Skip to main content
Kalsr
Kalsr
Participating Frequently
December 21, 2016
Question

Edit a 32 bit image in camera raw as send it back as 32 bits to photoshop

  • December 21, 2016
  • 2 replies
  • 2136 views

If I open a 32 bits image in Photoshop ( any format, tiff, hdr, exr etc) and edit it in camera raw and send it back to Photoshop the edit is cropping the color depth of the image.

For example, if in Photoshop use layer adjustment exposure in a 32 bits image and blow up the highlights they can be recovered with another layer adjustment. This can be done even flattering the image, saving it ans d loading it again. But images that come from camera raw have lost any non visible color dept even if the image is yet 32 bits.

Tried to use Lightroom but even it can load 32 bits tiff only can save 8 or 16. this limits me to the couple of adjustment layers that Photoshop has, that are the only ones that keep the dynamic range non visible of the 32 bits file. But these are quite limited tools. HDR toning tool in Photoshop has same problem than camera raw.

Any way to use camera raw or Lightroom to send a true 32 bits image to Photoshop that has not been crippled?

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    2 replies

    Kalsr
    KalsrAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 21, 2016

    Well, apparently is true. Limiting to only two adjustment layers in Photoshop in 32 bits (exposure and levels) doesn't allow at all to do a proper edition of 32 bits images. It is not possible for example to move to the visual range the highlights without making the image too dark.

    I wonder how many people has crippled their images thinking they were doing real 32 bits edition in camera raw, as nothing indicates the contrary.

    Kalsr
    KalsrAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 21, 2016

    And I'm not sure is even 16 bits from camera raw as I'm not able to recover a single pixel that has been erased by camera raw in the highlights. In any case no matter if it is 8 or 16 it really crops anything is not visible, something that doesn't happen with the 16 bits raw images that comes from cameras.

    Jeff Arola
    Community Expert
    Jeff ArolaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 21, 2016

    You could open the 32 bits/channel image in photoshop and use Filter>Camera Raw if your using photoshop cc.

    Kalsr
    KalsrAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 21, 2016

    That is what I did and the results are wrong and that is the reason of my entry.

    As a simple example open a 32 bits image, send it to camera raw, increase the exposure to blow the sky, for example, send it back to Photoshop. You won't be able to recover the sky using the exposure modifier in Photoshop. But you can if you have done the full process only in Photoshop. It seems camera raw is not sending back a true 32 bits image to Photoshop even the info is yet 32 bits.

    Jeff Arola
    Community Expert
    Jeff ArolaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 21, 2016

    Looks like even the camera raw filter must use 16 bits/channel and then it just up converts if you will to 32 bits/channel, thus not keeping a true 32 bits/channel throughout the process.

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices