Rob
TPF Noob!
orangetree said:thanks for the answers but it has brought up more questions... sorry lol
first i guess automatic was the wrong word, it would be more like forgiving. If it is more forgiving then why wouldnt the on camera processor make the optimum image from the data to begin with when it converts to jpg... ive seen one image in raw that was decent and the same exact in jpg that was beyond repair... same light and exposure and what not.... why would that be?
Ill have to admit what ****es me off about RAW the most is it take up so much space, my memory cards would cost more than the camera if all i used was raw.
We're here to answer your questions, so don't worry about that.
The onboard processor does make the "optimum" image in terms of the camera manufacturer's opinion. There's a tradeoff - JPG is a lossy (or compressed) file format. In exchange for saving you space, it loses you a certain percentage of quality. Also, the camera manufacturers look at the average pictures people take and optimise the sharpness and other routines to hopefully improve the overall balance of the shot.
RAW has no processing, it's just a digital representation of what the CCD saw. It's therefore going to be a smidgen better for those difficult images. Low lighting situations, very subtle colour and tone gradients may all benefit from shooting in RAW and manually importing into a program such as PS.
It's your choice whether you shoot less in RAW, or more in JPG. If you're click happy, then it's no contest: JPG wins. If, however, you have lots of time, patience and want prime results: RAW wins. If your camera has the ability to write both, then write both and compare a selection of shots and make the informed decision whether you wish to use RAW or JPG.
In defence of the youthful and new Fate, I suspect he was alluding to the extra noise and loss of detail which are more detectible between RAW and JPG with low-light shots, rather than giving you a blanket "RAW is better at colours". It's tricky to explain yourself on a forum - believe me I get misunderstood quite frequently.
Hope this has helped and if there are any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!
Rob