bobgreen Loc: Maryland

I have recently purchased a D7100 and am looking forward to re-entering the world of the DSLR. My intention is to learn the camera, photography principles, etc.first. I'll stick with jpeg for now, then progress into RAW after I'm better aquainted with my equipment and photographic principles I think a class is in the offing.

Nonetheless, I do like black and white photography and would like to learn more about techniques, camera settings, etc. I'm not sure if shooting jpeg or RAW makes a difference. In short, I'd appreciate sage advice and guidance from UHH!

Thanks in advance!

Kuzano

B+W or Color purely personal decision. For me. BW far less confusing than color.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Try shooting in color and convert to b&w with an editor. Once you move to raw, you'll have much more latitude.

Processing: Google's Nik Collection is now free (some of us paid $250 and more!) and has an awesome black & white module called Silver Efex.

https://www.google.com/nikcollection/

You will even find virtual colored filters in it, if you recall that aspect of b&w film

You will need to use a compatible "host" program; see the requirements and software compatibility sections of the link.

Leitz Loc: Solms

It's generally recommended to shoot colour and convert, but you can easily try it both ways and make your own decision. Enjoy it!
Edit: JPEG or RAW is also a question you can answer for yourself.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

That is a simple fact! BW removes all the many complications that must also be considered for composition with color included.

For the OP though the question is RAW or JPEG? And RAW provides far more versatility to a BW shooter than does JPEG straight from the camera. With the raw image data any BW film type can be emulated. Various toner shades can be applied and can be graded to match what you like when printed on different papers. The range of creative effects is unlimited.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Some cameras have a B&W mode. It only works in JPEG mode. However, if you record raw images, you can decide later whether you want B&W or color, and use any of the zillion ways to process the B&W from the raw data.

If you had bought a mirrorless camera with an electronic viewfinder, you could *view* in B&W or color, record in raw, and then process the raw to color or B&W later. That helps you to "see" (pre-visualize the scene) in B&W before you make an exposure.

I made this exposure in raw mode, in color, of course, then processed it to B&W using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

(Download)

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

A DSLR allows exactly the same functionality by setting the JPEG to monochrome and shooting in RAW+JPEG mode.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Go straight to RAW.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

With film you have to pick B&W or color. In digital you get "data" that has it all. Then it is interpreted for viewing. You can have the camera do it and it will be saved as a JPEG.

If you shoot RAW, you can't tell the camera to be be a B&W device. It is always a full data collection device.

Once in a computer the the RAW will always retain all the light data. All the software choices then interpret the full spectrum of light data recorded in the RAW file. One tutorial I watched demonstrated that, given a specific B&W visual goal, all the common software we use can reach the same goal.

If you want to do B&W, shoot RAW.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

You can go into Live View mode to do that, viewing on the camera LCD screen, but through the reflex finder? Not.

You lose the advantages of an EVF (working in dark theaters, retaining autofocus on most models, and using a fully electronic shutter for completely silent photography).

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Shooting RAW gives you more flexibility to convert to B&W. If you intend to get into RAW later, I would go ahead and shoot RAW + JPEG now. You can use the JPEGs now, and when you learn how to use RAW, you can go back and work on the photos you are shooting now.

bobgreen Loc: Maryland

As always, such terrific thoughts, advice, and knowledge! Thank you!

repleo Loc: Boston

Shoot RAW + JPEG. Even if you only use jpeg for now. Once you get to a basic level of PP you will want to go back and redo those earlier shots. That was a lesson I learned the hard way.

bobgreen Loc: Maryland

Thanks! That's a great idea! I believe one other UHH member offered the same sage advice.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I suggest you don't even bother with jpeg. Jpegs are not as easy to adjust, and if you need to adjust them you'll find that you can get better results if you start out with a raw file that if you start out with an out-of-the-camera jpeg - greater dynamic range, better detail capture, greater latitude.

There are a number of ways to convert from a color image to black and white, including at least 7 ways in Lightroom and Photoshop. Then there are plugins that offer even more ways.

Lastly, when shooting jpeg, you strive for your middle tones to be correct, and shadows and really bright highlights may be sacrificed to achieve that. Many images will not have that challenge, but high-contrast images present a particular challenge that will quickly reveal the shortcomings of in camera jpegs. In those situations, if you shoot to preserve the highlight details, then your shadows get muddy and noisy. If you shoot to preserve shadows, then your highlights get irrevocably blown out. When you shoot raw, you can expose for your highlights, allowing your shadows to get underexposed. But if you underexpose modestly, you will have recoverable information in them. You can then recover them in your raw editor, and depending on which package you use, you can selectively lighten them, apply local contrast adjustments and more aggressive noise reduction and sharpening to those areas.

So I would say that lack of familiarity with your camera is not a factor in deciding whether to shoot raw or jpeg, but lack of familiarity with post processing probably is. Learning to edit jpegs requires more knowledge and presents a steeper learning curve than editing raw files, though plugins can help.

In any case, if you decide to shoot jpegs, and you think you will be editing them later, I would avoid any camera settings that enhance the image. Keep your contrast, saturation, noise reduction and sharpening as low a possible - as these are very destructive, and once the image is generated, all the data the camera recorded that is not used in creating the image will be discarded.

Here are some techniques:

https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/7-black-and-white-photoshop-conversion-techniques--photo-488
https://digital-photography-school.com/3-tips-for-better-black-and-white-conversion-using-lightroom/

https://digital-photography-school.com/8-reasons-to-use-silver-efex-pro-2-for-your-black-and-white-conversions/
https://www.on1.com/blog/on1-short-clip-dramatic-black-and-white-conversion/

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/review-of-topaz-bw-effects-2-plugin/