Why does my RAW file look different in the Develop module than it does in the Manager?

When you shoot in RAW format, the memory card does not store finished images like with JPEG, but only the source “raw” data, that is, a record of the signals from the camera’s image sensor. You do not see the RAW image on the camera display; you only see a small JPEG preview that is part of the RAW file.

Zoner Studio uses this small JPEG preview for its Quick Preview. For more information on that, see Preview Preloading Settings. Typically this preview is what you see in the Manager. Therefore, in some cases your RAWs may have different colors and/or sharpness after you switch to the Develop or Editor module, i.e., after you develop the RAW in full quality.

When you use the manufacturer’s original software, such as Canon DPP or Nikon Capture NX2, pictures are processed the same way as they are in the camera. The original software reads the camera settings and applies those same settings to the RAW image data. The result is an image with the same color and sharpness, and with the same corrections applied, as the JPEG preview created by the camera.

Much of the information about the photos taken by these cameras is a trade secret, and therefore most third-party programs, such as Zoner Studio, must use their own methods to process the RAW files. Because of this, the processing of the RAW format in these programs may differ from processing in the camera or in the original manufacturer’s software.

To correct the difference in the display of RAW files developed at full quality, assign a camera profile from Adobe DNG Converter or set new default edits in the Develop module for your RAW files.