Survey, raw, or jpeg?

[Steve Mason]

I don't really want to start another long survey thread, but I'm curious, how many here shoot raw? and any particular reason why?

I'm shooting jpeg right now, simply because I don't have enough memory yet. I sometimes have trouble sharpening, as I seem to be sharpening jpeg artifacts (or is it noise? hmm not sure)
I think I'll probably get a microdrive, and startshooting raw.

Steve

 

[DavidP #28649]

I almost always shoot in RAW format. Reasons?

1) I shoot a lot at higher ISO's (800/1600). RAW gives cleaner data at those ISO's.

2) White balance issues -- I can always go back and try a different white-balance if the one I used was wrong. It's saved a few shots.

 

[Andrew Grant27981]

I always shoot RAW and convert to 16bit Tiff. It makes it much easier to handle WB and exposure issues.

I almost always shoot in RAW format. Reasons?

1) I shoot a lot at higher ISO's (800/1600). RAW gives cleaner
data at those ISO's.

2) White balance issues -- I can always go back and try a different
white-balance if the one I used was wrong. It's saved a few shots.

 

[Shem]

I don't really want to start another long survey thread, but I'm
curious, how many here shoot raw? and any particular reason why?

I'm shooting jpeg right now, simply because I don't have enough
memory yet. I sometimes have trouble sharpening, as I seem to be
sharpening jpeg artifacts (or is it noise? hmm not sure)
I think I'll probably get a microdrive, and startshooting raw.

Steve

 

[kelleym]

In addition to David and Andrew's reasons, RAW also has greater dynamic range (as posted by Phil -- see D30 review).

RAW at 400 is nearly the same dynamic range as JPG at 100 -- compelling reason to stay with RAW (unless you never shoot at anything other than 100).

The only reason I can see shooting in JPG is if you need an extremely high number of frames (remember, RAW is actually quicker shooting the first three frames -- it's only the total number of fast shots that JPG has an advantage, after those first three). Memory storage shouldn't be an issue, now that MD drives are dirt cheap (well, compared to the camera and quality lens costs, natch).

 

[DonCohen]

Hi Steve,

I'm with DavidP, Andrew, Mike and the others.

Shooting Raw has the advantages they listed, plus (as they know) much greater latitude when editing the pictures afterwards.

I have a page on my website devoted to issues relative to Raw Format; you can check it out at:

http://www.dlcphotography.net/RawFormatWorkflow/RawFormatWorkflow.htm

Don

http://www.dlcphotography.net

I don't really want to start another long survey thread, but I'm
curious, how many here shoot raw? and any particular reason why?

I'm shooting jpeg right now, simply because I don't have enough
memory yet. I sometimes have trouble sharpening, as I seem to be
sharpening jpeg artifacts (or is it noise? hmm not sure)
I think I'll probably get a microdrive, and startshooting raw.

Steve

 

[David Birkin]

RAW.

if the white balance goes wrong it is easily corrected

 

[Don L]

I'm not sure why this is true, but if it is, we should all be shootting RAW.

Don L

 

[Pekka Saarinen]

I don't really want to start another long survey thread, but I'm
curious, how many here shoot raw? and any particular reason why?

RAW.

RAW is the negative/original which you can export to TIFF in various forms, RAW opens to TIFF in 10 seconds in my PC so speed is not a problem Microdrives are cheap (I have 2x1GB) so storage should not be a problem. I can't imagine why anyone would buy a camera of this caliber and then shoot with lossy/fixed format like JPEG!

Pekka
http://studio-on-the.net/photography/

 

[Neil Wallis-Tennant]

Greetiings from England.

This is most probably the incorrect place to raise this, perhaps deseving a thread of its own, and if so please advise and I'll repost.

As I am the proud owner of a D30, (since thursday) and a G1, I have been reading the articles with interest, but i have one question...

Are the RAW files created by both the G1 and D30 the same format?

Kind regards

Neil

 

[Steve Mason]

Thanks! I've bookmarked your page for closer reading later. Looks good, and answers some questions.

Steve

I'm with DavidP, Andrew, Mike and the others.

Shooting Raw has the advantages they listed, plus (as they know)
much greater latitude when editing the pictures afterwards.

I have a page on my website devoted to issues relative to Raw
Format; you can check it out at:

http://www.dlcphotography.net/RawFormatWorkflow/RawFormatWorkflow.htm

Don

http://www.dlcphotography.net

I don't really want to start another long survey thread, but I'm
curious, how many here shoot raw? and any particular reason why?

I'm shooting jpeg right now, simply because I don't have enough
memory yet. I sometimes have trouble sharpening, as I seem to be
sharpening jpeg artifacts (or is it noise? hmm not sure)
I think I'll probably get a microdrive, and startshooting raw.

