SX50 – Shooting RAW | Backyard Birding with Kenn & Temple

SX50 – Shooting RAW

Hi all,

We’ve had our SX50 for about 3 months, and until now all the images we’ve posted have been shot as what we call “detuned” jpegs… where the camera’s jpeg engine is used to render and compress the image using minimized or reduced settings for NR, sharpening, saturation, and contrast. This method is somewhat analogous to shooting RAW, because most of the processing is then done in post rather than in-camera. We have been pleased with the results we get shooting this way with all our cameras, and recommend it to anyone who prefers not to deal with RAW processing for whatever reasons.

I had tried shooting the SX50 in RAW just briefly early on, and my initial efforts yielded somewhat mixed results. There was some additional detail in the RAW files and more latitude for exposure correction. At base ISOs the noise in oof backgrounds was surprisingly slight and easily dealt with, but in-focus subjects were both noiser and more artifacted at the pixel level. It required a fair bit of additional post-processing effort to achieve visible improvements in finished image quality at screen resolutions, when compared to our processed JPEG files. Writing the much larger RAW data files to the memory card also takes a toll on continuous shot to shot performance, so we just returned to shooting JPEG only instead.

I’ve recently revisited shooting RAW with the SX50 and am actively researching software and workflow variations which may allow us to further optimize the value of this feature…
Here are a few recently taken SX50 RAW images which have been converted with Digital Photo Professional (the included Canonware) and finished in Photoshop:

I hope to try using Lightroom, Adobe Camera RAW, and some other applications which support SX50 RAW files, to see if we can develop a workflow and/or results that encourage us to shoot the SX50 RAW more often.

EDIT 3/5/2013 : Some additional RAW samples are now available here: CR2 Gallery

Stay tuned,

Kenn

Tags: photographing wild birds, Photography, post-processing, software, tech-talk, technology

10 thoughts on “SX50 – Shooting RAW”

dinkerson on February 16, 2013 at 10:59 am said:

I had no idea that a SX50 could render this level of quality. Lightroom and Aperture work so much better with RAW files, don’t they?
It just makes sense.

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kenn3d on February 16, 2013 at 12:34 pm said:

Hi dinkerson, and thanks for your comment.
We use Lightroom v3.6 to convert RAWs from our Fuji S100fs and usually do achieve improved results over the Fuji in-camera JPEGs. (See: https://kenn3d.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/a-few-from-our-fuji/). Unfortunately, the SX50 RAWs are not supported in this older LR version. So we’ll need to upgrade to v4.x before we can use it with the Canon.

Kenn

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Wolfram on February 26, 2013 at 2:13 am said:

I envy you of the possibility taking photographs of such colorful birds ( here are only mostly sparrows and blackbirds ), but more I envy you of your excellent skill to produce such masterpieces.
Would you mind testing DOX pro 8, which now has a module for the SX 50 ?

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- kenn3d on February 26, 2013 at 10:43 am said:
  
  Hi Wolfram,
  
  Thanks for both your comments and your suggestion. I’ve downloaded the DX0 Pro8 trial software this morning and will explore it shortly. Perhaps we’ll have a follow-up article later to compare some of the various RAW tools available for the SX50.
  
  You may find some helpful info on attracting a greater variety of bird species in our series on The Joys of Backyard Birding:
  https://kenn3d.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/the-joys-of-backyard-birding-part-1/
  
  best regards,
  
  Kenn
  
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levina de Ruijter on March 9, 2013 at 2:34 am said:

Hi Kenn and Temple,

I just followed the link in the POTN thread. Great blog you have here and most helpful. It’s simply wonderful how you share your knowledge so generously with everyone else. Kudos to you both.

Best regards,
Levina

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Gene Lake on March 23, 2013 at 7:00 pm said:

Hi Kenn & Temple!
Great shots with the SX 50. I have been debating the merits of the SX50 compared to other cameras of this type for a while. I’m downsizing my camera inventory, and have been wondering if the SX50 would suit me. From your great shots, I’m now convinced it would. I have a question about having to use a tripod for maxi,un zoom shots ie. 1200mm. Did you use one for your max zoom shots? Another question, do you use a blind?
Thank you for the great shots.
Gene Lake

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- kenn3d on March 24, 2013 at 12:44 pm said:
  
  Hi Gene, thanks for your comments.
  
  We follow the developments in all the leading superzoom cameras with great interest, and have owned and used many of several different brands. We also study the best birding images posted around the web from all the various models in this category. Clearly, each has strengths and weaknesses in various applications, and features which will be more or less important to different users.
  The SX50 offers many features that we feel are currently “best in class”. It has the longest reach available, the best pixel-level IQ and in-camera jpeg processing, and its lens-based image stabilization is truly excellent. We shoot it at 1200mm hand-held with slow shutters every day, and are very pleased with the images it captures for us.
  Other leading models variously offer better AF and/or continuous shooting speeds, brighter (but shorter) lenses, larger and higher resolution viewfinders, and variations in size, handling, and other ergonomic features which will also appeal to many users, often making choices difficult. We welcome all such advancements from every manufacturer to encourage competition and continued improvements in all these cameras. For our specific purposes, we would and did choose the SX50 from amongst the current offerings.
  
  And no, we don’t use a blind, although many birders do get great results this way. You can learn more about our specific birding methods in our series of articles on “The Joys of Backyard Birding”.
  https://kenn3d.wordpress.com/?s=Joys
  
  Best luck with whichever camera you choose, and happy birding.
  
  Kenn
  
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Johna991 on April 28, 2014 at 8:27 pm said:

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Chris on June 11, 2014 at 10:04 pm said:

I’m glad I found this site because I am waiting for my sx50 in the mail and typically I wanted the camera just to use as a back up bird identifier with highest ISO possible but after seeing these pictures I will definitely use my C2 with low ISO/shutter and hope to get the odd money shot!! Keep up the good work Kenn and Temple!

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Bruce on July 22, 2015 at 7:45 pm said:

Hi Great to read all this. I bought an SX50 late last year and only now thinking about using raw. I’m really happy with it but ready for the next step. I primarily do outdoor nature photography and am fortunate to live on a large pond and see a lot of birds. Really enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading more, thanks !bvn

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