RAW vs JPEG ?

[optionblue]

I know this is a very classic question but I was just wondering if as time goes by, does photographer preference change?
Please paki share po sa mga experiences nyo when you tried Raw and JPeg and anu pde i expect ko if I chose raw. I know that Raw is a huge hardrive space eater but I want to know your experiences.. Madali ba i handle ang raw and other advantages over the other..

Sorry if this topic is already on the forum. Kung meron man, baka nasa pinaka dulo na..
Salamat sa inyong time.

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[smilingFACE]

I know this is a very classic question but I was just wondering if as time goes by, does photographer preference change?
Please paki share po sa mga experiences nyo when you tried Raw and JPeg and anu pde i expect ko if I chose raw. I know that Raw is a huge hardrive space eater but I want to know your experiences.. Madali ba i handle ang raw and other advantages over the other..

Sorry if this topic is already on the forum. Kung meron man, baka nasa pinaka dulo na..
Salamat sa inyong time.

im using RAW when shooting, mas madali iprocess sa LR or sa CS5, example, na overExposed nahahabol kay raw.not like jpeg, halos hirap na habulin.. but minimal lang naman na over or under, not totally crash.. :-) pag ganun kasi delete ko na.. :-)..

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[micoraven]

Yes my preference did change over time. Nung una kasi medyo hesitant pa ako mag PP, but when I started PP JPEG muna. Then I tried experimenting with RAW files out of curiosity. Tried comparing the output and found out RAW produces cleaner images and was more malleable compared to JPEG as RAW files are a more resilent format due to high volume of data. Ayun its just a matter of time before it caught on kasi processing RAW files give you more control over your images and given the right processing can bring about a lot of potential for your images.

Yung unang timpla yung mahirap talaga kasi medyo bland talaga output ng RAW. But once you get your preferred preset or workflow madali na yung RAW i batch process kasi apply apply na lang after.

Experience ko kasi mas less prone sa PP artifacts, mas madali magrecover ng over/under exposure (up to 2 stops worth of information), mas madali mag white balanace tweaking, mas consistent yung output pag batch processing, at mas malinis yung sharpening kapag RAW files yung ginagamit mo.

I still use JPEG+RAW setting though for my camera para meron akong reference of how it looked like processed by my camera and for giving out quick copies to my eager friends pero at the end of the day the processed images from RAW files are those I keep or eventually post.

LR4 looks very promising kasi mas maayos na yung recovery ng over and under exposure that its almost close to HDR na nga eh for every image but in order to maximize this you'd be needing a lot of information that only RAW files can give

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[tackypinili]

Yes my preference changed over time until I distinguished the difference and when to use RAW or JPEG.

at 1st, i only shoot jpg kasi yun ang alam ko and i dont know what the hell is RAW

When I learned about RAW, wow this is exciting, so much options you can choose and sliders you can adjust.

I shoot shoot shoot shoot, store store store store, keep keep keep keep. Until i realized andami ko na raw files taking up space lang.. I began selecting which are keepers.

Now, I shoot jpg whenever I need documentation that doesnt require critical Image Quality. I also shoot in jpg when I am confident about the output of the camera.

If the light is quite tricky or the white balance is an issue, i prefer to shoot in RAW just to make sure I can save my butt when I missed on the exposure or any of the parameters. Hehe

HTH!

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[Rc Corpuz]

Before I used to shoot jpeg but after much research done and by experience, I decided to shoot raw to minimize IQ lost, and as others said, it gives me total control over my pictures.....

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[dopster00]

Its almost always RAW for me, i enjoy doing PP on my photos as much as i take them

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[M]

i've not shot JPG since i got LR3 to PP my RAW files. to each his own, i guess. although, there are times that the output on my LCD can't be matched by my PP using LR3. hehehe.

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[micoraven]

i've not shot JPG since i got LR3 to PP my RAW files. to each his own, i guess. although, there are times that the output on my LCD can't be matched by my PP using LR3. hehehe.

I got around that with my custom preset. I think I got the basics through hours of experimenting and comparing the JPEG produced in LR3 and the SOOC and improved it a bit adjusting to taste Add that to the power of RAW files to retrieve under/over exposure and you get a pretty decent PP.