Steve

 

[Andrew Grant27981]

They are not the same format. The D30 RAW files are 12 bit the G1 is 10 or 8bit.

Greetiings from England.

This is most probably the incorrect place to raise this, perhaps
deseving a thread of its own, and if so please advise and I'll
repost.

As I am the proud owner of a D30, (since thursday) and a G1, I have
been reading the articles with interest, but i have one question...

Are the RAW files created by both the G1 and D30 the same format?

Kind regards

Neil

 

[RJ35105]

Steve,

I always shoot in RAW because this format is the only one that saves all information captured by the CMOS and definitely gives the best results.

RJ

I don't really want to start another long survey thread, but I'm
curious, how many here shoot raw? and any particular reason why?

I'm shooting jpeg right now, simply because I don't have enough
memory yet. I sometimes have trouble sharpening, as I seem to be
sharpening jpeg artifacts (or is it noise? hmm not sure)
I think I'll probably get a microdrive, and startshooting raw.

Steve

 

[Lorin]

Thank you everyone for such insight. I must say, after reading these comments and also going to Don Cohens website for a workflow discussion I'm now considering shooting in Raw. I have been getting quite good shots with Jpeg, and even enlarging to 13x19, but several issues seem very convincing, 1) noise at higher ISO, 2) greater dynamic range, 3) the ability to deal with the slow conversion by getting the very fastest computer,(next on my wish list) Lorin

 

[Jim Brack]

Jpeg = compression = loss of data/quality = gone for good
my motto
"I dont know what compression will do to my pictures so I dont."

Jim

 

[stan_g]

Had to say, Great Site, Did you shoot these with a G1? I had one and loved it but also had a full Eos kit and couldn't resist the D30.

One reason why some of us shoot jpeg, Archive Image Storage Size. Where do you store 1000's of pics at raw and tiff sizes? I admit that I don't take the care on each pic I used to, but with 3-10 pics of a fleeting moment having a higher success rate I find shooting 200 pics a day normal. I cut CD's almost every day now and finding a particular pic among them is daunting.

I can't imagine why anyone would buy a
camera of this caliber and then shoot with lossy/fixed format like
JPEG!
Pekka
http://studio-on-the.net/photography/

 

[Dennis Thrysøe]

Compression is not equal to dataloss nor quality loss. JPEG is, but only because it is what they call 'lossy'.

Actually I think that RAW might be compressed (RLE).

-dennis

Jpeg = compression = loss of data/quality = gone for good
my motto
"I dont know what compression will do to my pictures so I dont."

 

[kelleym]

One reason why some of us shoot jpeg, Archive Image Storage Size.
Where do you store 1000's of pics at raw and tiff sizes? I admit
that I don't take the care on each pic I used to, but with 3-10
pics of a fleeting moment having a higher success rate I find
shooting 200 pics a day normal. I cut CD's almost every day now and
finding a particular pic among them is daunting.

Stan,

You absolutely must get a thumbnail program -- I use (and love) Thumbsplus, but othere here swear by ACDsee. Either way, you'll be able to catalog hundreds of CDs and find your image by name, category, keyword, date or comment in a matter of seconds.

I have 6K+ RAW images cataloged this way, and I can find anything I want instantly. Archival storage size is no excuse for not shooting RAW.

 

[Al Goldis]

With as much shooting as I do, I don't have time to deal with RAW files and I don't really need to triple my storage requirements.

Besides, I'm a professional; if I couldn't get the WB and exposure right in the first place then I wouldn't be worth a damn anyway.

 

[Herb32234]

I have gone back and forth on this subject many times...and everytime I think I am going to jump to RAW, I run a simple test (maybe thats the problem, too simple). I was going to go to the Indians game yesterday and wanted to have the best quality I could...so I ran some simple tests at 100ISO between jpeg and RAW....used my 28-70 2.8L lens and had at it. I sharpened them both up in PS and showed them to my friend and in very cas she picked out the jpeg as being the better one (she has a degree in art).

I proceeded to shoot yesterday in jpeg......so now after reading this I have the sense that maybe at higher ISO, where I do shoot a lot there might be better shots awaiting me.....so...tonight I will try that and see what I come up with.

I keep trying and trying to get better quality photos and I know that there is a good part of it that is me that is holding success at bay.

I see some of the pictures on line and wonder why I can't do that kind of quality and then every now and then I get real lucky and I come up with one.

Suggestions in understanding when RAW will really work for me and when it won't would be appreciated!

regards, Herb

I don't really want to start another long survey thread, but I'm
curious, how many here shoot raw? and any particular reason why?

I'm shooting jpeg right now, simply because I don't have enough
memory yet. I sometimes have trouble sharpening, as I seem to be
sharpening jpeg artifacts (or is it noise? hmm not sure)
I think I'll probably get a microdrive, and startshooting raw.

Steve