Kinda Embaressing!!

[sunbeam]

So, I have had my DSLR for about a year. I have become pretty comfortable with it, and am finding out I'm pretty passionate about photography. BUT, all this time I've been shooting in Jpeg!!!!!!!!! EEKS! I know But honestly, I am afraid I'll shoot in RAW and not be able to transfer the pics to my computer or be able to edit them (which is another post... ELEMENTS7??!!?!! trying to figure it out). Could those of you with more knowledge under you belts pleease explain the dif between RAW and Jpeg, and how to upload them to your comp etc??? THANKS GUYS! That's why I'm loving this site!

 

[PhotoXopher]

The software I use:

Photoshop CS3/4
Lightroom
Picasa (yep, the freebie from Google)

I use Picasa about 90% of the time when I just need to do quick crops or minor adjustments.

RAW is excellent and I love that you can adjust the white balance and exposure, for example, after the shot is long gone.

 

[Montana]

RAW allows for much easier crrection and manipulation. Sometimes JPEG is the preferred method, but is not as forgiving.

Photoshop Elements 7 is plenty powerful for pretty much any editing you will need to do.

RAW files contain way more information, JPEG is a compressed format.

FWIW, I like to shoot RAW, but there are instances where JPEG burst shooting is essential for my work.

 

[Tony123]

I'm learning too. I'm willing to make the change over to RAW if I can truely see an improvement. But some concerns are how much space it will take up (at 10.2mp) and will it mean I've got to convert to jpg every photo that I want to email or give to someone else? I email lots of photos.

I'll have to experiment with RAW.

 

[Montana]

You don't want to email RAW files, so in a nutshell...yes you will have to convert them to JPEG. Try shooting RAW + JPEG and experiement with your RAW files. Don't like it, delete them and you still have your JPEG's. 10 MP are not overly huge files.

 

[RONDAL]

As a beginner RAW just allows you so much more leeway to save shots that would otherwise be a bust. You cant do that with jpg

 

[OregonAmy]

Well, they also require more time with PP, so if I'm going out to shoot a ton of pictures, JPEG is my choice. Nothing to be embarrassed about.

I use both Picasa and GIMP (with ufraw to process the RAW images). While Picasa is typically ok, I find ufraw + GIMP to almost always do a better job with pictures in RAW format. I use Picasa to import the pics from my camera, and to serve as my thumbnail viewer for RAW images. While in Picasa's photo organizer, I right-click on the one I want to edit, choose "open with ufraw" and go from there.

Hope that helps!

 

[KmH]

A RAW image file has all the pixel data the image sensor recorded and has no post processing applied in the camera before the data is written to the memory card. All digital cameras record an image initially as analog information that is then processed in a analog-to-digital converter (A-D converter). The A-D converter outputs a RAW data file. A RAW image file can be saved over and over again with no loss of data. RAW data typically have a 16-bit color depth.

Raw data files cannot be viewed as an image. They have to be converted to some other format. As it stands now each camera manufacturer has their own proprietary format. For Nikon it is .NEF. For Canon it is .CR2.

JPEG is a lossy, compressed output image format having only an 8-bit color depth. In other words, the RAW data from the sensor is made a much smaller file by throwing away 2/3 to 3/4 of the pixel data the image sensor initially captured as a RAW data file. Then, the image is post processed in the camera before it is written to the memory card before it is displayed on the cameras LCD screen. How much in camera post processing can be controlled to a certain extent by selecting different camera menu settings for saturation, sharpening, contrast, etc. however the camera manufacturer has set a minimum amount of post processing that can't be changed by the user.

Each time a JPEG is saved, some amount of the pixel data is discarded through file compression, eventually leading to a readily noticable degradation of the image quality, also known as JPEG artifacts.

 

[Jon_Are]

I shoot (the important stuff) in RAW and edit in Photoshop Elements 7.

It was a bit unnerving at first, but now it's quick, painless, and fun.

It is also quite easy.

I highly recommend this book:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Elements-Digital-Photographers-Voices/dp/0321565959/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243870682&sr=1-7]Amazon.com: The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter): Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski: Books[/ame]

Good Luck!

Jon