Anyone still using "lossless compression" image quality with Z9?
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Jack McEwan
Well-known member
It does not. I shoot HE* exclusively and use DxO Pure RAW 4 as my noise reduction software.
dfikar
Member
I am primarily a landscape photographer and I was reluctant to switch to HE*. I finally tried it and despite absurd degrees of pixel-peeping I can find no difference between HE* and lossless compression, even in the deep shadows of underexposed photos, plus the HE* files are way smaller. I'll never switch back.
I'm still struggling to find a difference between regular HE and lossless compressed. Both are pretty amazing compression files.
I wish Nikon would at least implement pre-capture RAW in HE, I think that's entirely possible with its file sizes being about the same as JPEG fine.
My project for today is to go out and shoot some birds with ONLY jpeg using some recipes and see how the results look. I'm trying to dial in the most optimal Pre-Capture Jpeg profile I can put together.
JacobGM
New member
I have issues with previewing HE files in MacOS. As a result, I also cannot open them in Affinity Photo or DXO PhotoLab, which are my editing options. If I shoot HE, I have to convert them in Nikon’s software first, which is needlessly laborious.
Cameron T
Well-known member
You need to update dxo. They've recognized the files for a while now. I'm unsure about affinity, and apple is slow to update as well.
I can't preview on my Mac but DXO works fine with HE/HE*. I'm using DXO Photolab 8.
Unless I need ai denoise my workflow is crazy sometimes as I go into NX to get Nikon colors, then TIFF to DXO to get clear view/lens corrections and then to Lightroom for the AI subject "pop" or other features. I wish one of them could do it all well but they don't.
Unscript
Active member
Affinity Photo 2 supports HE in 2.6, but this version is still in beta, so you must register to the beta programme, @JacobGM (it's only one click). EDIT: Or, once again, you can convert them to .dng with Adobe's free converter (slightly more tedious).
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Anthony
Well-known member
NX Studio does not support noise reduction for HEIF files. This may or may not be important for you.
Front Yard & Washhouse
New member
All points taken re file size, quality etc but I shall stay for the foreseeable future with Lossless Compressed. The reason being I have a workflow that I am practised at — Mac OS computer, Photo Mechanic, ACR, PS if needed. I hate sitting down; would rather keep moving to take photos or just be out and about, so to minimize computer time am happy to need higher shooting storage (and often consider not keeping all the Raws after the event depending on success rating, look of JPEG conversions etc). But will keep an open mind once all the workflow issues sort themselves out, while reluctant to spend time learning or comparing new software.
jpgrove
Active member
Does Affinity Photo read Z8 HE* files as well as the Z9 ones? I haven't yet upgraded so would be keen to know as I cant seem to find the RAW support document on the website. Thank you (MAC User)
Also a Mac user. Affinity 2 does not support HE* but if you buy it you can download the 2.6 Beta which does free. I have had no problems with the Beta, it's all I use now. You can run both Affinity 2 and the Affinity 2.6 Beta side by side.
E Rogers
New member
What happens when you convert HE* to DNG in LR? I believe when I tried that several months ago, the DNG files were just as big as the lossless compression files - hence the HE* file size advanmtage was reversed when converting to DNG. Anyone experience this? Thx.
Cameron T
Well-known member
Yes, that's exactly what happens. If not get even bigger.
The HE formats are proprietary compression, and DNG is either not compressed or not very compressed. Either way.
jpgrove
Active member
Just upgraded to the Universal License... really should have done that back on Black Friday
Mark_Laidlaw
Active member
I shoot in the most aggressive HE mode I can on all my Z's. There's no practical difference in file quality, but the file size advantages are huge. Big reason I bought a Z6III is so I could enjoy wirelessly tethering 11MB 24MP NEF's into Capture One on the architectural jobs that I shoot. Total workflow game changer. I can do at least 50% more work in the same amount of time because I don't have to worry about the safety or infrastructure of a tether cable.
Interesting. Any idea what happens in Pure Raw 4?
I'm not tethered but I use HE for the same reason, wireless transfer to my MacBook. I don't even pull cards out of the camera anymore. I cannot see any loss in the regular HE files. Maybe it's there but you would probably have to really torture a file to see it.
Cameron T
Well-known member
PR4 can ingest HE files, but it spits out whatever normal format (dng, tiff, etc), it can't spit out HE files (which makes sense, once you've modified them it can't be the same as it was). The difference is with PR you're only editing the few files you want to work on, vs having to remake all of them into dng to even look at them. At least I don't, since I use a version of C1 that also sees HE files and can read them just fine.
I don't understand. How would using HE* files versus lossless raw change your workflow? Whether you start with a lossless raw of HE* I believe the workflow is the same.....except that moving files from card to computer might be faster?
Roy
Well-known member
I'm still lossless.
I shoot mostly product and therefor fewer frames than most.
The extra resolution isn't much but for me it's worth it ...
maxxus46
Well-known member
There is no extra resolution, your still getting the same 46 megapixel files. The difference is HE is compressed with fancy algorithms to reduce file size while maintaining the same quality. I have tried to abuse lossless Raw vs. Raw HE° files and have yet to spot any differences. Therefore, I don't see any gains by sticking to lossless RAW. If I can't see it, it's simply not worth the extra hard disk space . YMMV
I'm still lossless.
I shoot mostly product and therefor fewer frames than most.
The extra resolution isn't much but for me it's worth it ...
Tibor Hrnko
Well-known member
If the information on the web is correct, HE* is a different name for TicoRaw. That is a proprietary algorithm for video and still images, which claims that it is mathematically lossless and visually lossless to 1 bit per pixel. From the latter I deduce, that it is equivalent to 13 bit RAW uncompressed.
TicoRaw description here.
TicoRaw description here.
jpgrove
Active member
To use HE* or not is as controversial as using NC or UV filters, what one person sees as a result of using HE* will differ to others, but Steve’s comments have finally pushed to use it fully even on landscapes. I also did some testing and couldn’t see any visible difference unless you pushed 3 stops over when recovering shadow detail and even then it was minor and pixel peeping, but everyone’s mileage will vary, what Nikon have done is given us choice.
When I looked at Affinity in the past it was a no go because it lacked the Light Room Classices robust/fast key wording search ability, maps and print module. Has that changed?