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Raw, Jpeg or both?

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Tammi Posted: 04-09-2008 12:36 PM

just wondering what everyone shoots in...Big Smile

AND the kicker...WHY?

I used to shoot in jpeg only--even during school except for one or two assignments when were were instructed to shoot raw. (because yes, every single instructor told us that there is no need to bother with raw...weird isn't it?) but then i changed to jpeg+raw so i could play with my lightroom presets. BUT now I am not finding any benefit to shooting raw. It annoys me. Its noisier than jpeg. I have a more difficult time with w/b with raw for some ODD reason. I liked my pics coming out of my camera nearly ready to go. Now they always need work. Am I just lazy? I am considering going back to jpeg only. 

so...what do you use and why?

Thanks!

~~Tammi~~

d300, MB-D10, sb800, sb400, 18-200VR, 18-50 f/2.8, 28-75 f/2.8, 90 f/2.8 macro, 50 f/1.4, Pocket wizards, sekonic L-358, and an aresnal of reflectors and other light modifiers....and maybe more. ;)

My Zenfolio Gallery

My Blog

 

 

 

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 I shoot only in RAW for 3 years now.

Then again, I've used Photoshop much longer than my DSLR, so I tend to do what the Photoshop book authors say, and I've got plenty of books on RAW and its benefits.

If you shoot in jpeg you or your camera will choose your w/b. With RAW, you choose it when you open the file. I find I can get the photo to look exactly how I want it.

Biggest advantage is it has the photo in 16 bit. Maximum possible quality. With jpeg you lose alot of info. You can actually see the loss of detail in some photos with both RAW/jpegs shot.

You can use Lightroom to process your RAW files in batch though, right? If they're all similar lighting shots anyway.

 

~ Angela
Nikon D700 | Nikon D300
70-200mm 2.8 VR | 24-70mm 2.8 | 14-24mm 2.8 | 85mm 1.4 | 50mm 1.4 | 18-200mm VR | 105mm 2.8 VR | 10.5mm | Lensbaby 3G
SB-900 | SB-800 | elinchrom strobes | reflectors
CS4/LR2

Angela McCormick Photography | Photo Blog


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 Oh, also it can depend on what you're shooting. If you're doing tons of fast shots, or doing sports, most photographers will shoot in jpeg to take the photos the fastest and process them out the fastest.

 

~ Angela
Nikon D700 | Nikon D300
70-200mm 2.8 VR | 24-70mm 2.8 | 14-24mm 2.8 | 85mm 1.4 | 50mm 1.4 | 18-200mm VR | 105mm 2.8 VR | 10.5mm | Lensbaby 3G
SB-900 | SB-800 | elinchrom strobes | reflectors
CS4/LR2

Angela McCormick Photography | Photo Blog


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Angela:

I tend to do what the Photoshop book authors say, and I've got plenty of books on RAW and its benefits.

If you shoot in jpeg you or your camera will choose your w/b. With RAW, you choose it when you open the file. I find I can get the photo to look exactly how I want it.

Biggest advantage is it has the photo in 16 bit. Maximum possible quality. With jpeg you lose alot of info. You can actually see the loss of detail in some photos with both RAW/jpegs shot.

I shoot in both.  I love RAW and use it if I am trying to get good "potraits" of my kids or if I am taking photos for someone else.  I like to have the flexiblity to make exposure/wb adjustments.  Sometimes there is a little more noise, however if your exposure is pretty good in the first place it isn't anything that some noiseware can't easily take care of.  You can make a LOT of different adjustments in ACR (I don't use lightroom at all) and I even use it on my JPEGs as well sometimes.  Then I open in photoshop after I am done in ACR and do any adjusment layers or masking before I sharpen and save for output.  I also like that RAW photos are 16 bit and I do all edit in that mode until I am ready to save and then I convert to 8bit. Now, if I am just taking quick snapshots of my kids and I really don't care how they look...........I definitely go for jpeg.  So, really I shoot in both modes pretty equally.

