[Sticky] Which yields better results - stacking RAW files or TIFF files?

Yes. 🙂 It's always best to start with the least processed raw data.

Great! Thanks, I will do that from now on.

Cheers,
Rudy

Posted by: Rudy Pohl

Hi Mabula:

My workflow for the last year has been to open my RAW files (NEFs) in Adobe Camera Raw, do some minor processing to reduce highlights to prevent stars from blowing out, do the lens corrections and vignetting removal, and then save them as 16-bit TIFFs, and finally stack them in Deep Sky Stacker and save as a 16-bit TIFF to be processed in Photoshop.

Now that I am using APP, would I get a better end result in terms colours and other things if I stacked the original unprocessed RAW files in APP rather than stacking these TIFFs?

Thanks,
Rudy

Hi Rudy,

Yes, like Vincent indicated, it will be much better if you work with the raw images.

Processing steps like

• data calibration,
• data normalisation,
• average/median integration,
• outlier rejection during integration
• light pollution/gradient removal
• background calibration
• star color calibration

all work the most optimal if the data is as linear as possible, that means straight from your camera's sensor 😉

If you convert your raws in photoshop to TIFFs, then the TIFFs will be highly non-linear due to several steps in the raw conversion of raw files to images meant for normal photography. I will explain this in more detail in your other topic:

https://www.astropixelprocessor.com/community/main-forum/does-astro-pixel-processor-apply-the-color-matrix-correction-to-digital-camera-raw-data/

Kind regards,

Mabula

Excellent question, I upgraded it to a sticky as well 😉

Everyone that reads this, might want to read this as well, because it's directly related:

https://www.astropixelprocessor.com/community/main-forum/does-astro-pixel-processor-apply-the-color-matrix-correction-to-digital-camera-raw-data/

Mabula

Following excellent information provided by Mark Shelly, Rudy Pol and Roger N. Clarke, APP will soon be upgraded with color preserving stretching and the possibility to use the color matrix conversion in DSLR processing. Then there will be no need to use an external RAW processor for better colors.

Read this for more information:

https://www.astropixelprocessor.com/community/main-forum/not-getting-enough-colour-in-my-final-integrated-stack-how-to-increase/

https://www.astropixelprocessor.com/community/main-forum/does-astro-pixel-processor-apply-the-color-matrix-correction-to-digital-camera-raw-data/ <

Kind regards,

Mabula

Hi Mabula,

This is fabulous! I can hardly wait!

Thank you in advance for doing this,

Rudy

As soon as .dng support is available I definitely want to try it. I was tempted to go ahead and get it and try using tif files sicne i figured out how to convert from .dng to 16 bit tif files.