Best quality 'save as'

[artsfols]

I'm using Photo Mechanic to correct thousands of slide scans (actually made with a camera, but never mind) that have a black border, and are often slightly off skew.

This can be done very rapidly with the PM Crop feature.  I haven't seen as good and fast a batch cropping feature anywhere.

I next want to pass the cropped and corrected photo to a photo editor for exposure correction, perhaps correct colour issues (my old Fuji slides lost colour, Kodak is fine)
and then output JPG proofs to create a family history archive.

The 'scans' are CR2 format with a size of 3504 x 2336

The issue is this - what's the best 'Save As' format to use in PM for passing on to the photo editor.
The choices I have tried are:
1. 100% JPG - I never feel right about keeping a base copy in JPG.
2. TIF file at the approximate resolution of 3500 x 2300 (similar to the original CR2 before cropping)
3. TIF file at original sized which for some inexplicable reason reduces to 1500 x1000 (approximate size).

Or is there a better fourth option?

Ideally, I would pass the original CR2 and the cropping information in a sidecar to the photo editor
which would recrop using a synchronize command, but I have a gut feeling that wouldn't work.
Because scanning the original slides is a lossy exercise in any case, I can live with an intermediate saved version.

Once I've scanned the entire history, I can always take an individual 5 star photo, rescan the slide at higher resolution and
work with that.

Thoughts?

[Kirk Baker]

What photo editor are you using?  Photoshop?  Or something else?

-Kirk

[artsfols]

Actually not a simple question as it's under review.

I was a Lightroom user.  I have tried to use ON1 and it's okay for single picture edits but not stable enough for serious use.

I have no issue with Lightroom's price, but I don't like how it behaved on a trial run, immediately loading my photo library into the cloud.
I also worry about the catalogue and edit history being stranded when the subscription inevitably ends.

Given that it's under review, let me ask you, which editor is closest to 'round trip' functionality with Photo Mechanic?
Is there any editor that 'understands' crop information in the sidecar file created by Photo Mechanic.

Also, I am considering moving to an Apple environment if there's a more suitable alternative in  that paradigm.

[jwvaughn]

Your mileage may vary but...

I prefer the combination of Bridge and Photoshop. That combo will manage raw images so, no conversion required until you need it in another format. Since the raw editing works on the XML files, you can edit the original raw images without worry when using PS raw. If you choose to convert the image to be able edit directly in PS, save the original as a raw file just in case. Unlike Lightroom, you can navigate to the folder where your raw images are stored and there is only a single copy of the images and it is seamless to move between PS and PM.

I tried Lightroom and it was simply not a match for the way I think and work!  Most of the raw features in Lightroom are available in Photoshop so there is not much lost, if anything, when it comes to editing photos.

BTW, I use a Windows machine.

Jerry

[Kirk Baker]

Actually not a simple question as it's under review.

Given that it's under review, let me ask you, which editor is closest to 'round trip' functionality with Photo Mechanic?
Is there any editor that 'understands' crop information in the sidecar file created by Photo Mechanic.

Depending on whether you like the Adobe Camera RAW plugin (ACR) for Photoshop, Photoshop is an excellent choice.  The crop that PM writes into the XMP sidecar file is an 'Adobe' crop.  So if you send a photo from Photo Mechanic to Photoshop, it will open in the ACR plugin and the image will show up as cropped.  You can then adjust the sliders to your satisfaction, open the image and then save it to a lossless format like TIFF at full resolution.

-Kirk

[artsfols]

This is good guidance. Thanks JW and Kirk.

The Adobe pricing is confusing. From the Lightroom page, 'compare plans' shows LR + Photoshop for $12.99 (CAD $/mo) or for $25.99 - with more cloud storage.  They are careful to call the PS product Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

From the Photoshop page, 'compare plans' does not show the $12.99 option.  The $25.99 option including Lightroom is shown but the PS product is called 'Adobe Photoshop'.  And here is where it gets quite confusing.  Without Lightroom the price increases to $27.99  per month.   Take Lightroom and the price goes down.   

https://www.adobe.com/ca/products/photoshop/compare-plans.html

I don't want Lightroom.  But it looks like they will pay me $2 per month to take it anyway.

[Kirk Baker]

This is good guidance. Thanks JW and Kirk.

I don't want Lightroom.  But it looks like they will pay me $2 per month to take it anyway.

True, and you can just not install Lightroom.  You'll only have Photoshop and save $2/mo.

-Kirk

[artsfols]

In speaking with an Adobe rep, it looks like the $12.99 plan will work, including LR +PS and Adobe Camera Raw and Bridge also included.

BTW, can I use Photo Mechanic on a PC at home and at the office?   Or only one PC.  I can live with just the one, but would like to know.

[Kirk Baker]

In speaking with an Adobe rep, it looks like the $12.99 plan will work, including LR +PS and Adobe Camera Raw and Bridge also included.

BTW, can I use Photo Mechanic on a PC at home and at the office?   Or only one PC.  I can live with just the one, but would like to know.

Yes, one license will cover both computers.

-Kirk