Thank you minniev. Good stuff. I have to get so I Can make the "bland" as good or better than the JPEG.

Thanks, Linda. Bringing up presets suggests a better way I could have phrased my question:

If I bring in the image without a preset, is the ACR or their software basically applying its own algorithm as a preset? Or is it just sort of raw data coming in with no manipulation at all?

I have been doing RAW + JPEG for your reason, and also to work in jpeg, but experiment in RAW. I don't shoot '"great" pictures (mostly grandkids, travel, and miscellaneous landscapes) so I don't spend a lot of time in pp with any of them. That said, like anyone I enjoy capturing nice images (composition, color, light, etc), so I do do a little quick global touch up.

So far, occasionally I can make a wonderful photo from RAW, but usually I do no better than the camera jpeg with slight pp.

Again, thanks. I have enjoyed much of your advice on this forum.

is the following correct? If I set my camera to JPEG, my understanding is that the camera captures the image data and converts it to jpeg, presumably with an algorithm that tries to make a "good" picture.

If I capture in RAW, I then open the image in a software package, (either the camera manufacturer or something like Lightroom or PSE). Now is that software (a) also using an algorithm to try to create a "good" picture that I can either export directly as a jpeg (or other format) or use the tools to improve it or is it (b) just providing me the data and a platform to make the "good" picture myself with the various sliders and tools?

If (b), then as an inexperienced software user, I may not be able to make a picture as "good" as what the camera algorithm can do for its jpeg, and I am better off using the jpeg until I Master RAW processing software.

If (a), I can use RAW, starting with a "good" picture, and can work to improve it (reverting back if I make a given picture worse). This way I should presumably come up the learning curve faster, and in the meantime have the software's version of the "good" picture as a failsafe.

I guess a corallary question would be: if (a), which RAW converters make the best images?

Mac Photos is fantastic for organizing, displaying, syncing with iPad and iPhone, and quickly finding pictures by date, location, title, keyword, or caption.

Actual editing is quite rudimentary, but much mproved from when it first came out. Also, Affinity, which was mentioned earlier, can be used as a "plug-in" which greatly extends the editing function.

If, like me, all you do is things like sharpen, change exposure or white balance, maybe add some saturation, Photos is quite adequate.

Again, thanks to the new responders. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

In the end, I did not buy, although I will probably regret it. One of those things where it probably works out just fine, but if not, you feel really stupid. And that is the real deterrent.

Again, thanks..

Thank you very much, everyone. I knew I would wake up to many helpful comments. We're off the cruise, so it s too late for that. I did check with our hotel concierge, and her comments pretty well tracked all of yours: probably okay, but there are some bad guys out there. I think I will pass. maybe look for a "mall" store and see what their prices are.

Thanks again.

We got off a cruise ship in Hong Kong this morning, and there are many camera stores selling all models of Canon and Nikon cameras and lenses. Can one trust them? Has anyone had direct experience?

I chatted with a guy who was very knowledgable, asked me in what I was interested, and brought out a Nikon D7200 and an 80-400 4.8 lense at my request. He promised full authenticity and Nikon warrantee and packaging (words are cheap), and would sell me both for less than $2000 US. Do I dare go back tomorrow?

Thanks

I initially did not like "Photos" at all, but now I love it. The organization by time and place, and the search capabilities make photos instantly findable among thousands.

As to your question, several ways? One is you can have separate libraries for you and your wife much as you would with Aperture. You can create as many "photolibraries" as you woul like. Alternatively, put them all in one library (what I Do), and keyword all your wife's, making a Smartalbum off the keyword. That way she can select the album and see only her pictures from her iPhone or whatever.

If you haven't already, pay Apple the couple of bucks a month for their iCloud service. You can see all your and your wife's photos on all your devices in size optimized fashion that won't kill your storage space.

Mr Oak-

Take another look at Photos. You now can batch name, batch keyword, and batch geotag. Also great organization and search capabilities, while putting all pictures on all ( including my wife's) devices.

I have recently searched for just such a camera, perhaps relaxing the requirements to "best mix I can find" rather than absolute excellence in every category. On a recent trip, I got great results carrying around my DSLR, with an old point and shoot in my pocket to get close-ups of smaller features.

So I thought upgrade the point and shoot. Thus pocketable and decent zoom were absolutes, with the rest the best possible. You may well come down to the Nikon s9900 or LUMIX ZS50 (or 40) as the other poster said.

I went I the the latter because of viewfinder to hold the camera steady and RAW capability, which I only dabble in now, but expect to use as my learning curve continues.

I find the camera terrific, with surprisingly good image quality.

On your iPhone or iPad go to the manufacturer's site in Safari. Find the owner's manual for your camera. Tapping near the top of the screen will bring up the words "Open in.....". Select either Adobe Reader or Apple's iBooks.

That will save a copy of your manual in whichever of the apps you chose. The best thing is that it is always with you. I have. Any times referred to it when a problem comes up. It is also a great thing to peruse on long flights.


Uses virtually no memory.

Also, After culling and minor adjustment, I load all my photos into the IOS/MAC. "Photos" app with "Cloud Drive". While editing capability is limited ( although usually enough for my needs), the organizational capability is fantastic.

It syncs across all devices and the cloud (for a nominal fee). It automatically organizes by date, but the search capability is terrific. It will search by date, title, location, keyword, or description. Thus if I want to look at pictures of my trip to France, but don't remember what year it wa, I simply start typing, and by the time I have entered Fr, up pops a screen with links to the pictures.

Also, it does "smart albums" based on keywords, and importantly for me, will "nest" albums so I a, not looking at a screen cluttered with dozens of choices.

For those who have not looked closely at the Phos app, I urge you to do so.

I have been using electronic frames for several years. The key for me is to set the interval for 5 minutes, or even 30 minutes or an hour if I don't have many pictures in the frame. For this purpose, the constant scrolling is not what one wants. I keep one on bedside table, one in the living room, and one in a hallway.

Be careful of the brand to make sure it gives you the choice of intervals. I mostly use Sony, but last Christmas my son gave me a Pixstar, which is sort of neat because you can email pictures straight to it.

I mostly have grandkids and trips in them, and change them out every couple of months.

I hope people put in their comments. For what a rank amateur's opinion is worth, here is mine; please comment on my comments, as I am trying to learn:

I think 1a and 1d are too dark; I like 1s; too much "blue" in the green in 1c? 2a and 2d a little washed out?

I guess I like 2s and 3 the best. What do others think?

A couple of things-

First you still have iPhoto (and Aperture, if you have it) on your Mac. You can use them as you always did.

I also hated Photos when it first came out, but have grown to love it. The organization, folders, and search capability are fabulous. That said, it is not your basic processing program.

I import all pictures from my iPhone (and my wife's) to iPhoto (or Aperture), decide what I want to keep, Geotag those that aren't t already, title and keyword everything, and import photos from from my other cameras. I then flag about a third of them, and reimport them into photos.

You can put iPhoto back on your Mac dashboard by going into the app folder and dragging it on.

Hope this helps