First time editing RAW. Please help C&C

[eric-holmes]

Please keep in mind that I know this is not a very good picture. I just wanted to do some side by side comparison of JPEG vs RAW. I did the exact same amount of slider work on both images. The only difference is I followed (I followed what I could being as that I only have Elements) the advice from this thread. A full photoshop workflow It is harder starting from the RAW image but I think there is a definite better image quality. Please keep in mind this was a literal 5 minute edit and comparison.

RAW




JPEG

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[matfoster]

the 'RAW' looks more appealing to me. but what are you demonstrating here? i'm not sure i follow your point.

you shot a RAW+JPEG of the scene then PPd both the same way? (to create two, comparable JPEGS?)

[eric-holmes]

you shot a RAW+JPEG of the scene then PPd both the same way? (to create two, comparable JPEGS?)

Yes that is correct. I wanted to see just how much better, if any, shooting RAW is.

[matfoster]

tons. i only use RAW these days.

[eric-holmes]

It's just so much harder editing them. Maybe it's just because I'm a noob at RAW. Here is a question. I'm running windows 7 and I have no way to preview the raw files bedoreni select them. Any ideas?

[FemFugler]

It's just so much harder editing them. Maybe it's just because I'm a noob at RAW. Here is a question. I'm running windows 7 and I have no way to preview the raw files bedoreni select them. Any ideas?

Did your Nikon come with a program to view RAW files in? Mine did... I haven't reinstalled it so i could be wrong, but installed the programs when i had windows vista and thought that was what they were for but at that point i was still shooting JPG so wasn't certain. I beleive picasa... wait let me go check before i go suggesting possibilities I'll come back to this.