bnsf

In the menu settings of the Sony a77m2 camera has a Quality setting which has settings options of Raw, Raw & JPEG, Extra Fine, Fine and Standard. Default is the fine setting. Has anyone used the Extra fine setting and is the raw setting just for Apple and JPEG is on for Windows? I have been using the default settings of Fine but l would like to know what is the difference between Extra Fine and Fine? What setting would you use and why? How do the photos appear what you are using Extra Fine and Fine? I am shooting at the Large Image and a 3:2 aspect ratio.
Help

Leitz Loc: Solms

Try to find someone who knows how to use the camera to take some pictures at each setting and show them to you. Hopefully, they'll know how to tell you what you're looking at.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

No. RAW is RAW, images are always recorded at maximum size. Fine and Extra Fine are jPGs with varying degrees of compression.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Perhaps the best reference on RAW images is "The Digital Negative". RAW files are the data your camera's sensor records. They require additional processing to be attractive.

The various jpeg file options simply adjust the detail if the saved in-camera processed jpeg files. You manual provides information on that. Jpeg files are usable as is.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

It should mention each file size as well! That's the difference!

WessoJPEG Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio

Take some shots on each and find out.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

This should not be Model specific. Raw and RAW+JPEG is just what it sounds like. The other settings; Extra Fine, Fine, Standard are all sub-types or settings for JPEGs. Those setting as should be expected have no effect on RAW. Again no difference between Mac and Windows. The out put file types are Camera generated, having nothing to do with O/S format types. 3:2 is normal for highest IQ JPG and Raw, often reduced file size or reduced quality JPGs give 4:3 images instead. Personally, I leave everything on Raw and/or Highest IQ, and if I need "smaller" or different ratio images I create them in PP (in my case with Ps CS6).

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

This page has the choices for image sizes and quality. In Sony's realm, you have a choice between S,M and L jpeg files, and Standard, Fine and Extra Fine which addresses the amount of jpeg compression. Extra Fine will produce the best quality jpeg, but also the largest file on your computer. The number of pixels in the image or the image's resolution, is determined by the size choice (S, M or L).

Raw is a mode that does not do any in-camera conversion, and it is just the digital information captured by the sensor before it's converted. All cameras record raw, but not all cameras provide the raw data.

You can convert the raw data to an image file by using either the supplied raw converter or any number of raw converters. Lightroom, Capture One, DXO Optics Pro and Adobe PHotoshop (ACR) are among the more popular, and you can buy or subscribe to these. There are a number of free converters, some are good, some are nothing special, and each will produce a slightly different result.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Hmmm. That's making me re-think a bit.
I use extra-fine in my Sony H-1 as it does not provide a RAW file.
Now thinking, since I usually tweak the RAW first (from my other camera), I really don't need to save extra-fine JPEGs as well as RAW in that camera. Looking at it on the computer for viewing before working with the RAW file, I can probably get away with fine or maybe even standard JPEG because of the monitor resolution, then tweak the RAW and save as extra fine at that time... Interesting.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

On my Sony A77II I use 24M image size and Extra Fine Quality and I get 20X30 prints to die for. Well, not exactly but you get the idea.

Inglese

You know, the fun thing about cameras is experimenting. Why ask others when you can use each setting yourself and see what you prefer? If your current setting is producing what you like, then why change?

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

When I first got mine, I tried the different modes except for raw + jpeg. I found that the extra fine Jpeg setting to be a bit "mushy" when pixel peeping. I tried it with different quality lenses and found the results all to be the same.

Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

The Sony A77 mark II is not what I would term a beginers camera, when first relaeased it was Sony's flag ships APS-C camera. So, in order to get the best out of it you may care to go onto You Tube and search for RAW vs JPEG. You will find expert guides on the subject which will then enable you to choose which is best for you. As you are asking this question you may also benefit from a user tutorial for the camera aswell. Tony Northrup provides such a guide on his You Tube channel and there are others to choose from.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

I only have one Sony among a stable of Nikons but the manual is crap.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Depending upon the brand and model of camera, there can be choice of different size RAW as well as different size/compression/quality JPEGs. There also can be in-camera cropping (FX to DX) and/or aspect ratios (2:3 to 4:5, etc.)

Unless you need to save space for some reason.... such as not having enough memory cards (no excuse for that, they're so cheap these days)... or need images downsized for rapid, immediate tethered or wireless transfer... there really isn't much reason to shoot anything less than the very highest quality.

You can always make a copy that's smaller, cropped, compressed, etc. later in post-processing. The results will be exactly the same as if you did it in-camera. But you can still keep the larger, fullest-possible resolution file in case it's needed.

If you instead shoot and save smaller, cropped, compressed, etc., a lot of the original capture is simply thrown away and there's no getting it back! It's gone forever.

So I'd simply recommend using the highest quality possible, unless you have VERY good reason for using any of the space-saving, reduced quality schemes.