The bad thing is come LR4 the preset gets obsolete so I have to redo again but I really welcome LR4 after using beta. The improvements really is noticeable especially when you've been using and experimenting with LR a lot. I think you can really achieve an almost HDR effect (everything in balance, no over and under exposed) with every image due to the changes in under/over exposure retrieval of LR4 and you also get a cleanner output. No more halos (or very suppressed) when retrieving under exposed areas

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[jfrs]

Shooting JPEG trains you to get it right the first time,

but PP is more fun when you shoot RAW.

I usually like shooting more than PP.

 

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[optionblue]

Now I know why most photographers grasp for more hard drive.
Enjoyed shooting in Raw too. I guess I'll have to invest more TB's of external memory.

How about presets? is it advisable to use presets available on the internet? coz for me, there is no specific setting or preset in any picture you took.. one preset can be good in a given picture but it will not surely be good in others...

LR4 is exciting.. I learned using LR3 with my own experimentations and i'm happy with it.

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[manic]

i always use raw + jpeg

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[micoraven]

Now I know why most photographers grasp for more hard drive.
Enjoyed shooting in Raw too. I guess I'll have to invest more TB's of external memory.

How about presets? is it advisable to use presets available on the internet? coz for me, there is no specific setting or preset in any picture you took.. one preset can be good in a given picture but it will not surely be good in others...

LR4 is exciting.. I learned using LR3 with my own experimentations and i'm happy with it.

As for online preset I use them only as reference but I create my own. I use my custom preset as a base line or at least in adjusting the colors to taste but I still do minor adjustment to exposure/brightness or do some cropping after. Its not perfect but it cuts my PP time and effort by a lot since I don't bother with the color adjustments anymore.

LR4 is a lot different and takes time to get used to and needs a new preset but once you get a hang of it you'll appreciate it a lot. 

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[ccp900]

Shooting JPEG trains you to get it right the first time,

but PP is more fun when you shoot RAW.

I usually like shooting more than PP.

 

huh?  how is shooting jpeg teaching you that?  so if you shoot raw you dont get trained to shoot correctly?  

and please dont tell me that because you have less wiggle room to PP means you have to get it right in camera....thats attitude.  Cant you be careful while shooting raw?  Cant you apply the same fervor and passion shooting raw?  theres nothing magical about jpeg that trains you differently.  JPEG is auto process please dont make it anything more than that.

you wanna shoot more than PP but still use RAW?  Simple answer, shoot raw -> import to PC -> open DPP -> export to JPG.  What you get should be the same output if you used JPG in camera because canon's proprietary software detects the jpeg options and settings you used in camera and applies it automatically to the raw file. (this is obviously canon, im not versed with nikon's software but they probably have the same thing...that said im not sure about other camera manufacturers)

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[tackypinili]

huh?  how is shooting jpeg teaching you that?  so if you shoot raw you dont get trained to shoot correctly?  

and please dont tell me that because you have less wiggle room to PP means you have to get it right in camera....thats attitude.  Cant you be careful while shooting raw?  Cant you apply the same fervor and passion shooting raw?  theres nothing magical about jpeg that trains you differently.  JPEG is auto process please dont make it anything more than that.

you wanna shoot more than PP but still use RAW?  Simple answer, shoot raw -> import to PC -> open DPP -> export to JPG.  What you get should be the same output if you used JPG in camera because canon's proprietary software detects the jpeg options and settings you used in camera and applies it automatically to the raw file. (this is obviously canon, im not versed with nikon's software but they probably have the same thing...that said im not sure about other camera manufacturers)

I think what he means is RAW is more forgiving to errors like exposure, WB and other settings unlike in jpg where you lose that flexibility BUT that is not an excuse to get the exposure, wb etc right by the time you clicked the shutter.

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[ccp900]

I think what he means is RAW is more forgiving to errors like exposure, WB and other settings unlike in jpg where you lose that flexibility BUT that is not an excuse to get the exposure, wb etc right by the time you clicked the shutter.

i agree with you it gives you options but it doesnt make you any less proficient than shooting jpgs which was what i gathered with the original comment.

