Workflow for image stacking

paddler4

A question about workflow for those of you who do a lot of image stacking:

Helicon reads RAW files, while Zerene doesn't. So I have been trying to think of the ideal (for quality) workflow. Here is what I came up with. Please tell me where I am off base.

--Convert from RAW first, to use a good converter, like LR or DPP, rather than a stacking program.
--do nothing in the RAW converter except change white balance, if necessary (to avoid making the images more different than they already are)
--export to 16 bit TIFF, Adobe RGB
--import that to the stacking program
--export from the stacking program as 16-bit TIF
--import to an editor

Does this make sense (other than the massive size of 16-bit TIFF files)?

Thanks

GOLDENORFE

thats very similar to my system, white balance, clarity and sharpen at 80 in lightroom.
export at 8 bits though into a jpg folder, in a sub folder " stack 1 " "stack 2 " ect.
then open in zerene stacker.
phil

Lord Vetinari

Similar here I use DPP for RAW conversion and do any colour balance or exposure changes there but never seen the need for TIFFS - just export to JPGS and take those up into the stacking prog. Then do the rest of my normal workflow in photoshop after.

Brian V.

paddler4

Phil and Brian,

thanks. this will simplify things.

Dan