Raw vs. Jpeg...Which one do you use?

[sirsean52]

I've been battling on which format to use. I've been shooting in raw because I thought it was the best. But, I'm wondering, what the majority of people here use. Also, can you edit jpeg images in Adobe raw?

[DSL_PWR]

I have been wondering the same thing.

Here is what I have picked up so far.

For sports it seems that most will shoot jpeg. Everything else either raw or raw+jpeg.

As soon as I get some 32GB cards, I am going to dual format raw+jpeg. I would like to have a negative and still be able to adjust it later if I want but also have a jpeg that I can get out quickly if I need to.

[DSL_PWR]

Also, read here about halfway down the page...

http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...f-members.html

[danchez]

RAW, always...

[bondarnes]

If you are a really great photographer then you can get away with shooting jpeg most of the time. Do you remember film? Raw is like have an unprocessed negative that you can manipulate in the processing stage. Jpeg is like having a processed negative. If it was exposed and processed properly then no problem, but if not, there is information missing.

http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...w-vs-jpeg.html
http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...tons-site.html
http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...-jpeg-raw.html
http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...w-vs-jpeg.html
http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...-raw-jpeg.html
http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...jpeg-both.html
http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...aw-way-go.html

The search function is your friend.

[ThePhilosopher]

I shoot RAW exclusively - then again I'm shooting as much film if not more film than digital photos ATM.

[AndrewCCM]

RAW for everything including sports (which I shoot a lot of).

[Comanche]

Originally Posted by DSL_PWR

For sports it seems that most will shoot jpeg. Everything else either raw or raw+jpeg.

The vast majority of my work is sports - and I shoot RAW. Folks who shoot only for newspapers usually shoot JPEG simply because they don't need the higher quality of RAW (a newspaper publishes at only 170 dpi, or thereabouts and usually prints a sports photo in B&W.) But, those who shoot for magazines and/or for prints to sell, RAW is the way to go.

Actually, I shoot RAW on one card and JPEG on the other, but the JPEG is used as a backup.

[Daylon]

I'm certainly not the best photographer out there - but here's my two cents -

If you're going to do a digital workflow on the image (i.e. sharpen, noise reduction, color correction, and print to something larger than an 8x10) - shoot in RAW. Especially if you don't white balance on a regular basis during your shooting...

If you're going to print small (smaller than 8x10) or publish to a www page with little post-processing, go JPG.

D.

[AndrewCCM]

My thought process... If I plan to shoot something worth shooting, then I want to capture it with as much data as I can... My Raw processed files look so much better than my JPGs... I guess if I was able to nail all my shots and didn't need any extra latitude, then I'd be more likely to not concern myself...but...alas...I can't nail them all...

[sirsean52]

Yeah...I guess I'll be sticking with Raw. Sometimes, it just doesn't look like my pictures are as clear as everyone elses. I've seen some that look like they're really high quality. I just don't see that in my images. Could I be doing something wrong(capturing, or post processing)? Don has the answer....lol..Just messing with you Don..You are the camera God on here. You know it all. We're lucky to have you and others here.

[srwatters]

I shoot jpg+RAW on the Nikon D3 and RAW only on the P45 (because that's the only option)... jpg files are often used for proofs and any final edits are based on the RAW file.

[mhuebner]

For most fun shooting - jpg. For money jobs - RAW+jpg.
Mike

[Dobick]

I only shoot in raw.

Every shot that I take gets brought into lightroom, so the software handles the raw just fine, and I do not see the need for an additional copy of a jpg that I will not ever use. I have shot raw+jpg in the past, and the shots just ended up getting in the way, and didn't really fit into my normal workflow (especially the renaming part) so I was not sure what to do with them. If I am shooting for fun, my workflow still applies, so I shoot in raw.

[dmcantrell]

Originally Posted by srwatters

I shoot jpg+RAW on the Nikon D3 and RAW only on the P45 (because that's the only option)... jpg files are often used for proofs and any final edits are based on the RAW file.

There is a program that will extract a medium sized JPEG from the NEF file without the need for shooting RAW+JPEG mode. IIRC, the embedded JPEG is what the camera uses for the images on the LCD. I used it a while back and it was very straight forward. I dunno, you probably have your workflow established and maybe an added step is not desirable. I thought it was called "d70reader.exe" but a quick google search and now I'm not sure.

EDIT: Just kidding, it is d70reader : http://gogebic-pc.home.comcast.net/~...hatitdoes.html

Anyway, the OP : I shoot RAW all the time. The way I see it, I didn't spend thousands of dollars on top-of-the-line lenses to lose image quality in the JPEG compression.