digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

Am I wrong or am I probably seeing BETTER images since I just switched to shooting my Pentax K-1 in raw Full-frame???

(Download)

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

Can anyone make an argument "for or against" shooting RAW. Any caveats? Big files I know, but what else. I'm new...and very OLD at this. RJM

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

This is a nice image. RAW preserve much more data than jpg. Thus, you have more to work with in processing.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Looks very good.
"I shoot RAW".

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

So then the files are much bigger, right? What are the real problems having really BIG files??

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

Well, Kmgw9v, If you shoot Raw, I'm gonna give it a go. I will just shoot RAW for the near future. Any caveats from your perspective??

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

None. It is all good.

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

Thanks for contributing and "chiming-in. BOB

mrpentaxk5ii

You posted a basic photo with nothing to compare it to and no information on how it was processed.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

You'll create far better images from RAW than jpg. RAW is similar to using film where you can control development, etc. jpg is equivalent to shooting polaroid. You get what the camera gives you.
--Bob

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

With a JPEG, you have the camera's interpretation of what a good photograph should look like. The preview image you see on your camera's back screen when chimping is a JPEG, which is embedded into the RAW image. You are very limited in what you can do in post processing to change issues like White Balance, etc.
RAW is, well consider it a digital negative that is an entirely open field for your editing. Yes RAW images are bigger, but storage is so cheap these days that it doesn't really matter. For some applications, which do not read RAW directly, you need interposing conversion software to make them viewable/workable.

So, it really depends on what you want to do with your photography. If you take snapshots of the kids, grandkids, quick travel photography that you are only going to view on your phone, tablet or computer then JPEG is probably fine. If you want to get into the creative process, changing exposure, WB and color settings or using plug in filters, then go RAW.

I will tell you that I shot JPEG for years and years, and after coming back from a 2 week trip to Alaska, realized how more effective my editing would be if I had shot in RAW.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

My first digital camera output either jpeg or tiff. My first dslr was a Sigma SD10 which only output RAW so I got used to it and have used it ever since.

Think of RAW as like a film negative - everything recordable is there and it has to be printed etc. then converted to post etc.
Think of JPEG as like a Polaroid what you see is what you get for the most part. You can process and modify, just not as much as RAW.
The camera takes the picture in RAW then if set for jpeg converts it before export.
The larger files take up more disk space and process slower when doing Post Processing just because they are bigger. But unless your computer is very old and/or very under powered you will not notice much unless you are processing a lot of images. Then the extra few seconds (or fractions of seconds) can start to add up.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

There are MANY perfectly good arguments both for and against both raw and JPEG workflows. They are intended for very different use cases.

Do a search here on UHH and you’ll find hundreds of pages of information. Some of the posts are brilliant and some are BS. This thread alone will probably go on for 12-15 pages. About three will be useful.

I’ll stay out of this fray, today, as I’ve written many posts here, in reply to similar questions. SEARCH is your friend. A Google search for “raw vs jpeg” will yield THOUSANDS of pages to wade through.

Joe Blow

JPG allows only superficial modification and editing. RAW allows modification of the basic photo. For example, while lightening a dark photo will create noise in both JPG and RAW, RAW allows better control and noise reduction than JPG does.

Katydid Loc: Davis, CA

I just took some raw photos a few days ago. Now I need a moron's guide to camera raw. Nothing is ever easy, is it?