-lois- Loc: Oregon

They've both been post processed, Larry. And if I was looking at the JPG without seeing the RAW, I'd be pretty happy with it - I don't see the noise but the blueish tint I can't process out of the JPG for some reason. If I don't compare it to the RAW, I don't notice it either. I did try. I do find the color cast odd. That is usually something I can fix with WB in PS.

CBL19six9 Loc: Horseshoe Bay, Texas

Love it over here on the RAW side! Would never go back ;-)

gnd Loc: DownUnder

Great shot Lois! You'll have me shooting RAW after seeing yours - it just "pops." I'll certainly try it anyhow...Thanks for sharing with us. gnd

Joecosentino Loc: Whitesboro, New York

Larry I agree with you, I have one card capture RAW and my second card captures a jpeg, I have that file as an emergency backup or if I am at a workshop and need a quick photo to show. The difference between my RAW and JPEG photos is not that wide. Even if I have my JPEG's set to vivid.

brianclark4 Loc: Beverley,East Yorkshire,UK

When you say you can adjust the white balance of a Jpeg file in PS what do you mean, because as I understand it, this can only be carried out on a RAW file. As your experiment has shown the image from a RAW file has more information than the Jpeg file, so you get a better gradation of colours too. I an not saying everyone should shoot everything in RAW, but if you are going to print your images, then RAW is the way to go.

brianclark4 Loc: Beverley,East Yorkshire,UK

Of course the RAW file looks different to the Jpeg as the cameras processor has done the conversion work for you, with the presets that the manufacturer has programed, but by doing that and then converting to the file to a Jpeg format, has discarded a lot of valuable information in the process. The RAW file retains this information, so that you yourself can process the image as you want it processing and then save it in the format of your choice.

billj316 Loc: Bedford, VA

Shooting in raw lets you keep the picture you shot and you can edit it in any manner you like. Its like the negative in a film camera. With one exception you can edit the digital raw anyway you wish and if you don't like what you did, you can go back and start over. The original never changes because you are working on a copy. In JPEG any time you open the picture to change something you lose part of the picture you took. I an sure that someone can explain the procedure better than me.

quote=-lois-]I'm one of those "Ehhh...why shoot RAW?" people. I read all the arguments, I've read up online, I've just never been convinced. Yeah, yeah the white balance. But I can set the white balance in my camera AND in PhotoShop so that didn't really convince me. I usually shoot and make sure I get the right exposure or I shoot again so THAT didn't convince me. More info...yeah and HUGE files so tht didn't convince me. So for some reason today I thought, "Hmmm. Maybe I'll shoot RAW and JPG and just see." It takes a little tweeking around but oh, my - so many things to tweek around! I did almost the same adjustments (that can be done) on the RAW and the JPG. The RAW just has more stuff! And the whites can be whiter than the JPG whites. Even when I adjust the WB in PS. I don't know if I will be a RAW only person fro here on out. But at least I see what you RAW peeps mean by the white balance. And here is my very first RAW...a RAWbin -[/quote]

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

Welcome to the fix it yourself side.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Opening and closing jpeg files does not change them.

Saving them does.

jimbrown3 Loc: Naples, FL

I'm using iPhoto on an iMac. Does anyone know if there are presets that can be applied to raw as those mentioned above in PS ?

bunuweld Loc: Arizona

Although I am a user of RAW and post-process many of my RAW pictures, I don't think that your robin pictures prove much. The intense blue on the wood obviously emphasizes the color and throws things off balance, but it looks like the blue WAS there to begin with. There is a better balance by removing the old blue paint in RAW, but it detracts from accuracy. I have just tweaked that blue in your JPEG, which returns the robin's feather blue edges to a more natural hue while toning down the old paint on the wood. I am an advocate of RAW, but want to be fair.

Coker Loc: Havana, IL

Lois, as I read your post, you sound just like me. I heard myself speaking. Sometime ago, a fellow (unknown) photographer posted 10 side by side photos. The test was to tell which was JPG vs. RAW. [That is shooting in RAW, not shoot in THE RAW]. When I took the silly little test, I failed to tell which was raw and which was jpg. Learning to shoot a correctly exposed photo with any camera is paramount to JPG vs. RAW. Therefore, I submit a few of my favorites. None of which are RAW. I still have never taken a RAW photo. http://www.cokerphotos.com/Some-of-My-Favorites/Some-of-My-Favorite-Photos/1661711_bkPpJn#!i=2265468948&k=B2QqNLH

-lois- Loc: Oregon

I can use the eye dropper tool in PS and set the white, black and middle grey. It works well...but not THIS well.

Also, I have my JPG set to vivid. Always have. It's interesting that some don't have much difference between their RAW and JPG. I don't get that...but it's interesting!

NOTLguy Loc: Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

Hi Lois

I'm not sure that the two photographs are a fair comparison, since the jpg has already been adjusted by your camera. It might be interesting to see how close to the RAW image, you can get the jpg version using PP.

By the way, I switch between RAW & JPG depending on my requirements. If I'm looking for a good shot, but I'm not too concerned about perfection, I will shoot JPG, but when I am looking for a really good photo, I always shoot RAW.

Cheers

John

-lois- Loc: Oregon

Oh my goodness...I'm not trying to convince ANYBODY but myself so I'm not sure why this has turned in to a debate on fairness. By the way, the paint on the post is white. I don't know where the blue tone came from. The trees weren't blue either. I understand all about RAW. I just wasn't convinced. I've taken many JPGs and had them enlarged and printed on canvas and they look great. I just liked the RAW of the robin better. The ONLY thing I would tell a photographer who had never tried RAW is, "Try it for yourself...THEN make your decision."