RAW pictures

[STINKY PICTURES]

Sorry to sound so dumb. I`m wondering what a RAW picture is and how do you shoot in raw format? I tried to Google it and I really didn`t find anything in the way of an answer.

 

[dewey]

When all else fails... turn to da WIKI man:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAW_image_format

Hope that helps

Dewey

 

[Stevedevil]

Your camera will have a conversion system built into CPU to convert the data from the sensor into a Jpeg format, which means all the information has been converted into a picture, when you shoot in raw, then the information is adjustable, ie saturation, white balance, brigtness, contrast, and you use a software package like Photoshop to convert into Jpeg etc, its kinda a get out clause really if you under or over expose a shot, Cheers

 

[Big Mike]

Only some (higher end) digital cameras can be set to record images in RAW. If you don't have a Digital SLR, chances are that you cannot record RAW files.

 

[Garbz]

Even if you have a DSLR, often, providing the white balance is correct when shot, processing RAW files is not worth the effort IMHO.

 

[Big Mike]

processing RAW files is not worth the effort IMHO.

That's an odd opinion to have...but I guess that's why they give us the option.

 

[darich]

processing RAW files is not worth the effort IMHO.

I've only recently started shooting RAW after i got an 80gb Flashpac and didn't have to worry about memory card space so much,

if you never post process and never intend to then RAW isn't for you. However, if you're like anyone i know who's interested enough to know what RAW is, then you probably will. I've found that when processing a RAW image the limits are waaaaay bigger. By that i mean if i want to adjust the exposure i can go way further before the image starts to lose quality and look rubbish. same goes for any adjustment - contrast, saturation, even adding a filter colour.

I always shoot RAW and small jpg now. i need the small jpg because windows gives me a thumbnail of it so i know what the raw image is since they're numbered the same.

I used to think the same as you but now I've started on RAW, i don't think I'll go back to jpg on its own.

 

[STINKY PICTURES]

I`m wondering if my camera is not advanced enough to shoot raw. I have an Olympus 5 meg. pix.... I do have some large picture settings and a TIF setting.

Would TIF be a raw setting for my camera? Or do I need to have the words RAW in my camera selections to know that I have the raw element to select. I`ve studied the manual but I don`t see any setting for RAW. Maybe its not called raw... I would really like to try shooting in raw, can you see my confusion?

 

[Alex_B]

Even if you have a DSLR, often, providing the white balance is correct when shot, processing RAW files is not worth the effort IMHO.

well, I agree there are purposes when you do not need RAW.

But how do you deal with situatuions with complicated light where you could really benefit from the 12 bits instead of 8 .. especially when it is not a scene where multiple exposures would work?

White balance is rarely perfect anyway.

well, for me RAW is not needed always, but still I always shoot RAW since I might regret later for some images, which might become important images, ... often I cannot go back to the place and shoot again, so here RAW helps alot to compensate smaller flaws during shooting.

If I had to choose between a camera which gives me negatives and a camera which gives me finished prints, I would also decide for the camera which gives the negatives ...