How should I handle Sony NEX RAW lens distortion correction if my editor doesn’t support it?
Asked 1/14/2013
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I shoot RAW on a Sony NEX-6 with the 16-50mm kit lens, which relies heavily on software correction for distortion. Aperture is my main editor, but it does not apply the needed correction. Sony IDC and Lightroom do, but I run into compatibility problems when trying to bring the corrected files back into Aperture. If I export from IDC, Aperture shows a green cast; if I export from Lightroom as DNG, Aperture won’t import it. Is exporting to TIFF the right workflow here, or does that defeat the purpose of shooting RAW?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The big point of raw files is that it is the original unprocessed and unmodified data from the sensor - the minute you do any processing what so ever on the file (for example, distortion correction) it's no longer the unmodified sensor data - even if you export it into a "raw file".
So, exporting to an high bit depth TIFF is just fine, the data loss is minimal (there is some data loss - but that happens because you modified the original data not because you saved to TIFF) - but you have to turn off noise reduction, sharpening, set a flat color curve and in general turn off everything raw processors do to make the image look good.
Or, maybe, if you already have Lightroom anyway (that I guess you have because you plan to use it for distortion corrections) and your camera/lens combination is better supported by Lightroom you should consider switching software.
Originally by user2481. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2481
13y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—exporting a corrected file as a high-bit-depth TIFF is the practical solution.
Once you apply distortion correction, the image is no longer truly “raw” sensor data anyway. Correcting distortion requires resampling the image, so an “exported RAW” is not really RAW in the original sense. In other words, the main data change happens because of the correction itself, not because you saved as TIFF.
A 16-bit TIFF preserves very high image quality and is a normal format for passing a processed file between applications. To keep as much flexibility as possible, disable extra processing when exporting if you can: sharpening, noise reduction, strong tone curves, and similar adjustments.
So your best workflow is to do the lens correction in the software that supports your camera/lens properly, then export as 16-bit TIFF for Aperture. If IDC causes a green cast and Lightroom’s DNG is unsupported, Lightroom-to-TIFF is the safest option based on your tools.
You still keep the original RAW as your untouched source file, and use the TIFF as the corrected working file.
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