Raw?

[JasonC]

I have seen a few of you posting about shooting pics in raw format? What is That? Is it really better than having the camera save the image as a jpg? What is the best format save a photo in?

[Diamond Lil]

I'm a newbie to RAW. I can think of several folks around here with experience, such as Max, Michael, Mike, Mike, Ed.....There may be others.

I can share this, once you go through a few photographs in RAW you may not want to go back. For some reason it is much easier to get the photograph to look more like the real scene than it is using JPEG.

[Kodatech]

Do it...if you dont see a benefit just shoot JPEG...but I think you will like it.

[EZE RIDER]

Ah, I like my pics RAW please.

There is a simple answer for this. When you shoot in JPG mode as about 99% of cameras do, your cameras microprocessor processes the image info into a RAW data file then depending on what size and detail jpg setting you choose your camera will compress the RAW image either a little or alot. For example if you choose JPG Large and fine (the best setting) on my 12.5mp camera I get a 6 or 7 mp jpg. You loose alot of info that your sensor picked up and discard it.

It also makes it much easier to digitally process your pics without losing detail. The only complication that arises from using the RAW format is that you need some good software that will let you enhance and crop your photos and convert them into jpgs for posting on web sites or email or anything else for that matter without ever changing the origanal RAW image. I use Lightroom.

[J. R. Weems]

Jason~ I am new at this as well, but, if you have ever worked in a darkroom? Think of RAW as the negative. If you have the right software, you can do just about anything you want with it. I like having the control over what I do. Then save it as jpeg-- which I think the software does. I am saving the RAW images right now as well--- just incase I foul up. Not all photos require this, but the important ones will, at least the way I think. So far.:rolleyes: Not trusting myself in this venue yet, I am lucky the both my D 80, and D700, allow me to take photo's RAW & jpeg at the same time. I use more card space up, but I don't get too concerned about it as I just put in another card when one is full then download everything when I get home. At this point I just shoot jpeg in the D 80, and both in the D 700--- Maybe by the end of summer I will trust myself more. :rolleyes: :)

[Max]

As others say Raw retains much much more data and detail. If you use it in conjunction with a good program it lets you adjust much more since more data is in the file.

[JasonC]

Thanks, I think i'll try that. What program do you all recommend? My camera came with a couple called "Image Data Lightbox SR" that looks like it's supposed to be used to convert a RAW file to a JPG or TIFF image What is the difference between the two? The second one is "Image Data Converter SR" that can do all kinds of things to a raw image.

[Diamond Lil]

Jason, again, there are those who know much more about RAW than I, but for what it is worth, I just upgraded from Photoshop Elements 4.0 to Photoshop Elements 6.0 for Mac. That was this week, so it is very hard to tell how well it works.

[Kodatech]

Any RAW converter will work better than a JPEG.....Start with the camera software till you get used to it...then upgrade to something else.

[JasonC]

Ok, sorry for the delay. I have been using photoshop elements 7.0 for this and LOVE it!! I had no idea there was so much that could be done to a raw photo.

[Diamond Lil]

They've done it to you too Jason!

[echo3]

Ok, sorry for the delay. I have been using photoshop elements 7.0 for this and LOVE it!! I had no idea there was so much that could be done to a raw photo.

I just ordered that from Amazon, can't wait!