Working with .ARW RAW files from the Sony NEX-5N

This post does not apply to you if you shoot in .JPG format (like most people).  However, if you want to shoot in RAW format (like me), read on...

The day I bought my new Sony, I also downloaded Adobe Lightroom 4 (30-day trial).  I installed that while charging my camera battery for the first time.  So, my entire experience with these RAW files for about the first month was within Lightroom.  It was easy to open and work with the files and in fact I never even realized early on that there may be some difficulty working with these files at all.

And really, it's not hard - as long as you have pretty recent software.

My intention was to pay the whopping $150 for LR4 by the time the 30-day trial ended.  It's a great price for the software if you ask me.  You get the latest Adobe Camera Raw engine, which is greatly upgraded from the version included in Lightroom 3.  Among other things, it supports the relatively new RAW format that my camera shoots.

As usual, life stepped up and got in the way of buying the software by the time I had planned.  So when the LR4 demo expired, I found myself seemingly unable to open the RAW files.  (Oops!)

I never installed whatever software came with the camera (still haven't). Had I not found another solution I might have had to do that.  But I'm a graphic designer, accustomed to Adobe software and I suspected I wouldn't care for the Sony-provided software.  I've got the installer CD sitting right here.  I suppose I should look into that just so I know what I'm missing...

I own the Adobe Creative Suite 4 here at home, and the latest Camera Raw updates aren't available for Photoshop CS4.  (Grrr.)  Seems like I just bought CS4 and they're rolling out CS6.

Link:  Adobe Lightroom 4

Adobe DNG (Digital Negative) format

I found a pretty simple workaround to working with these files.  I installed Adobe's free DNG converter, which can batch convert your camera's RAW files (from just about any camera manufacturer) to Adobe's DNG format (Digital Negative).  DNG maintains the RAW information from your camera's native files, so you still have all the flexibility and data from working with RAW files, in a more standard file format.

Photoshop CS4 supports the DNG format.

LightRoom also has this functionality built into it -- you can convert RAW files to DNG upon import if you choose to.

Link:  Adobe DNG Converter for Mac

iPhoto '11

I was also happy to realize that iPhoto '11, which I also use at home for maintaining our ridiculously huge photo library, can seamlessly open and modify these .ARW files (which did help me out in a pinch one day).  I prefer to use Adobe Camera Raw (either in Lightroom or Photoshop) but it's good to have a backup.

My workflow

Here's the workflow that I've been working with.  It pretty much has to include iPhoto, since that's what my family uses to catalog our photos.  And I generally prefer it myself for looking through family photos.

I copy files from my camera to my hard drive manually into a new folder.

If necessary, I batch convert to .DNG format.  This step is sometimes not needed.

I open the files either in Lightroom or Photoshop (Camera RAW) and make my selections (deleting unwanted shots), tweak exposure, color balance, crop, etc.  (I can't tell you how many times I've brought a decent shot out of hiding with just a new crop.)

I export to high quality JPG, and import the JPGs into iPhoto for cataloging and storage.  From there I share to Facebook, Flickr, whatever.

I then copy the original RAW files to an external hard drive.

PhotoShop CS6 beta

Right now I've also installed and am loving the Photoshop CS6 beta. That's the caveat to the workflow above -- CS6 has the latest Camera Raw updates and so there is no conversion to DNG needed, and I work right in the Camera Raw importer.

9 times out of 10 everything I want to do to a photo can be done right within Camera Raw, and I almost never need to take the photo into Photoshop proper. I think the most recent Photoshop change I made to a photo was to remove something distracting in the background.

I do plan to buy Lightroom 4 when I can.  But in the meantime, I can continue to work in Photoshop CS4 (once the CS6 beta expires) via the DNG converter.

There you have it!  Any questions?  :)

Couple of quick pix

Took my kids for a walk on the local greenway this weekend and got a couple of goofy shots of my son.  The first says, "CHEEESE!" and the second says, "FINE I'LL LOOK AT THE CAMERA." :)

Aperture priority as wide open as it would go, auto ISO, kit 18-55mm lens.

No flash required.

Now that I've gone mirrorless with my primary (and only) camera, DSLR cameras look downright gigantic to me.