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[Thor Lidasan]

Something very interesting I read from Ken Tanaka's article on The Online Photographer:

"Using only RAW files from your camera is analogous to buying an uncooked meal from a fine restaurant, preferring to season and cook it at home. This made perfect sense years ago when the chef was still in school. But today many in-camera chefs are James Beard Award candidates. It's definitely time for a re-think."


Ken's comment makes a good point since camera makers made significant improvements in their camera image processing software as he pointed out in his article here:
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2012/03/ken-tanaka-shooting-jpeg-instead-of-raw.html

Me? I shoot 100% RAW because majority of my images are UV and Infrared.

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[dopster00]

Something very interesting I read from Ken Tanaka's article on The Online Photographer:

"Using only RAW files from your camera is analogous to buying an uncooked meal from a fine restaurant, preferring to season and cook it at home. This made perfect sense years ago when the chef was still in school. But today many in-camera chefs are James Beard Award candidates. It's definitely time for a re-think."


Ken's comment makes a good point since camera makers made significant improvements in their camera image processing software as he pointed out in his article here:
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2012/03/ken-tanaka-shooting-jpeg-instead-of-raw.html

Me? I shoot 100% RAW because majority of my images are UV and Infrared.

Thanks for the share. Interesting article. Made me think about shooting jpgs again, but no thanks - i love to 'cook'.

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[mimigs]

there was a time i shoot in raw, but now i prefer jpg, discipline your self to get the correct exposure  , besides there are ways to correct properly the exposure using jpgs 

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[Thor Lidasan]

Thanks for the share. Interesting article. Made me think about shooting jpgs again, but no thanks - i love to 'cook'.

Ah, but it does begs the question how do you "cook" in RAW mode and/or jpeg mode during the time of capture?

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[Thor Lidasan]

there was a time i shoot in raw, but now i prefer jpg, discipline your self to get the correct exposure  , besides there are ways to correct properly the exposure using jpgs  

Any practical tips to the TS on how to capture "correct" exposure when using jpeg mode?

I have my own ways of shooting jpeg mode and I am very interested in reading how others shoot purely in jpeg. Share them here instead of speaking in generalities:

I'll open up the table:

1) Figuring out what white balance to use is one of the key step for me. White balance dictates your exposure. Screw up the WB and you lose at least 1-1.5 stops of correct exposure or worse, end up with a really bad color cast if your scene has mixed lighting. I have a UniWB preset to initially gauge the exposure, check the histogram after capture, and adjust the exposure I need dictated by the UniWB. For mixed lighting and using a flash, attaching the correct filtration to the flash head is important to minimize your jpeg color cast.

2) I could not stress this enough - check your histogram, check your histogram, check your histogram. And try to expose to the right if you think the scene needs it (without blowing up your highlights):

Why? Let's go in geek mode for a minute:

CCD and CMOS chips are linear devices. Each f/Stop records half of the light of the previous one, and therefore half the remaining data space available. Which means if you underexpose your shot by 1 f/stop from the optimal exposure, you lose half of the data you should have been capturing! If you don't capture it, you lost already.

In photographic rocket science terms:

Within the first f/Stop, contains the Brightest Tones and 2048 levels are available
Within the second f/Stop, contains Bright Tones and 1024 levels are available
Within the third f/Stop, contains the Mid-Tones and 512 levels are available
Within the fourth f/Stop, contains Dark Tones and 256 levels are available
Within the fifth f/Stop, contains the Darkest Tones and 128 levels are available

The above is simplified by checking your histogram:

This histogram appears correct to most of us... "appears correct":


But when you re-shoot the same scene with added +1 exposure compensation, you get this:


Using the rocket science explanation of f/stop and available levels, you can see now that the second histogram exposed to the right has more data in your capture. If you shoot jpeg, you still have available data to manipulate your capture.

3) Underexposure = noise

4) Overexposure = blown data

5) Avoid the Ken Rockwellian mode of thermonuclear saturation settings. Once you saturate the sensors with your +10 saturation settings, the colors blow and you end up with white blow outs. Best setting is neutral for exposure. If you do not want to post-process your jpeg, then the more you need to keep chimping your histogram and adjust your saturation and contrast settings to avoid blow outs.

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