Registered: 08-2014 Location: Leicestershire, UK Posts: 1244
Re: Do I need Photoshop? I think that the point about there being no visible difference between 16 bit and 8 bit is because the people saying that are just looking at a screen (say) and you can't see the difference then.
(I put this forward not on the basis of my personal knowledge and experience but on the basis that I read it during my own researches and it makes sense - or seems to)
--- Chris
One day I might grow up, but I hope not
Say YES unless good reason to contrary
Registered: 08-2014 Location: Leicestershire, UK Posts: 1244
Re: Do I need Photoshop?
quote:
martinimages wrote:
I far as I know,if you convert from 16bit to 8bit and save, converting back to 16 bit does not work, the conversion to 8 bit throws away data.
Working that way always make a duplicate of your 16 bit files and use the 8 bit for working on.
Martin
Thanks Martin - yes it makes sense to me that you must lose data by converting to 8 bit.
But I don't see why saving the (original) 16 bit version and then working on the 8 bit version helps - as it will be the work you do on the 8 bit version that you want in the final image and you are applying those changes to a degraded (8 bit) image.
(I comment from a common sense point of view and not from an informed technical point of view - just in case anyone is under the mistaken impression that I fully understand what I am saying)
--- Chris
One day I might grow up, but I hope not
Say YES unless good reason to contrary
I think that the point about there being no visible difference between 16 bit and 8 bit is because the people saying that are just looking at a screen (say) and you can't see the difference then.
Who knows, it's all back to this problem of knowing the quality standards being used, but the examples I was talking about referred to making prints.
Registered: 01-2006 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 6449
Re: Do I need Photoshop? If you have edited in 8 bit then post in 8 bit it will show degradation OR posterization of the file especially in the plain high contrast areas such as blue skies, more than if you edited in 16bit and then posting in 8bit.
--- "After that shutter closes it’s all over. The physical light captured on film is all that is left, a history of light preserved in chemical form, and I have to move on to the next one."
Registered: 08-2014 Location: Leicestershire, UK Posts: 1244
Re: Do I need Photoshop?
quote:
martinimages wrote:
If you have edited in 8 bit then post in 8 bit it will show degradation OR posterization of the file especially in the plain high contrast areas such as blue skies, more than if you edited in 16bit and then posting in 8bit.
Ahh - I see that - but I think the issue with PSE 11 is that you don't have the option of processing all in 16 bit and then posting in 8 bit - you have to convert to 8 bit to do some of the processing.
Anyway - I accept that this (16bit to 8 bit in PSE) is a minority interest as most people on here will be using Photoshop but I thought it could be of interest to potential new forum members who - like me - join having PSE. So I think this part of the discussion has drawn to a natural conclusion - unless anyone else wants to add something of course
Thanks also for the link - it was surprisingly understandable and supports my initial (common sense) view that you must lose quality if you convert from 16 bit to 8 bit to do some processing.
For my part I will continue with PSE 11 + Nik collection and if I actually hit problems with printed images I will then re-consider what I do
--- Chris
One day I might grow up, but I hope not
Say YES unless good reason to contrary
Registered: 08-2014 Location: Leicestershire, UK Posts: 1244
Re: Do I need Photoshop? Thanks Ian - seems pretty clear to me that 16 bit rules - I just need to see how it affects images I produce - particularly printed ones - as I am reluctant to start learning yet another bit of software unless I really have to (let alone spend significant amounts of cash on it)
--- Chris
One day I might grow up, but I hope not
Say YES unless good reason to contrary
Registered: 01-2006 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 6449
Re: Do I need Photoshop? Hi Graham
I think we answered the original question, unless you need any more advice , post away
Martin
Last edited by martinimages, 13/Aug/14, 4:46 pm
--- "After that shutter closes it’s all over. The physical light captured on film is all that is left, a history of light preserved in chemical form, and I have to move on to the next one."