My stepdaughter attended her first prom, and so of course piles of photos were taken.  When we arrived to meet her date and her friends, there were 2 other photographers present.  Both Canon shooters -- one had a battery grip and flash mounted to the hot shoe.  The other guy had a lower end model, maybe a T3i (looked like it from a distance, but I didn't ask).

It struck me how huge these cameras were.  Both were shooting with on-camera flash.  At least the first guy had enough sense to bounce his flash off the ceiling, but the 2nd guy was blasting his flash straight at the subjects.

I happened to get one shot that fired at the same instant as one of their flashes, and the photo was completely flat and lifeless.  The rest of my shots were taken with natural light (and there was plenty).  I think the skin tones I got sans-flash were lovely.

I'm not knocking flash photography - never in life.  But for me - and many people would argue differently - if you can't get the flash off the camera, the only other option is natural light.

Here are a few pix from that afternoon.

NEX teardown. Oh, the humanity!

The folks at lensrentals.com did a full teardown of a NEX camera.  Like a train crash, you can't look away.

Click to read more.

Tuesday

I still can't put the camera down.  I snagged this one this evening of my daughter watching TV.

SLR Magic 35mm f1.7 lens

This is the first third-party lens I plan to pick up for my NEX-5N.  The 35mm f1.7 lens by SLR Magic.

It's very inexpensive, under $150.  It's considered a "creative" lens - not something you'd choose if you were looking for the ultimate in sharpness.  The larger you set the aperture, you get increased vignetting and soft edges. You can even achieve almost a tilt-shift effect.

But I don't think you can dismiss it as a wannabe "toy camera" lens. It creates wonderful portraits and lovely bokeh.

It's strictly a manual lens. There are no electronics. No autofocus, and you control the aperture the old-fashioned way, with an aperture ring.

But at f1.7, it's also super-fast. I'm really looking forward to trying this lens out in low light.

Photographer Steve Huff took this lens for a test drive, and posted some wonderful results here:

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/11/15/slr-magic-35-1-7-lens-review-on-the-sony-nex-5/

Here are some lovely sample videos using this lens and NEX cameras that users have posted to YouTube.

Can't wait to try this one out.

Sony NEX-5N Firmware Update

Version 1.01 of the NEX-5N firmware is available. I just performed the update using my Mac and had no problems.

According to Sony, here's what this update does:

• Improves the AF response for situations where the distance of the subject changes considerably
• Improves stability when operating the camera using the [Lens Compensation: Distortion] "Auto" and [Picture Effect] "Miniature" settings at the same time
• Improves camera operations when using the [Exposure Compensation] and [Intelligent AF] settings

Get the update here: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.pl?upd_id=7409&os_id=99&mdl=NEX5N

Does Lightroom 4 support the RAW files from Sony NEX-5N?

Yes, it does.  I am posting this because I read a few (early?) reviews of this camera that said it was not yet supported by Lightroom.  I'm using Lightroom 4 and can tell you that the RAW files from the NEX-5N are supported. But in case you want it straight from the horse's mouth:

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/extend.html

Sony NEX-5N vs. Canon 5D Mark II

This is the type of thing I like to see having just bought the Sony.

This photographer had both cameras at a concert and shot the same image once with each camera.

The 5N wins!  The Canon's autofocus did not do the job.  And I felt the "warmer" skin tones of from the Canon were overexposed.

http://www.thephoblographer.com/2012/02/02/which-one-is-which-sony-nex-5n-vs-canon-5d-mk-ii/

First impressions of the NEX-5N

When I stood at the counter and held the Sony camera in my hand for the first time, my first and only thought was, "IT'S TINY!"

And it is.  It's half the size and weight of my old camera.  You can look at it in photos and video reviews, but you don't quite get the scale from a computer screen.

My 2nd reaction was that the buttons and onscreen menu were confusing.  This impression lasted about 5 minutes.  After that I was moving through the menus with more confidence.  For me, this comes from years of using SLRs with more manual dials and simpler menus.  

There are user-programmable soft keys on the back of the camera.  I plan to use these to access my most-used settings with one button press.  Basics like ISO, shooting mode (PASM modes), shutter speed, etc. This camera was designed for photo enthusiasts, but specifically with point-and-shoot upgraders in mind - hence the reason why most "advanced" settings are located within a menu hierarchy.  The user-programmable keys are a must-have.

