srt101fan

I have been shooting RAW+JPEG for some time now. Initially, it was like a security blanket because, like the OP, I wasn't really sure where RAW would take me.

Later, I found another reason for shooting both formats. I've always liked black & white photography and plan to do more conversions of images to B&W using the RAW file. So, by setting the camera's picture controls to monochrome I get a preview on the camera's monitor of what the image would look like in B&W.

Sark17 Loc: Atlanta, GA

Thank you! This is really helpful. I did buy the cards thinking I was going to at least use raw+jpeg and I planned on not deleting any while I was there so I assumed that was A LOT of space! Thank you for your helpful information and you’re absolutely right, I’ve got a lot to learn and It’s nice to hear someone say the same that’s been doing it for far longer than I have. I’ve got the passion for it, hopefully combining that with practice I’ll get there one day! Thank you again :)

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

The 2 TB External HDD is fine. But why are you (still) using 8 GB SD cards? Even with my older equipment I use 32 and 64 GB cards these days. I never come close to filling one, but on your trip you probably would!

Also only buy the best cards that are geared for your camera or shooting techniques. I'd suggest sticking with SanDisk or Lexar. You do not need state of the art HD video shooting quality / speed DS cards unless you are actually going to shoot HD 4K video.

Sark17 Loc: Atlanta, GA

I don’t have any 8? They’re all 128 or 256 “extreme pro”. I wonder if that was a typo somewhere.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

You can change the "name" of a file (the portion of it BEFORE the period)... but you can't just change the "file type" (the extension AFTER the period such as "CR3" or "DNG" or "PSD" or "JPG" or ""TIF", etc.).

To change the file type you have to run it through some sort of conversion software. If you were to overwrite it by simply typing in another file type extension, something different from what the file type is, the file would become unreadable. It's still actually the original file type, hasn't changed... but the change of the extension will cause the wrong type of software to try to read it.

To change file type open it in it's existing form... such as CR3. Do whatever work you want to it, then use the software's "save as" command to save it as one particular type of file or another. That will create a new version in the new file type.

I also recommend you shoot RAW + JPEG. Memory cards are cheap. Buy a bunch of extras.

If you are finding Lightroom and Photoshop overwhelming, you might consider getting Photoshop Elements instead. It's much more "user friendly", with a lot more built in assistance for new users. It does many of the same things as LR and PS, but all in one program. Plus it's not a "subscription"... Elements is a one-time purchase. If you shoot videos, too, there's also "Premiere Elements" sold separately or bundled w/Elements.

Lightroom isn't hard to learn. One or two books and maybe a class or two will usually do the trick.

Photoshop is much, much more complex (and powerful!) Really learning to fully use it means about a year's worth of college-level classes and text books!

Your "Pro" friend should have explained why they made that recommendation...

JPEGs are fine, when you get all the settings of the camera correct, lighting is good and... as a result... the images are great. The problem is that if anything is wrong with settings or lighting is poor and images need some adjustments, you can't do very much to JPEGs.

All digital images start out as RAW... every image it makes. When you set the camera to save JPEGs, it's actually doing a RAW conversion in-camera, saving the resulting image, then throwing away a lot of original data the camera has deemed "unnecessary". You wrote that you'd done some RAW + JPEG... compare the files from those side by side. See how much larger the RAW files always are? That's the difference... the original data that's being dumped after the JPEG is made.

Now, if you need to make adjustments to an images later, it's better to have all the data originally captured in the RAW file. It's essentially "unprocessed"... hasn't had noise reduction or other things done to it. With RAW files you get to do those yourself, later in post-processing.

So, in a way JPEGs are good for "instant gratification"... While RAW are better for more "serious and careful" image development, if and when it's needed.

128GB and 256GB memory cards? Those should hold a ton of images! Don't lose one! I use 16GB and 32GB cards (a whole bunch of them... over twenty, in fact), just in case I lose one or one of them fails for some reason (which very, very rarely happens, so long as they're good quality, top name-brand cards like Lexar and Sandisk). My cameras make smaller images than yours... but I get 500 to 1000 images (RAW only) to a card. While I'd hate to lose even 500 images... it would be better than losing 4000 or 5000 images a huge memory card might hold! I don't "put all my eggs in one basket"!

Get a safe, secure memory card storage case (if you don't already have one). I use Pelican and Ruggard hard cases to store and protect my memory cards (they seal up and even float, if necessary). Most of the hard cases for SD memory hold eight cards.

