution and approximately half the file size of conventional RAW images.
Interesting... I wonder - is it a completely new format, or just a smaller sized RAW file? I can see how the latter might be useful - like with JPGs you can choose from small, medium and large sizes, why not with RAW too?
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#2

It is simply a smaller file using only 2.5 MP. It is perfect for images that are not going to be bigger than an 8x10. For me that means candids at a reception. Means you can save a lot of space on your card but still edit RAW images. Canon really thought about this camera - this is one of the things I have always wanted since I bought the 5D.

Canon stuff.
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#3

I can see some value to having a low-res option like this - particularly for candids (like WS suggests), sports, and other snapshot type photos where you won't do much editing and won't do blowups. I doubt I would ever use it, but its a nice option (unless the camera gets set in that mode in error).
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#4

Hmmm seems a little odd to me. Surely you want maximum data for all your images. Just carry more cards!! Can't see me using this but I guess it is a nice added feature for some.

“Look, I'm not an intellectual - I just take pictures.” - Helmut Newton.
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#5

navis01 Wrote:Hmmm seems a little odd to me. Surely you want maximum data for all your images. Just carry more cards!! Can't see me using this but I guess it is a nice added feature for some.
When you are editing 12-18GB of wedding photos every weekend any ability to cut down where it is not needed is fantastic. Why shoot a 10GB RAW file when you know the file will never be printed bigger than a 6x4.

Canon stuff.
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#6

True, Chris. I suppose it does give you the flexibility of RAW without the added bulk.

I wonder how they're doing it though - traditional RAW captures all the information from the sensor as is, without applying post processing. With sRAW - would they be capturing data from half the pixels, or maybe doing some averaging, maybe?

Anyway, sounds like a great feature - it has my thumbs up too.
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#7

I am wondering how they do it too - keen to have a very close look at this camera.

Canon stuff.
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#8

It's just writing a file from the RAW data that's smaller in pixel count, but is still in the RAW format instead of jpg.

Same idea as when you choose a smaller jpg resolution, where the camera's processor takes in the data from the sensor and writes a file that's at the pixel measurements you choose.
There's processing involved, say averaging 4 pixel's data into one, but that's how lower-res works.

Don't believe for a second that RAW means sensor>>>memory card.
There's still plenty of processing going on in-camera to create the RAW files.
That's why the camera companies give their processors fancy names and version numbers, because the quality and design of the processor has a greater impact on image quality than even the sensor in many cases.
(Remember, many popular cameras use the same sensors as other brands--from the same factory--it's the processor that sets them apart. Canon makes their own for their DSLRs but used Sony for many P&S as did Fuji and others, and I think Nikon has used both Kodak and Sony-made sensors for DSLRs.)

Not a difficult chore from a hardware/firmware standpoint, I think they just never thought of it before.
Even RAW-only shooters take snapshots, and snapshooters who always forget to set their white balance correctly love RAW.
And as wedding shooter mentioned many pros don't need hi-rez photos of everything they shoot.
A 3mp camera can give excellent 5x7s, so why store a bunch of huge files you don't really need?
I bet the frame-rate is faster at low-rez, too.

A smart idea that adds versatility as long as you don't forget that you're in low-rez mode at an important shoot. Big Grin
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#9

KeithAlanK Wrote:A smart idea that adds versatility as long as you don't forget that you're in low-rez mode at an important shoot. Big Grin
That would really suck Smile

Canon stuff.
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