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People, I just bought a Sony DSLR A100 camera, and I'm learning to use it prior to my trip to Asia. Here is my question:
In what format do you shoot your pics ?? RAW or JPEG ?? And why ??
For most practical purposes, that is, posting pics on the internet, is JPEG format good enough ?? Or, should one use RAW format ??
Kindly inform.
Thanks
potica69
14 pages of good info from the Forum...
Quote: For most practical purposes, that is, posting pics on the internet, is JPEG format good enough ??
In a word - 'Yes'. Ensure you use the sRGB colour-space and size the image at 72ppi.
If you're going to Asia, I'm assuming storage space might be at a premium. Therefore I'd probably just use jpeg as it takes up a lot less space on memory cards etc.
For times when memory is not as important, though, I would use RAW every time. That's just me though, I like to be able to fiddle with photos.
Use RAW everytime. Think of it a a digital 'negative'.
Space a problem? Buy more cards or a portable backup device... For a trip such as this, I know which format I would be using - and worries about space saving would NOT be on the agenda!
Memory is cheap (buying on the internet anyway). Every exposure error you make when shooting jpegs is cast in stone, so that if you blow highlights or block up shadows - there's little you'll be able to do about it afterwards. With RAW, the extra latitude often makes the difference between being able to revive a picture and having to reject it.
Therefore, if you're going on an expensive or far-reaching trip where the pictures won't be easily repeatable - I'd advise shooting RAW. If you don't feel you have enough experience to get the best from a RAW file, you can always go back to pictures at a later date and rework them when you're more accustomed to various techniques.
If, on the other hand, you want your picture-taking to be as simple as possible and don't want to get too involved with editing images - shoot jpegs. It hinges really on your outlook and what you want to get from your photography. Bear in mind that the camera doesn't always see things the way you want to remember them - sometimes it's the 'tweaking' which makes the difference, and RAW files are very pliable in that respect.
Depending upon your camera, you may also be able to shoot RAW files and jpegs simultaneously, which for example can be useful for creating quick slide shows from your holiday pictures without having to convert your RAW files first (which will typically be bigger, slower to open, and less universally recognised).
Quote: you may also be able to shoot RAW files and jpegs simultaneously
This is what I tend to do these days.
A very quick browse through the JPEGs will enable you to rapidly eliminate the no-hopers before loading images into your RAW processing software, which can be quite time consuming if you have a lot of images and a slowish computer!
It also gives you an idea of the finished product.
Raw here too and enjoying Lightroom for post capture adjustments.
Natalie
Quote: Always shoot in RAW. You never know when you're gonna get that million dollar shot...you know the one: The queen skate boarding down the road - corgis in hot pursuit. Be a shame to screw it up, all for the sake of a few bobs worth of memory.
Steve
Steve,
This to me, is outstanding feedback. Here is why I feel this way:
Of the perhaps 5,000-6,000 photos I have taken in Asia over the past several years, perhaps 100 of them, in my opinion, are candidates for magazine covers.
Damn !!! I just never know when I take a winner. So, I guess paying the extra money for memory space and shooting RAW for all the them is the necessary evil if one wants to have maximum pixels on those rare "gem" photos.
Would you agree to this ??
Thanks
potica69
Quote: Always shoot in RAW. You never know when you're gonna get that million dollar shot...you know the one: The queen skate boarding down the road - corgis in hot pursuit. Be a shame to screw it up,
Damn! Funny you should mention it, but I took exactly that picture this afternoon! I was about to send it out to the picture agencies, but it's a JPEG, so will hold back. Thanks for saving me humiliation with the news agencies!
p.s. I agree, shoot RAW, why not?
Quote: Memory is cheap (buying on the internet anyway). Every exposure error you make when shooting jpegs is cast in stone, so that if you blow highlights or block up shadows - there's little you'll be able to do about it afterwards. With RAW, the extra latitude often makes the difference between being able to revive a picture and having to reject it.
Therefore, if you're going on an expensive or far-reaching trip where the pictures won't be easily repeatable - I'd advise shooting RAW. If you don't feel you have enough experience to get the best from a RAW file, you can always go back to pictures at a later date and rework them when you're more accustomed to various techniques.
If, on the other hand, you want your picture-taking to be as simple as possible and don't want to get too involved with editing images - shoot jpegs. It hinges really on your outlook and what you want to get from your photography. Bear in mind that the camera doesn't always see things the way you want to remember them - sometimes it's the 'tweaking' which makes the difference, and RAW files are very pliable in that respect.
Depending upon your camera, you may also be able to shoot RAW files and jpegs simultaneously, which for example can be useful for creating quick slide shows from your holiday pictures without having to convert your RAW files first (which will typically be bigger, slower to open, and less universally recognised).
Thank you kindly sir. This, also, helped me a great deal.
potica69
I love editing and consider it an equal part of the process to pressing the camera button. I have taken a few RAW shots but really they didn't do anything more for me than a top line jpg. But as for blowing highlights, that is simply ineptness in using the camera, and my cameras warn me immediately in the viewfinder when I slip up in this manner. But of course I'm simply interested in good meaningful visuals rather than technically excellent crap.
I have been published numerous times and none of them were shot in RAW. I suspect that RAW is a fetish of a select few who think by shooting RAW they join the experts, LOL.
The subtle control you get in processing a RAW image makes it worth having. I think you need to learn more about RAW processing John as you are missing so much there.
It is a lot more than saving blown highlights. If you wish to extract a greater dynamic range in the image and say boost the lighting in a shadow area then you can do so in a RAW image with less shadow noise. Also if you wish to adjust white balance it works so much better than in a JPEG.
Most cameras produce 12 bits or more of data per colour channel. Using JPEG decimates that to 8 bits and then compounds it with set in-camera image sharpening and compression.
3 years ago I shot all the time using JPEG, now I shoot RAW for the vast majority
Quote: I suspect that RAW is a fetish of a select few who think by shooting RAW they join the experts, LOL.
Quote: You may "suspect" that, but you'd be wrong. 
On the contrary, there's several people round here who think they're experts for the smallest and simplest of reasons - much less than shooting in RAW
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