Pierre H.J. Dumais Loc: Mississippi Mills, Ont.

Gene has summed it up perfectly.
Pierre

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

I use RAW + jpg as some of my software cannot read Raw and some of my Sony camera settings only work in jpg. (they are not used often though)

Raw plus whatever file you save it in, allows you the greatest ability to alter your image. Most cameras allow you to use Raw and some Raw processing is free. If it is there - use it. (That can be said for a lot of things)

I shoot lots of 'interesting shots' and then find later that an awful lot are 'not interesting enough' to save. Delete button stops me wondering about how to fix them. I also find that I sometimes like a picture to be 'a little different' than nature / Man intended so see no reason not to use whatever PP is available to alter them. As a Chef I used to eat my mistakes so no-one saw them - now I only save what I am happy to show others.

After nearly ten years of learning photography I still cannot get images right every time SOOC. Purists I think, are like vegetarians, they spend lots of effort making something that tastes like bacon, but which would always taste better if it WAS bacon. Often it is easier 'to fix' something than try to re-invent something.

How ever you get to your final image is less important than HAVING a final image that you, and others enjoy. No-one asks a Mason what the rock looked like 'in the beginning', you only wonder at the end product: not even at the tools hanging on the wall. (unless you are the kind of person that thinks ' The right tool' will make you, too, an expert!) {not everyone can cook for others}

As my Dad always said - "Try it, see if you like it....but don't tell your mother unless its legal!!"

Have fun

blackest Loc: Ireland

I didn't say editing raw, the issue was viewing raw, in that some raw files couldn't be directly opened by the operating system, (although to be fair it is usually the case that canon or nikon release a new camera and only their software can open the new raw file for a few months at least).

If I look at raw files in finder I can see the thumbnail at different sizes

It seemed that is not necessarily the case with Windows Explorer without third party codecs for some raw files?

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3897672 thats a 6 page thread dedicated to the issue for some raw files. The first page suggests buying a $10 codec pack.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Understood.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

My Windows 8 computer can read cr2 (Canon raw) files of my older bridge camera, but not the newer. I have not let that computer online for many months, though, so perhaps there has been an update.

I shoot raw+ jpg with my dslr because I find it handy to view the "finished" jpg (usually in Picasa) in order to make a decision on which raw to edit.

With the Canon sx50 (thousands of photos) and sx60 (which I haven't used a lot yet), I discovered that with distant shots, the camera itself does a better job than I, so I shoot jpg only, then edit further with Topaz Detail and layers for masking etc.

Even with a closer shot of a large subject as test, I couldn't get my raw to look as good as the camera's jpg on the sx60. The only time I was glad I had shot raw, as well, was in harsh bright light. In that instance I was able to pull a few more details from the raw file (eagle's head in sunlight).

Once I've edited my favorites from an outing, I delete the jpg's from my computer, but keep the raw and the PS Elements file that contains all the layers of my work.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Thanks for the confirmation Linda, see i'm not a complete idiot :)

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

I hesitate to say I only shoot jpg. Apparently I am in the vast minority.

I do not sell photos, and rarely print. I post on social media and email. The only prints I've had made in the last decade are 8 X 10s in a photo album of singers that I subsequently have autographed when I see them again. I shoot many other subjects, but that is all I have printed.

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

I live in San Francisco, so I go both ways! Disk is cheap. JPEG is fast, but for anything that is worth keeping, post processing or printing raw is superior, faster and easier.

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

Hey, it's hard to be a compleat idiot. You're going to have to work much harder!

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Besides the competition is fierce.

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

Yeah, I know! I train every day, but I'm still not making the grade!

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Well I would consider you to be far down on the list. You'll just have to work a whole lot harder!

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

Damn! It's hard to deal with the emotional consequences of failure.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

I shoot RAW all the time.