 

 

Melissa Geeked

 

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I shoot in jpeg. Mostly because the only photo editing software I have is iPhoto :). I want something better bad. My little bro has Lightroom and aperature, so jealous. I should have gone into web design...

 

Constructive Critism is always welcome. I am here to learn so let me know how I can do better.

Canon Rebel XT Sigma 28-90mm (less used: Sigma 70-30mm and Canon 18-50mm kit, 430 Speedlite)

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mostly RAW, I figured out that my camera shoots mostly under exposed so now I light meter it accordingly and my RAW pictures look so much better than jpeg, and therefore much more fun for pp.

Heather

Nikon D50, Tamron 28-75mm 2.8, 55-200mm VR, SB-600

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heathergw:

mostly RAW, I figured out that my camera shoots mostly under exposed so now I light meter it accordingly and my RAW pictures look so much better than jpeg, and therefore much more fun for pp.

I have found my d50 also slightly underexposes so if I am shooting in jpeg I try to compensate for that and add a little more light and that usually makes a big difference.  That is another reason when I am shooting photos that I want to be GOOD I shoot in RAW so I can easliy compensate for any slight underexposure.  I can also fix slight underexposure in JPEGs as well, it is just easier to do with RAW w/o loosing any quality in your photo.

 

 

Melissa Geeked

 

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Can anyone help me to understand how/where the d300 raw 12bit and 14 bit fit in this picture?  (HELP!)

~~Tammi~~

d300, MB-D10, sb800, sb400, 18-200VR, 18-50 f/2.8, 28-75 f/2.8, 90 f/2.8 macro, 50 f/1.4, Pocket wizards, sekonic L-358, and an aresnal of reflectors and other light modifiers....and maybe more. ;)

My Zenfolio Gallery

My Blog

 

 

 

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I shoot both now too. I only used to shoot jpeg but the more I read about lossy files, the more concerned I became. I shoot raw all the time except for the kids sports photos. I usually end up with a couple hundred and I didn't want to mess with changing mem. cards but the lighting for indoor sports can be tricky so I might be switching to all raw.

We have aperture 2, but I'm very intimidated by it. I only really used iphoto before and am now touching on CS. DH like aperture which is why he bought it, but I am still working on taking pictures that need as little pp as neccessary. Mostly b/c it intimidates me.Embarrassed

Jennifer 

D300 * 50 1.4 * 85 1.8 * 80-200 2.8 


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I shoot in jpeg.  But I don't edit.

JoLynda

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I shoot in jpeg =)

-Stephenie

Shooting with a Nikon D300 + D50, 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4 and hopefully 70-200 2.8 on the way =)

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I shoot only in RAW.

 

-Jill

Canon 40D and Digital Rebel XT

50mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.8, 17-70mm f/2.8, 430EX

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both.

for work- mainly raw because i have enough memory on hand and more info to work with in pp. i think there is a place for both. i don' really think one is better then the other if you are nailing exposure in camera. (which equals less time in pp).

if i am just shooting around for fun- jpeg. less memory hogging up the card and hard drive.

give love to the photo blog:

 rebeccalinhrodgers.com/blog

want to know what I shoot with? hit up my profile.

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  I fell somewhat silly responding to this since I'm such a newbie, but if there are pics that I *think* I might want to play with later, I'll shoot in both.  If I'm just practicing with my camera, I shoot in jpeg.

The reason for both is that I don't own photoshop or photoshop elements yet, but I will someday.  I'm putting it off until I know what I'm doing with my camera.  I want to get good, or at least better, with my camera and then buy ps.

 

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 That's a good plan!

One thing with RAW images, they age beautifully. By that I mean with time and better technology, you'll be able to manipulate those old RAW images years after you took them, without losing an iota of data!

~ Angela
Nikon D700 | Nikon D300
70-200mm 2.8 VR | 24-70mm 2.8 | 14-24mm 2.8 | 85mm 1.4 | 50mm 1.4 | 18-200mm VR | 105mm 2.8 VR | 10.5mm | Lensbaby 3G
SB-900 | SB-800 | elinchrom strobes | reflectors
CS4/LR2

Angela McCormick Photography | Photo Blog


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