Dave Johnson Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Hey Rebel, The whole RAW/JPG debate is one that comes down to personal preference and what makes sense for you. Basically "RAW" is file that contains all of the data your camera sensor captured and a "JPG" is a Compressed version of that file. If you are taking portraits and expect to post process a lot in Photo Shop You would probably want to work with all of the data you recorded (RAW).If you are just taking snap shots and don't intend to process them a lot JPG is fine. Also note: you can process JPG files in "Camera Raw" In Photo Shop.

AmericanRebel

Thanks Dave, I didn't mean to start an argument, I can see both sides of this fence now!

saxkiwi Loc: New Zealand

To me I find I am doing the same amount of post processing on raw that I did on Jpg files. Its a breeze

Peekayoh Loc: UK

This is the kind of ill informed, self opinionated rubbish that permeates the web and forums.

I have no quarrel with anyone who chooses to accept the in-camera processed JPEG as good enough but for mission critical images, there is no substitute for processing from Raw and there is no doubt that this will always produce the best result.

Capn_Dave

American Rebel I am not sure what camera you have, but I did notice you said when you shoot RAW you get 2 pictures a RAW and a Jpeg. I think your camera might have a selection in the menu that will allow to do one or the other. Look closely at the menu and check when you select RAW Jpeg is deselected.

Oh and while we are on the subject that you only get snapshot quality or Jpeg is only good for snapshots, I shoot Jpeg. I do it for a living.
Got everybody's attention didn't I. At times I shoot sporting events and the people want their shots ASAP. I set my camera up at that time to shoot Jpeg. It fast down and dirty, you got to get the shots out minutes after the game. There is no time to mess with RAW. The rest of the time I shoot RAW

AmericanRebel

Capn Dave, I have a Canon T3i, I'll have to look to see if I can set it for just RAW or not, I switched it to RAW playing around with all the settings trying to learn this thing and it automatically saved two pictures every time. Im an old film guy and the RAW thing had me a little confused.

Dbez1 Loc: Ford City, PA

Well, according to Ken Rockwell...(sorry folks, I just had to stir the soup a little more).

micolh Loc: NYC

your camera is set to record both Raw and Jpeg. Change setting.
Check your manual.

wteffey Loc: Ocala, FL USA

As long as experienced photographers do not tell a beginner they MUST shoot RAW, or they MUST shoot manual, or they MUST use prime lenses (etc. etc.) to take good photographs, I say if it feels good, and no one gets hurt, go for it.

I really do have a problem with this sort of advice when it spoils the photography experience for people who are not quite ready for advanced techniques. There is so much to learn about digital photography I'm not sure jumping into RAW, or manual, or prime lenses is always a good idea.

charlie Loc: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Your post makes sense to me. Good logic. Thanks.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Hi Americanrebel,
I'm sure you'll find many who insist you must shoot raw for the best images, and in some instances they are correct. With your background in film etc. it won't be hard for you to latch-on to what raw is. Just think of it as your negative, and after you shoot the picture, you can (in post processing), do quite a bit to it to bring out much detail. Usually more than what appears in a jpg. My opinion, and of course depending on the quality of jpg's that your particular camera turns out.... raw is preferable for the extra special stuff and jpg for the 'norm'. Just my opinion.
Problem is... sometimes when you're shooting just the 'norm'..... one will turn out to be that special one! Then, it's, "I wish I would have shot it in raw!":O) Can't win, sometimes.
My advice: shoot both jpg and raw and when you have plenty of time, compare the results. Let's see your work when you get going. Good Luck and welcome to the hog.

Capn_Dave

Ok AmericanRebel I happen to know the T3i. In the menu section under Quality push the set button To select Raw or Jpeg turn the dial. To select the number of megapixels use the left right toggle button. If you don't want to shoot Either the Raw or Jpeg The first thing in the megapixel menu is a dash - this means no selection. So if you want to just shoot in Raw there should be the quality highlighted in the Raw menu and in the Jpeg menu there should be a Dash -

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

RAW is the only thing we shoot in the digital cinema, because only RAW can handle the color and contrast curves of digital (RAW) film.

RAW further takes on a new meaning in digital cinema, where many SSD drives are simply not fast enough to handle the data stream unless in a RAID. So now it's back to spending lots on better SSD drives. Of course, one decent SSD drive for $600 replaces about $4,000 of 35mm movie film (film plus one light print so you can edit on a flatbed or upright (and can be had cheap these days).)The difference is, once you have offloaded the SSD footage, you can use that SSD again. The caveat is, you have to store the stuff at least twice, on different RAIDs, for safety. It is in the management of movie data that film gets its revenge. Big RAID boxes levels the cost structure compared to film.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Although I shoot 100% in RAW I completely agree with you that you can get excellent JPEG results from a modern DSLR. I also agree that many pros shoot JPEGs, almost exclusively, especially in sports and news photography since they need to be able to take very long bursts, don't have time for much, or any, post processing, and need to transfer smaller images quickly to clients.

However, while there are perhaps some people who process raw because they think it makes them seem more professional, or cooler, or whatever, I doubt most folks shooting raw go to that much trouble out of ego. I shoot raw files because as a digital negative they contain more information than is available in JPEGs and therefore gives me greater latitude is adjusting exposures in Lightroom 5 while minimizing noise. Since I am a Canon shooter, I also can open my raw files in their DPP program, which unlike most raw processors retains all the in-camera settings. When I'm happy with the SOOC results, DPP allows me to easily convert those raw images to JPEG while retaining all those in camera settings. For me its all about the best choices to get the results I intended when I took the shot.

I disagree completely with your last two points. Although you are starting with a "blank canvas" raw processing takes you much further then JPEGs SOOC with very little work once you understand how to use the tools. Your final statement is a double edged sword. Yes, JPEGs can be processed just as easily at raw files, but that's only part of the story. You can do considerably more with a raw image than a JPEG. With raw you can also remove your changes, add to them or start from scratch at any time without adding noise or degrading the image in any way. Its a "do over". There is no such thing as a "do over" with a JPEG. Both formats have their strengths and weaknesses depending on one needs. The end result desired should dictate which format to use.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

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