Robg wrote:
Since it might have relevance to what follows, here is what I use: Lumix DMC-FZ300 (set at 12mp; 4000x3000), Dell XPS 15 with external 27” Ultra HD Display, Windows 10 (16GB), Lightroom CC version 3.2.
I’m not a professional and am primarily interested in travel, nature and wildlife photography.
Until now, I've only shot JPG, but with a major trip looming, I want to decide if I should plan to shoot in RAW. So, I took a number of pictures at a marina in RAW+JPG to compare them in post processing in order to "see for myself" if RAW was worth the disadvantages.
In Lightoom CC I compared the effects of various edits on many of the pairs. Bottom line: I saw very little (almost no) difference between the edited JPG’s and RAW’s. Only at the far end of a few of the edit sliders, say the last 5-10%, could I see a difference.
The strongest difference was in the exposure slider where I was able to reveal slightly more detail (with the slider all the way to the right) in the heaviest shadows in the RAW files.
I also compared the pairs after randomly applying some of the presets, and really saw no differences at all between a JPG and a RAW after any preset had been applied.
Lightroom has an “Enhance” feature that works only with RAW images. I tried that on a couple of images and although it made a difference, I can’t say that I preferred the enhanced images. But I can see that there could be images that this feature might improve.
In summary, the RAW advantages that might have some potential value are for images where desired details are hidden in very heavy shadows and for images that would be improved by using the “Enhance” feature, although for the latter I don’t know what those would be.
That didn't seem like much. Hence, the question in the topic title – what am I missing?
What else can I experiment with that would show me some major advantages of RAW? I did not compare the images after severe cropping, or, alternatively as very large prints. Is that where significant differences show up?
On the other hand, with my camera at least, RAW is not without cost. There is a loss of functionality when shooting RAW or RAW+JPG. The “Handheld Night Shot Mode” is disabled, as is the iHDR mode. I have benefited from these modes extensively, particularly iHDR.
Other features that I’m not so dependent on are also not available when shooting RAW, including Super High Burst Mode and digital zoom.
For me the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages of RAW unless someone can help me find other advantages akingI currently don’t see.
Since it might have relevance to what follows, her... (
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If you like JPG shoot JPG. I like to process images myself. Therefore, I shoot RAW and feel like I am making a mistake when I shoot otherwise.