Editing RAW photos

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Level 1

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Editing RAW photos

Hi all

I know Apple improved RAW support for the Photos app in iOS 12, but its still largely unclear to me how this works.

I have an iPad 10.5" with latest iOS, and I've ensured my camera (Sony A7 II) is on the list of supported cameras.

I'm trying to adapt an iPad only workflow for doing basic photo edits, and it starts with me importing RAW+JPEG files from my SD card using the Camera Connection Kit.

Supposedly, I should see the JPEG version of my images in Photos until I hit "Edit", at which point the RAW file is supposed to load for editing. My problem is that I have no way to tell if I'm actually working on the RAW file, and my suspicion is that I'm not.

See, my camera applies some enhancements to JPEGs straight out of camera - dynamic range increase, color enhancements and so on. As a result, the RAW looks "flatter" than the JPEG version of the same image, so I should be able to tell the difference is Photos switches from JPEG to the RAW.

As a contrary example, if I import the images to my iMac and open in Photos there, then I have a "J" icon in the corner indicating that I'm looking at a JPEG. I have to explicitly specify "Use RAW as original" in order to see (and edit) the RAW. While slightly cumbersome, this workflow is at least clear.

Too much confusion regarding RAW workflow on iOS. Any clarification would be very helpful.

Thanks!

iPad Pro, iOS 12

Posted on Feb 25, 2019 6:51 AM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

196,885 points

Feb 25, 2019 7:10 AM in response to Agresvig

If I understand the RAW support correctly, you can only edit RAW on the iPad when you are using third-party apps. Photos will work with the JPEG.

See the first paragraph here: Digital camera RAW formats supported by iOS 12 and macOS Mojave - Apple Support

iOS 12 and macOS Mojave include enhanced support for processing digital camera RAW formats, providing better detail and improved noise reduction. These RAW formats offer greater image-editing flexibility on macOS with Photos, Preview, and many third-party apps, and on iOS using third-party apps that support RAW.1

1. RAW processing on iOS with third-party apps is available on iPhone 6 or later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, and iPod touch (6th generation).

And this document: How the Photos app and iCloud Photos handle RAW images - Apple Support

When Photos downloads a RAW image from iCloud Photos, it creates a new full-sized JPEG for optimal viewing on your Mac. It won't replace the RAW and embedded JPEG file already stored in iCloud. iOS devices will view the embedded JPEG.

After reading all documents I am still not sure, if an iPad Pro is supposed to be able to edit RAW files in Photos itself, not just in third-party apps.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

196,885 points

Feb 26, 2019 1:37 AM in response to Agresvig

Both the documents I linked to in my post have a button at the bottom "Helpful Yes No". If you click "No" you can comment on the text and request clarification. I have that done several times for support documents that are not clear. We do not get a reply, but sometimes the documents will be updated.

You may want to ask about the RAW on your iPad in the "No" form.

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Answer 3

Agresvig Author

Level 1

4 points

Feb 26, 2019 1:29 AM in response to léonie

Thanks for this, it helps clarify the situation. But, I do agree - it is still not entirely clear wether or not this is actually supported in Photos. The reliance on third-party apps is cumbersome, and I do not see the point of Apple's strategy of forcing users through third-party apps in order to do so. Photos should be a one-stop app when it comes to such basic editing.

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Editing RAW photos

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