16 bit ???

[dkp]

I've just tried to import a photo into PSE ....... an error message came up along the lines of

This file contains 16 bit layers and PSE only supports 8 bit .......

Why has this happened ? Have I inadvertantly changed some setting on the camera to cause this ??

When flattened ..... the image looks shyte

The image is several months old and several thousand have been taken since ........ Why is it so ?

Any help will be appreciated

[Clubmanmc]

hmmm

whats your camera? and what do you usually set it to??

M

[dkp]

Hi Clubmanmc,
it's a canon 7D ........ and can ignorantly say that I have no idea of the bit settings on the camera : )
I tend to shoot jpeg, but for a wee while was shooting RAW whilst doing course work. This stopped, however whilst we were traveling and I reverted to jpeg early on in the trip. Possibly this image was taken pre the revisiting of jpeg files

[Big Pix]

using the RAW converter, you can change back to 8 bit........ down the bottom in the middle their is some small type click on it for other options

[agb]

Shame to have to take the 7D 14 bit data and downgrade it to 8 bit though.

[dkp]

What I dont understand is why this image is 16 bit and there fore confusing for PSE ........ and all my other images are not.
Why did it happen ? ......

I agree AGB ...... the 8 bit image is poor compared to the 16 bit

[Clubmanmc]

I have a 7D and have never had this issue.. i did use PSE8 for a little while...

not sure how it can really tell the difference to be honest, as the processed jpg, is only 8 bit as thats all that jpeg can be saved in

only a tiff or a PSD can be 16 (but i could be wrong)

M

[Clubmanmc]

yep i was wrong...

you can save a file jpg and 16 bit..

ummm not sure, as if you shot it in camera it would be 8bit, as you shoot SRGB or Adobe RGB both 8 bit

:S

sorry

M

[ricktas]

yep i was wrong...

you can save a file jpg and 16 bit..

ummm not sure, as if you shot it in camera it would be 8bit, as you shoot SRGB or Adobe RGB both 8 bit

:S

sorry

M

Umm, no you can't. JPG is an 8 bit format, so if you have a 16 bit image (TIF PSD etc) and go 'file save for web' it is automatically converted down to 8 Bit to save in JPG format. If you have a 16 bit image and use File Save As, you will not have the format JPG available to select. You need to go Image>Mode>8Bit first, and then use file save as. The JPG format is only an 8 Bit format.

Back to the OP, My guess is that somewhere along the way you have saved a file in a different format (PSD, TIF) and that is the file you were trying to open. You can open a JPG (8bit), change the mode to 16 bit or 32 bit, and then save it again as a PSD etc. I reckon somewhere in the past you have done this, even accidentally, and now have the issue that you do. You should therefore have a copy of that same image in JPG format somewhere on your hard-drive as well, if you haven't accidentally deleted it, as the original should still be around. If it was one of your photos from your RAW attempts, then the RAW file will still exist and you can create a new JPG off that.

[Clubmanmc]

Rick

i was sure of what i said earlier, but went into CS5 and did the above, and was allowed to save it as a 16 bit file...

but i checked the file size (of both the saved 8bit jpg and the 16bit jpg) and they were exactly the same...

so i was confused, instead of standing by what i thought was right, i folded

cheers for correcting me !

M