You say you would prefer not to delete images and I agree. Unless it's an accidental shot of my toes or similar (which I will delete), I always wait until I can inspect the images on a larger computer screen, at home. Sometimes one image is perfect, except for a minor thing (such as a person's eyes closes). Parts from another image might be useful to "fix" that. This is one of the great things about digital! But if I'd deleted that 2nd shot, I might not be able to fine tune the good one!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I'm not sure why your "pro" photo pal insists on RAW for a beginner who is not comfortable with PP software or the RAW format. That is all I use is RAW but I know how to use Ps. I know professional commercial photographers who only shoot JPGs (high IQ minimally compressed). There are many reasons for shooting RAW if you understand it and reasons to shoot JPGs too. But eventually, especially if you come up with some really nice shots that deserve being printed as 18x24" or lager you'll be glad you have a RAW to reprocess later on.

So, yes for you RAW+JPG would probably be the best.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Just have a good time. I do one of my friends pictures from all over (he's is a retired doctor and keeps going not the medical trips all over to help the locals), he take them with his cel phone and won't take a camera with him.

CloudyCoastPhotography

PM me and I can email you some cheat sheets for Lightroom editing. Not difficult! And you will be happier with the results; better than JPG!

rcarol

Good point!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I don't clear the SD cards until I get back from a trip and they have been copied to my main computer and also backed up. That's why I have eight cards.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Only eight?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Haha.
Well, nine if you count a 4Gb "TEST/EXPERIMENT" card in the chamber.
My card wallet holds eight. If it held twelve cards, I might fill it?
Right now I'm good for about 5,600 (RAW+JPEG) shots per trip.
Averaging about 800 per day for a week.
That's good enough for me since I don't go nuts shooting.
(I believe my camera can only use 16Gb cards or smaller.)

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Well, you aren't lacking for advice.
Some of the posts are off from reality because people don't read the whole thread or skim and see '8' cards as 8 GB cards and other things said. But almost all of them are good people who mean well and wish to help.

As to why I only shoot RAW - my first digital camera only put out in TIFF, my second and third (Sigma DSLRs, I still have one with 3 lenses and a macro ring flash) only did RAW. But the software with the camera would batch convert a whole shoot to jpeg in about 3 mouse clicks so I imported the RAW, then converted and put those in another folder with the same name/date but adding a R to the end of the RAW file folder name and a J to the end of the JPEG folder. So they are next to each other in the file lists.
I just got used to shooting in RAW and then editing. I don't mind the little bit of extra time.
And I usually shoot in full manual but my daughter was shocked to find I use Auto ISO when I took her to my favorite water bird site and let her try my 7DII with Tamron 150-600. She was home to visit after her first year at UCLA where she had joined the camera club, the only female in the club, add petite and very good looking then just imagine how much "help" and teaching she got from a bunch of hard science and engineering geeks who could design and build a camera with the right tools and parts available. It was full manual all the time with RAW + Jpeg so she could send stuff out on social media and run it through the PS6 I bought her for photo classes her senior year in HS (well it was on the campus of a local college and the students took classes at the HS and the college at the same time).
It will be a while before I can take her out again as she is in 2nd year Medical School at the University of Virginia. Mom will probably fly back CA to VA once or twice a year to check on her baby. I will stay home with our special needs son and the zoo - 3 cats, 2 dogs, a BIG gold fish and a million or so birds at my feeders and bird baths in the back yard.

Sorry, I ramble on too long about too much. Side effect of 35 years locked in a room of Jr & Sr HS students and starved for adult interaction.

BlingRunner Loc: Los Angeles, CA

I have found (new to raw also) that LR is perfect for my needs. I've copy the files to a LR catalog as NEF(raw) files, not DNG files and I usually name the catalog the same name as the original file that is on my external hard drive). That makes editing easier, at least it does for me. The thing to remember here is once you copy them to LR, you shouldn't rename or move the location of the original file folder because LR won't be able to find the original NEF to make your edits.

I've been shooting both NEF and JPEG and find that the JPEGS are not necessary. It's a pain to separate them out on the hard drive....don't even know if it is necessary to separate them (LOL) but a little OCDish and I like things separated. Anyway, once you edit a pic you can save it to the Finished Photos file, as a JPEG, that is created by LR and you can always find your original NEF's, JPEGs, and edited copies in the same folder.

Good luck. Have fun and enjoy Africa! I was there in 2017 and would have loved to have had raw files to edit. I'm stuck with the jpegs...unless I take another trip there. hmmmmmm