HEIF format

[Gaz]

From another thread, but it's really a separate topic.

I've been backing up in HEIF to the second slot on A7iv, primarily using RAW to process my images.
It seems like HEIF files straight out of the gate have the settings apply the picture profile, [or camera profile?] established in the camera.

The size of the file varies, as the file is a compressed format. The example I cannot upload here is 6Mb, whereas the Sony ARW file, I also cannot upload here, is 35Mb.

Both formats work natively on apple devices.

Both seem to have the same dynamic range when edited... But I'll test that some more. The HEIF file format is NOT LOSSLESS, but it retains npticeably more data than jpeg reducing noise nuisance in editing.

Apple exports these images to JPEG for sharing, but the HEIF file is retained in the apple photos app. It can be modified in Luminar Neo, for example, through the mac Photos app to retain its HEIF format, and you can revert to the original image whenever desired.

HEIF converted to jpeg for upload here, downsizes to 4Mb at highest resolution export:

• ILCE-7M4
• FE 20mm F1.8 G
• 20.0 mm
• ƒ/1.8
• 1/6400 sec
• ISO 125

Gaz

 

[iamdlewis]

From here the important bits below: linky-link

HEIF files are 10-bit files, which means they can contain up to 1,024 shades per colour channel, giving a potential 1.07 billion colors.

RAW files are 14-bit files, which gives them the potential for up to 16,385 tones per channel, or up to 4 trillion colors.

HEIF files use a more modern and sophisticated form of compression than JPEG (8-bit), which results in less of this kind of image degradation.

So you can do more with HEIF in post than you can with JPEG but not as much as you can with a RAW file. I biggest issue with HEIF is that Apple created and since Apple doesn't like to play nice with the rest of the industry it is not well adopted.