RSSrsvp

Can anyone recommend a simple to use raw conversion program for "Dummies"? Needless to say, price is also a factor as I don't need all of the bells and whistles but the most important factor is the simplicity in using it. Also I would love a program that offered online video tutorials so it would make my life easier than reading a pdf file.

I will be using it on an iMac if that makes a difference between the programs.

Fleck

There are no converters for real Dummies, honestly. Assuming you want to do RAW development, it will take some work.

Lightroom is ubiquitous and good at what it does. Tutorials are everywhere. I recommend going through each module individually (especially in the Develop tab) from top to bottom while watching a tutorial.

Is it just a hobby or is there something specific you want to do with the RAW files?

Troopers

If you want to keep post-processing simple and cheap, perhaps shoot in jpeg.

Otherwise there is cost and time to post-process in raw. Lightroom is the best software available (and will allow you to post process all raw formats). Are you looking to process raw files from your Oly only...then a possibility is the freebie Oly software...never tried it so can't comment on it's simplicity.

abmj-jr

+2. Shooting Raw when you don't want to spend the time and effort to learn and then DO the work of creating images from raw files is a waste. The camera will do a very good job of converting the raw files into images just by setting and shooting in Jpeg. All you are doing when you shoot in Raw is to remove the post-processing tasks from the onboard software and putting them on yourself. There is no shortcut to good images from Raw. You do the work on each image or else you are better off letting the camera do it.

All that said, Raw Therapee is good as is Photoshop. Photoshop Elements is a less expensive version that is easier to learn on. Lightroom is very popular (although I dislike it) but it forces you into the Lightroom library model for storage and cataloging of images.

The easiest way to get started is by using the Olympus software that came with your camera. You already paid for that. It is basic and a little clumsy for bulk use but will get you going. If you decide to get into Raw in a big way, that won't be good enough and you will then want to move up to LR, PSE or some other more powerful program.

SpannerSpinner

If free is what you want UFraw is adequate for basic tweaking, then you can export the image in a format you can make the rest of your adjustments with in programs you are familiar with. If all you want to do is adjust WB and exposure its easy enough.

RSSrsvp

I want to learn and need an easy program to convert Raw to TIFF files. Olympus has their own program called Olympus Viewer 3 which is difficult to use. I did an extensive Google search to discover that there aren't any online tutorials to watch like some of the other programs out there.

Troopers

I suggest Lightroom. The program is very easy to use and inexpensive (compared to your gear) with numerous online tutorials/tips, and will make your photos really shine.

Also, why TIFF and not JPG?

abmj-jr

If you are also into books, check out Scott Kelby's "How Do I Do That in Lightroom."

RSSrsvp

I have done multiple searches on the Olympic Viewer 3 software and the only thing I could find was a comparison to Lightroom where the OV3 does a better job converting from Raw showing more details than LR. I only wish there were some online tutorials for it.

Clumsy is an understatement!

RSSrsvp

As mentioned in my first post I am not looking to read tutorials and love to find online video tutorials.

Everything I have read is to convert to TIFF as opposed to a compressed JPG file.

abmj-jr

I don't know who or what you have been reading but TIFF is a huge waste of storage space. The only real advantage is where you will be doing additional adjustments at a later date. Then, TIFF is better to work with. There are a few print labs that prefer TIFF to work with and if you use them, obviously TIFF is the way to go. Otherwise it just wastes space. For finished files, lossless JPG is far more efficient.

Most pros I know store the original Raw and export the final product in JPG and some (including me) also save the working adjustment file - in PSD (for Photoshop.)

The problem with free Youtube videos is that you never know who you are seeing and what quality the advice is. Kind of like getting advice on on-line discussion forums. ;-)

If you don't mind paying a bit, KelbyOne offers online training courses in addition to his books. His Lightroom courses are award winning. You could also check out Tim Grey's video lessons - GreyLearning. I know and like Tim. He has a laid back, easy going style that is different from Kelby's high energy frenetic-ness. I think you can find a few free Youtube videos from either to get an idea of them and both offer free introductory videos.

Found several: https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=m...Grey+Lightroom

Troopers

There are thousands of online video tutorials on Lightroom, incl video tutorials provided by Adobe.

Start here: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom.html

Strongly strongly strongly recommend against TIFF based on your recent postings/questions re photography and your gear.

ETA: Your Oly will be the limiting (resolving) factor, not a JPG.

Troopers

Concur with the first sentence. My workflow, any PS edits are via LR where the edited images are saved as TIFF but exported as JPG.

satman40

On1 is bringing out a Raw Product, check out their web site.

LtKernelPanic

You may want to check out lynda.com since you mentioned you like video tutorials. They are a subscription service but offer a 10 day free trial. Chris Owrig is a pro photographer who has published a ton of courses on LR ranging from beginner to advanced skill sets. Eventually I'm going to have to give up my beloved Aperture and make the switch to LR and will probably buy a couple months of membership there to get up to speed with it.