bleirer

You have to check if the older Photoshop can read your camera files directly. If not there are work arounds.

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

And I would guess that you can set your camera to save both the RAW file and a JPEG file to compare your editing efforts with the camera's editing efforts.

stant52 Loc: Williamsport, Pa.

[quote=bleirer]You have to check if the older Photoshop can read your camera files directly. If not there are work arounds

no problem , it's not that old. I was playing around with it last night in the house taking pics of the Christmas tree .

bleirer

[quote=stant52]

So you should be all set. I'm imagining older Photoshop launching Adobe camera raw when you first open a raw file and you get sliders very similar to Lightroom. So you can slide left and right and watch what it does, no worries because everything can be reset. When you exit acr it will convert to another file type, tiff or psd, so then you can use Photoshop.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

The real difference between JPEG and RAW is the range of adjustments you can make. JPEGs are the result of very careful, automatic processing where a lot of original data is compressed or deleted after all the adjustments are made. For most "normal" scenes it works incredibly well. When shoot in more complex scenes or complex light, you can get better results than automated JPEGs.

It is not unusual to have to work hard to get a RAW to look as good as the same JPEG. The RAW reward is that sometimes you can get a lot better results.

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

At first you should do nothing different. Visit your preview screen and turn on highlight warning and histogram view if you haven't done that already. Once you realize that there is no mystery to shooting raw, then you can begin to explore raw available dynamic range and exposing to the right. But for now just shoot as you normally do. Raw is very tuneable - and you'll find out soon enough what works best for you.

The last thing I would do is set the camera to shoot both raw and jpeg - it's a really bad habit to break - and you'll want to break it if you are to reap the maximum benefit of shooting raw. You don't need jpegs any more.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"...then you can begin to explore raw available dynamic range... "

That's what I tried to say.

Vietnam Vet

Why does everyone make a big deal about shooting in raw? Set your settings as you normally would and open the images in a program that processes raw images.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Yup! Like Lightroom. Easy peasy.

Clapperboard

Linda, Yes me too!! I might have said complicating but complexifying will get a lot of mileage now!! Love it.

jerseymike

I think you are on your way.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Correct, you are overthinking!
Plus you will have MUCH more control over the final product using RAW.
You will be able to save borderline exposures and make good exposures better.
You are receiving great input from real experts here on UHH.
Try all of the tips and see what works best for you and enjoy the learning experience.
I find that I learn the most from my failures.
Smile,
Jimmy T Sends

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

In regard to the aperture to use indoors it all depends on the lighting. I cannot tell for sure what aperture you will need but I figure you will be using at least ISO 400 and apertures like f8 and f5.6 but this is only a guessing. Nikon does no make any 18-160 and most probably you are referring to the 18-140 VR. The lens could do the job, I cannot tell but a prime lens with an aperture like lets say f2.8 would be a better choice.

I hope you understand that shooting RAW data you will have to make important decisions in post. Those decisions will make a difference in the quality of your images. If you do not have a RAW data editor Nikon offers them for free and it is a good start.
Good luck with your project.

Tom DePuy Loc: Waxhaw, N.C.

Over- thinking,
sometimes that is the biggest mistake we make.

anotherview Loc: California

You could set your camera to capture both JPEG and RAW files at the same time for each image. That way, you will likely have useful images via JPEG while you learn RAW processing of your images.

As to settings, you could use the ones that best expose the for the subject in the JPEG file captures.

Note that the camera does a very nominal processing of your RAW images; in effect, the RAW images contain all the data the camera's sensor recorded. (simple explanation)

Note as well that Adobe Camera Raw functions as a most powerful image editor. Used to its fullest processing, ACR produces images that typically require very little more editing with the full Photoshop. Scott Kelby puts it this way:
"Fix it in ACR, and finish it in Photoshop."

I predict that once you experience the editing power of ACR, you will never go back to reliance on JPEG files.

An exception to this practice exists. I shoot family events. One of my cousins asks that I submit to her my JPEG files unprocessed. A lady friend asks the same thing. So I shoot in both the RAW and JPEG file formats. I give them the JPEG files.

Otherwise, I shoot in the RAW file format all the time. After I stared doing RAW shooting and processing, I never looked back.