Basic Photoshop settings for RAW JPEG conversion.. EX2F?

Would this thread have been more appropriate to the beginner's forum?

Meh, it's fine in either place in my opinion.

Thus encouraged, the boy blunders on.

To one of the issues I raised... the expectations I had for this camera to handle automatic shots when I'm interested in quick-and-easy. I've noticed that many here, in various threads, have said they prefer to shoot raw exclusively. It may be too soon for me to forecast this, but I wonder about the potential drudgery involved in converting .srw to .dng or other, then variously batch processing and/or selectively processing individual ones in need of special care.

Shoot RAW + Jpeg mode then? I'm still back to the beginning with this camera. Some satisfactory output in auto. What am I doing wrong with "smart" mode? With all menu options set to auto (iso, awb, etc), defeat ND (until I learn the need for it... slower shutter speeds in bright light, wider aperture effects in very bright lighting, etc), the EX2F seems to be struggling.

Looking at the exif data on these two shots taken in a reasonably bright kitchen, plenty of sunshine from large windows. The first one is in "smart" mode as described above. I'm only confused. This ought to be a cake walk for "smart" mode. First off, this mode, in a bright kitchen, gives me 1/20 sec shutter speed. Just barely hand-held. Overall too dark yet the window frames and outdoors are over-exposed. The digital clock on the stove is illegible. Of course that's the auto-focus trying to focus jumping on the bookcase and the stove is well beyond the shallow focus depth. The head's up in this thread is that these That's 'smart' mode maintaining the aperture at 1.4. What?

(Included captures of exif data that's a bit more complete than what appears hovering over images. )

Smart mode is supposed to "easily capture the desired photo by automatically detecting the scene. Something the 99 dollar SL420 always seemed to accomplish with comparative aplomb. EX2F Smart mode has only three available selectables.. photo size, ND filter, and flash.

So I switch to Aperture mode to stop down a little. Curious about how the camera will handle this since I've already dealt with 1/20 shutter in Auto. Camera maintains same ISO 400 and requires 1/2 second to shoot. "Smart" mode seems unable to handle this dead simple shot. Aperture mode would seem to be the next best attempt. But the EX2F pushes me to 1/2 second speed (i can't hand hold a shot in a sunlit kitchen??) and now badly overexposes all.

Please tell me I'm missing the glaringly obvious. Even the embarrassingly obvious. Call me an idiot. Hell, I'm beyond care at this point.

Don't read beyond this unless interested at all in my random thoughts beyond the topic's questions.

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Again, if these are merely beginners questions that I ought to back off from here... just show patience and learn the craft, I must apologize. I'm closer to understanding what to expect from this camera than two days ago, but still far from convinced that I'll be happy with it. I don't know what else at this point than to throw as much crap at it as possible in this short time, with some help from forum input, and see what does and does not 'stick'. Oh for deep enough pockets to play with this stuff without wracking one's nerves. Good decision, bad decision? Return or sell it at loss and opt for the LX7?

And details, details. Hate the removable lens cover. Didn't matter to me pre-order, but wish Samsung had just threaded the barrel in order to add a 30 to 35mm (replaceable) clear UV protective lens right over the lens. Only option is to add an extension barrel, which I did, to place a clear lens out beyond the zoom extent. So handy. Protects the glass as well as the mechanism. Take a step back after only a few hours with it and reconsider. Suddenly its negated the primary purpose for paying a compactness premium. Thus equipped it's no more pocketable than a comparably priced and higher performance bridge camera. I put the PIA dangling cover back on.

Fine for the Cybershot LX1 in the hands of well accustomed professionals. PIA for the rest of us point-and-shooters whose manner tends more toward tossing it in a pocket, backpack, purse, or my motorcycle glovebox. Onward with the rant.... the damn lens cover itself is so lazily loosely sprung that it takes nothing at all to pop it off. Lightly brushing the release ears against most anything detaches the cover. As well, these ears/tabs extend prominently beyond the circumference of Not confidence inspiring loosely packed in anything but a zippered case. Will have to replace this cover with another 52mm brand with less protruded release "ears". Or maybe one of these six dollar plastic jobs, check the quality, and how much bulk it adds to the over-all camera dimension.