The first evening was spent mostly charging the battery.  Out of the box, the battery had no charge, and the users manual said that it takes approx 250 minutes (a bit over 4 hours) to fully charge a depleted battery.  So I familiarized myself with the manual while I waited.  Went out to dinner with the family.  After it was charged, I took a handful of pix of the usual "figuring out camera settings" type stuff.  Pix of my keys sitting on the kitchen table.  The lens cap sitting on the kitchen table.  A drinking glass sitting on the kitchen... well, you get the idea.  I was quickly impressed by the low-light performance.  By the way, the manual also says you don't have to fully charge the battery every time, and that you can charge it without fully depleting it first.  So I didn't have to wait that full 4 hours, but did anyway.

The next morning, I woke up and looked out the window to see a foggy sunrise.  I quickly grabbed the camera and jumped in the car, and set out looking for a few photo ops.  Here are a few shots from my first morning with the NEX-5N and the kit 18-55mm lens.

Sony NEX-5N Newbie

After years as a Canon SLR users, I jumped from the Canon ship.

I needed to upgrade my old Canon 300D -- the original EOS Digital Rebel. Its age was undeniable: 6.2 megapixels, 2.5 frames per second, and an image buffer that capped out at 4 shots often leaving me standing there staring at it waiting for the "Busy" message to leave the screen.  I now have small children, and trying to catch them in the act of doing something cute with a slow-to-respond camera was nigh on impossible (although I got a few lucky shots from time to time).

I thought I wanted to go big -- I had my sights set on the Canon 5D Mark II.  That's about a $2500 camera.  I wanted the big sensor (low-light performance), the uncropped frame (wide landscape photos), and the cinematic high def video (because it looks great).

However, the price of that camera puts it out of reach for many who are not professional photographers (including me). I looked at lower models but felt that the 7D was still way too expensive; the 60D was too expensive and didn't seem to offer huge improvements over my camera; and I was worried that the 600D (essentially the current version of my existing camera) would be disappointing in low light -- a spec bump for a camera that would still set me back 6 or 700 bucks.

I had been hearing about the new breed of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.  Micro four thirds sensors are all the rage, and the quality that these cameras cranks out is very impressive. I started doing a little bit of reading on the mirrorless ILCs and some of the specs of the Sony NEX line honestly shocked me.

The Sony has an APS-C sensor, the same size as used in Canon's line of DSLRs all the way up to the highly regarded 7D.  That alone impressed me, but the NEX-5N also boasts an ISO range up to 25,600 (similar to some new higher-end Nikon DSLRs).

For comparison, my Canon 300D offered ISO settings all the way up to 1,600.  And the noise in my Canon was, in my opinion, unacceptable at either 800 or 1,600 ISO.  Here's a shot of my daughter at 1,600 ISO.

Shot of my daughter taken with my Canon 300D at 1,600 ISO.

Reviews of the Sony all unanimously seemed to say that noise was impressively low all the way up to its maximum 25,600 setting.  So, I should be able to take snapshots at night in my living room without a flash, and without unacceptable image noise.

Oh, and it can blast through 10 frames per second.  It has a shutter lag of .02 seconds.  That's the amount of time between you pressing the shutter release button and the photo being taken. So if I couldn't catch my kids in the act of cuteness, it's no longer the camera's fault.

Numbers are just numbers, and reviews can only tell you so much.  I had to get my hands on one.  I jumped in with both feet and bought it.

In 1997, I bought my first film SLR at local shop Jack's Camera.  It was used -- a Canon FTb.  Came with a nice 50mm f1.4 prime lens (I didn't know how nice it was at the time).  I used that camera for my 3 photography classes while a college student, and for several years afterward. I loved it and wish I still owned it. However, when the 300D was released as the first sub-$1000 DSLR on the market, I had to have it.  In March 2004 I traded in my FTb for the 300D at Jack's Camera.

So, I thought it only fitting that 8 years later, in March 2012, I should trade my 300D in at Jack's for the Sony NEX 5N.  I did that 2 days ago.

So far, it has lived up to the hype and the numbers.

More details to come.