Sharpening...pre or post raw processing?

[Marc Wilson]

Hi guys,
Just looking to see how others work.
In terms of sharpening, if after you have processed your raw file, you are going to open an image in photoshop to alter perhaps distortion, cropping, minor levels or curves changes, retouching in terms of dust spots, applying film look actions, etc do you find it better to do NO sharpening in the raw process and do it all in PS.
Of course if you are not going to do any PS work to a processed file you would use raw programmes good sharpening tool but if you are going to make further adjustments in PS then...?

I worry that a file where sharpening has already been applied in the Raw process may degrade with further PS work?

Cheers,

Marc

 

[thomas]

I worry that a file where sharpening has already been applied in the Raw process may degrade with further PS work?

that's right regarding geometrical transformations of the image - distortion correction, perspective correction and resize (down- and uprezing) as well. Or, in general, regarding all transformations in conjunction with interpolation.
I do all the sharpening on the finshed TIF with relation to the purpose of a certain output (web, different prints...). Firstly because I rate the processed TIF as the more important file for my archive (I store my raw files as well of course but TIF is more assured of a good future) and I want to store it "clean". Secondly because I use "focal blade" as sharpening tool (IMO there's nothing better around). And thirdly I do a lot of uprezing and I find the results much better if I start with a file without sharpening.

 

[Ebe]

Sharpening is the last step in the process.
Use "focal blade" also.

 

[Marc Wilson]

as i thought!

I'll take a look into focal blade as it seems popular...I find the PS sharpening a bit clumsy in it's use.