Is RAW really worth it?

[Judobreaker]

So if I butter my computer, will that help when processing raws?
And what part should I butter...?

 

[runnah]

yes.

/thread

 

[Steve5D]

Think of it like making a sandwich.

JPEG serves you a delicious sandwich. But its on a plate and comes from a kitchen at your local cafe

RAW is like being allowed to go back into the kitchen. Maybe you want some extra pickles so you grab some or double the meat, and take your sandwich apart and put it together again

You might find jpeg delicious.... but raw is more flexible. And if the kitchen forgets the mustard, its nice to be able to add it

Hehehehehehe... Man, that was awesome.

Personally, I rarely shoot RAW. I did it for the first time only about a year ago. For me, the benefits of it are found when I'm shooting concerts, where lighting may be an issue. 99 times out of 100, though, I shoot large JPEG. It certainly gets the job done...

 

[DannyLewis]

the processor: for slick processing

So if I butter my computer, will that help when processing raws?
And what part should I butter...?

 

[jamesbjenkins]

Think of it like making a sandwich.

JPEG serves you a delicious sandwich. But its on a plate and comes from a kitchen at your local cafe

RAW is like being allowed to go back into the kitchen. Maybe you want some extra pickles so you grab some or double the meat, and take your sandwich apart and put it together again

You might find jpeg delicious.... but raw is more flexible. And if the kitchen forgets the mustard, its nice to be able to add it

Single best analogy I've seen on this subject. Bravo. I'm stealing it.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

OP, it's pretty simple. If I'm shooting casual stuff for myself or the website, I'm almost always going to shoot JPG, unless the situation calls for the ability to "fix" something in post, usually bad lighting or more than one main light source in different color temps which makes getting a good WB darn near impossible.

If I'm shooting for a client, I ALWAYS shoot RAW. The flexibility RAW provides in post can be the difference between delivering a shot and binning it. Especially with these next gen sensors... I've seen the D800 pull out 4 stops of shadows. 4 freaking stops. Good luck rescuing that picture if it were shot in JPG.

 

[spacefuzz]

I cooked some chicken last night. I started with raw chicken. The chicken turned out great!!!! So, yeah, raw is the best way to start. And, with plenty of butter.

I had sushi last night. Started raw and left it that way....it twas delicious!

 

[unpopular]

^^ hipster.

 

[John27]

I'm just used to shooting RAW I guess. In my research before buying a DSLR I made the decision to use RAW, especially being a newbie. When the camera came out of the box I set it to RAW. AFAIK, that setting has never changed as long as I've had it. Storage is super cheap these days, the big file sizes don't bother me.

 

[480sparky39 38]

A long time ago, I posted a challenge. I took a shot with JPEG with the wrong white balance.

Last I saw.... only ONE member was able to reasonably correct the error. And that took a long time to do, if memory serves.

I'll see if I can dig that thread up.

 

[480sparky39 38]

A long time ago, I posted a challenge. I took a shot with JPEG with the wrong white balance.

Last I saw.... only ONE member was able to reasonably correct the error. And that took a long time to do, if memory serves.

I'll see if I can dig that thread up.

Found it!

Any more takers?

 

[dianaeftaiha]

RAW is much better than jpeg and not just cause its larger. its like having a second chance to change your settings for a better result. you can alter your exposure, white balance, and do a lot of cool stuff with your camera raw editing software. also the quality is much better, especially if you might like to enlarge your photos and print them out. RAW is definitely worth the extra space. jpg is plain crappy

 

[480sparky39 38]

........ jpg is plain crappy

If JPEGs are so 'crappy', why is it so universally accepted by print labs?
JPEG in and of itself isn't 'crappy'. JPEGs just don't have the editing latitude that raw does (JPEG is an acronym, raw isn't).

 

[STIC]

...

 

[480sparky39 38]

Same reason blurry, boring family holiday pictures are so universally accepted at print labs...

Most people with a camera are not photographers...
........

Nipping on the egg nog a bit too soon?