Google+ added improved RAW file to JPEG conversion for over 70 cameras (including new cameras like the Nikon D800 and Nikon 1 J3). Additionally, you can always access your RAW files from the cloud if you need the original on a local drive.
I think this is a big, dang deal. While everyone is stirring for an Adobe competitor to come out of the woodwork with a perpetual license alternative to Photoshop, Google is quietly sneaking up with its acquisition of Nik and just continues to nudge out releases of photo editing, archive and sharing support via Google+.
Nik’s editing prowess for your online photos via Google+ just keeps getting better. Once it gets up to a full stride, it may very well give Photoshop a run for its money for a lot of general purpose editing use.
Sure, there are a lot of photographers who will refuse to use anything online for storing photos. However, there are tons of photographers already on Google+ storing, editing and sharing away. Google+ has a large community of vocal photographers – and with moves like this, it is only going to get bigger.
There are plenty of modern cameras supported, as you can see below. The great thing about being an online service is that Google can quickly and efficiently update the support on its end without the need to download updates on local devices. Expect more noise from Google+ and serious editing in the future.
Google+ RAW File Supported Cameras
- Canon EOS: 100D, 1000D, 1100D, 1D Mark III, 1D Mark IV, 1Ds Mark III, 1Dx, 20D, 30D, 350D, 400D, 40D, 450D, 500D, 50D, 550D, 5D, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 600D, 60D, 650D, 6D, 700D, 7D, M
- Canon Powershot: G12, G1X, S100
- Nikon: 1 J1, 1 J2, 1 J3, 1 S1, 1 V1, 1 V2, Coolpix A, D300, D300s, D3000, D3100, D3200, D4, D40, D40X, D5000, D5100, D5200, D600, D700, D7000, D7100, D800, D800E, D90
- Olympus: OM-D E-M5, PEN EP1, PEN EP2, PEN EP3, PEN EPL3, PEN EPL5
- Panasonic: LUMIX DMC GF1
- Sony: Alpha 700, NEX-5, NEX-5N, NEX-6, NEX-7, NEX-C3, NEX-F3, RX1, RX100, SLT Alpha 55, SLT Alpha 77, SLT Alpha 99
[Nik on Google+ via Engadget]
I use a tool in lightroom that can upload automatically any images from my lightroom catalog to Picasaweb which is basically now Google+ based on any smart filter to a private album. I have a smart filter that looks for images starred with 4+ stars that have been edited and auto backs up full size jpegs of those images to the cloud. I deal with 1000’s of images per month so I think i’m a long way from needing to backup RAW files (unless Google Fiber comes to town!). But for now, knowing that every finished image has a full size jpeg backed up in the cloud is reassuring but for now my RAW files go through the typical external hard drive backup.
These tools from Google are awesome but at current upload speeds from my cable internet provider and increases in camera RAW file sizes (ever used a D800?), it will be a long time before I use the cloud for RAW images.
Great news for the long term .I use all Adobe but competition is good. So is getting better hands into those with a smaller budget. That mean quality will go up too.
Dan, thanks for the comment. What service do you use in LR for Picasa?
Here is the link to the lightroom plugin: http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/picasaweb
It is basically free too with any paypal donation amount of 1 cent or more. I promise you will love this plugin so much you will be donating like crazy.
Two surprises for me.
I uploaded a 5472 x 3648 pixel DNG by using the post interface on Google+ on both Safari and Chrome.
Both worked fine.
Once posted I can open the image in the Google+Photo’s feature on Chrome only and click “Edit” and get the familiar Snapseed interface.
This is nice because to get all my picture to LR it takes many steps when you take into account family iPhones. Since Google+ is automatically collecting these mobile pictures from me using the Google+interface getting the ones form my DSLR puts them all in one place.
So this is a huge step forward for serious hobbyists who love to shot but don’t want anything complicated to edit. They will be able to see all their pictures in one place with little work. They will then have an interface that universally can edit all their images, jpeg and RAW.
I won’t be using this since I like LR’s interface, the lag it takes to upload one picture is WAY to long, and most importantly it compressed my 5472 x 3648 pixel DNG to a measly 2048 long side.
I did add the LR service. It works well. Though now my Google Drive is connected to my Google+ photo’s so it seems easier to just export them into that folder and wait for them to sync up to Google Drive and see them in a Google+ folder. 6 of one half dozen of another I guess.