DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

If you only use the software to convert the raw to a jpg, that's true and in that case there's no point in shooting raw. But even the software supplied by your camera manufacturer allows you to adjust all the parameters that you told the camera to use. And it will have finer control than the camera settings.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I can bake if I need to or want to. Very tasty bread when it is desired! It's called the vanishing point and/or leaving the idiots in a cloud of dust. Something that you clearly don't comprehend.

When you actually have a fast vehicle you get used to the idiots with a basic vehicle with a spoiler on the back and a paint job on it trying to play silly buggers with you. People that actually have fast vehicles and can drive them recognize the others, they don't need to play games. Especially when it comes to twisty roads and going around corners.

Those that own fast vehicles and know how to drive them safely very seldom play games, since the consequences can be severe. There is a time and a place for everything, and public roads are not the place. I've met very few drivers that can drive safely at over 100 mph, let alone 140mph.

I observe the incompetent drivers every day.

Don't mess with it unless you know what you are doing, and not on public roads.

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

On re-reading what I wrote, I see that I should have used the word "can" in place of the word "will" (but I think the original comment I referred to got it right). If you just use the defaults on the raw file you don't do much work at all and in that way you can get the same file as you would have had shooting jpeg. With no work at all really and no head examination.

Now I shoot with Sony but for a spell I did shoot with Nikon. In both cases I could convert a RAW file to exactly the same JPEG as if I had the camera produce it. I don't know whether this is the case with Canon or Olympus or Fuji but it could be.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I never shoot knowing my exposure is wrong. I always try to get the best exposure I can in raw with a single shot. I shoot raw because I have to deliver my images to a client and I want the best image I can produce. Shooting the wrong exposure thinking you can recover 100% because you shot raw is a huge mistake. What about aperture, and shutter speed? You can recover from the left side but you may never recover from the right side. If you shoot mountain biking you should have enough experience to know what your shooting should be for the best exposures.Questionable thinking!

Bullfrog Bill Loc: CT

I don't understand the need to convert to B&W to set the black and white points. Simply turn the two clipping indicators in the LR Histogram and move the sliders.

Kissel vonKeister Loc: Georgia

I shoot raw in warm weather, but then when it turns cold I put my clothes back on.

Padre

I am mystified how you can ascertain my level of comprehension by one comment on a photography forum. However, my comprehension is clear enough to realize that George Bernard Shaw was accurate when he advised: "I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."
I am anticipating more insightful counseling from your vast storehouse of knowledge.
As for your advanced driving ability, I won't call you a cowboy until I've seen you ride.
Padre

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Well Padre, you are the one that made the badly spelled smart-arse comment about my response to the OP (which was nothing to do with you), yet was sufficient to make a response and an initial assessment of your comprehension ability. Now if you wish to characterize me as a pig that is your prerogative, but if you do then it was you that decided to wrestle in the first place, so I guess I can now add poor judgment and decision making to your list of character attributes since you appear to be a slow learner. As for insightful counsel from my vast store of knowledge I don't see why I would send any in your direction, something about casting pearls before swine. It isn't worth the effort since they seldom appreciate it, and it would appear that you may not understand anyway.

Perhaps you now need to go take a shower! That will not help address your sense of being mystified, but it might help clear the air on the forum.

I also know that I won't need to look for you in my rear view mirror, but just to be aware of hazards on the road ahead!

Somehow I don't think of you as a "Duke of Hazzard", more like a "Hazard to duck", but if you want to show us more you can always post a selfie wearing a pair of Daisy Dukes in the boudoir section.

Have fun, and now go take that shower!

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

How on earth did you manage to set your camera up so badly?

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Deliberately perhaps, and understanding what the end result might be?

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

Scary stuff.....

PhotosBySteve

First of all there is no such thing as a "wrong exposure". I like to set the exposure where it will best represent the scene as I see it or perceive how it can be. I almost always want my main subject to have proper exposure, with few exceptions. I generally start by setting my exposure level centered on the meter (18% gray), while spot metering on my subject. I then point the center point to the brightest part of the scene and note the difference in light level (number of stops to right of center). I than point in to the darkest and note that reading in the same way. I than take a test shot with highlight alert enabled, and check my histogram to see if there is clipping in either the highlights or the shadows and than adjust the exposure accordingly. I know, because I shoot RAW, that I can pull at least 1 to 2 stops more out of the highlights from what is shown on the histogram. So I will generally adjust toward the highlights to slightly clip in the histogram if the dynamic range of the scene is more the 2 stops wider than what my camera can capture. Otherwise I leave it set to be exposed at the original 18% gray on my subject.

BTW The histogram is based on the in camera JPEG, so a RAW file should be able to get from 1 to 4 stops more dynamic range, beyond what the histogram shows.

RedRockster

amen

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Feel like a racing driver while photographing? Sounds like spray and pray!

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

Can't you recognize a bit of mockery when it stares you in the face?