RAW+JPEG

Robin_Usagani · Jan 1, 2013

Ok, so I just bought a 5D3. I am thinking about setting the SD card to take high res JPEGs while the CF card take RAW. For those of you who take RAW+JPG, what is your workflow? I admit, I am getting overwhelmed with my PERSONAL photos. I am way behind with my RAW processing. Share your workflow? This is mostly for personal photos.

Light Guru · Jan 1, 2013

What the need to shoot both RAW and JPG?

Majeed Badizadegan · Jan 1, 2013

I'd like to know too. Is it best to import personal photos to a different catalog in Lightroom?

480sparky · Jan 1, 2013

Light Guru said:
What the need to shoot both RAW and JPG?

JPEG for quick access, uploading, emailing, sharing. Raw for getting serious in post.

I tried raw+JPEG once..... For three days.

Light Guru · Jan 1, 2013

I guess I just don't find the 2 seconds it takes to export a jpeg to be that big of a deal.

Now if your doing something like shooting sports and must deliver a lot of images quickly then sure but in the case of sports you may want to turn raw off altogether to get more images from burst mode.

bratkinson · Jan 2, 2013

I switched to RAW + LJPG about a year ago on my 60D when it finally dawned on me from this forum and elsewhere I really needed to go RAW. I figured the JPG was my 'backup'. I use the JPG for 'quicky' output for printing or emailing, although for email, it has to have less resolution to not exceed email limits on some ISPs. I also found that once I had loaded both to a single folder in my computer, using Windows Photo Viewer, I could easily decide which were keepers and which were losers, and delete both the JPG and the RAW. Then I import the remaining RAW into Lightroom and go from there.

Then I bought a 5D3 on Black Friday (no discounts other than the $200 rebate). Like the OP, I figured RAW to the CF card (freebie Sandisk 16gb 90 mb/sec that came with it from B&H) and JPG to my slower 45 mb/sec SDHC from my 60D. I was surprised that shooting speed was noticably slowed down compared to the 60D. I don't do any bracketing, or burst shots at all...just quick presses of the shutter release (no back button focus for me, yet). I figured the slower SDHC card was the cause. So I changed the settings to 'auto switch' filling the CF card first, then over to the SDHC. I managed to get 425 shots on the CF card before the switch-over occurred. I then noticed perhaps 1/2 sec delay while rapidly shooting. The cause...the slower 45mb/sec SDHC card!

It took a while for me to realize that the file sizes from the 5D3 were about 25-30% bigger from the 5D3 than the 60D. Duh!! Turns out that shooting at ISO 2500 under low light puts out 32-35mb per RAW image. JPGs in the 6-8mb size. In essence, each shot consumed 40-43mb of space!

Fortunately, one of my Christmas gifts was an Amazon.com gift card. Needless to say, a 95mb/sec Sandisk SDHC is on it's way!

So why do I stay with RAW+JPG? I prefer to make my initial 'keep/no keep' decisions with a full screen image using MS Photoviewer or whatever it's called under Win7. It automatically 'skips over' the RAWs. It's quick to display the next JPG image as well. When I see a loser, I simply click on both the RAW and JPG for that image in the folder, and they're gone. I knock off perhaps 30-40% of the images that way. To me, a single click to see the full-screen image and one click zoom-in to check details is a lot faster than several clicks/drag in Lightroom 4 and a couple more clicks to delete an image on the drive. Note that I put all photos on my Windows SSD drive in My Documents until I am finished with all editing, then move them to the archival 1TB hard drive. As a not yet offsite backed up photo shoot, I keep a full set on a thumb drive in my pocket as well. That way, if I have free time at work, I can make the first pass JPG only deletions at work, then simply 'match' the RAW folder against the JPG folder, and delete unmatched RAWs before going into Lightroom.

Perhaps the first steps of my workflow are a carryover from my JPG only days. I figure why waste time 'fooling around' with a picture I don't know if it's one-of-a-kind-have-to-keep when there may be similar, better ones I haven't seen yet? It works for me.

Robin_Usagani · Jan 2, 2013

Nice Bratkinson. I may start doing my culling this way for my gigs. I probably put the bad ones in a different folder though, unless it is really really bad. Anyone else?

xyphoto · Jan 2, 2013

I would recommend you to read the following article. I personally have stopped using RAW + JPEG. I think it is a waste of time and space.

http://jeffcable.blogspot.com/2012/06/why-you-should-not-put-sd-card-in-your.html?m=1

amolitor · Jan 2, 2013

Ctein has made the assertion that the in-camera JPEG has better noise reduction applied than you can get out-of-camera. He's a pretty technical guy, so I think there's probably something to it. Also, it makes sense that the in-camera NR could be better tuned to the noise the sensor produces.

Anyways, in high noise situations he shoots both, and blends the camera JPEG in "as needed" to help out with the noise reduction. Your mileage may vary, for all I know this is entirely dependent on Ctein's camera.

ph0enix · Jan 2, 2013

I had been shooting RAW+JPEG for some time because I didn't want post-process every single photo I take. Many are simply snapshots with sentimental value. The problem is the large number of files (doubles of every photo) and figuring out which ones should be post processed and which shouldn't. Because of that I recently switched to shooting just RAW. The workflow is much easier to figure out this way. I do very basic edits to the snapshots in LR. At this point I don't feel the need to keep shooting in RAW+JPEG. Also, when I was shooting both formats, I always peaked at the JPEG versions to see how they were PP'ed by the camera and tried to compete with the JPEG to some extent when editing the RAW version. I feel like I have more freedom now by not seeing how the camera edits the photos and just doing my own thing.

Robin_Usagani · Jan 2, 2013

The problem I have is this. I take bunch of photos in several weeks. Upload them (takes a while) and leave the computer and forget about it. Then wife complains that she doesnt have the pictures (cant see the jpegs). LOL.

kathyt · Jan 2, 2013

Robin_Usagani said:
Ok, so I just bought a 5D3. I am thinking about setting the SD card to take high res JPEGs while the CF card take RAW. For those of you who take RAW+JPG, what is your workflow? I admit, I am getting overwhelmed with my PERSONAL photos. I am way behind with my RAW processing. Share your workflow? This is mostly for personal photos.

You jumped on board huh? I don't shoot in both RAW + JPEG. There is no reason to unless you want to use it as a back up or you want to do a quick slideshow during a wedding or something. It is just another feature that is available. Let me know what you think of your new piece of gear.

Robin_Usagani · Jan 2, 2013

Yeah, LOL.. I bought it in 2012

.. the last day of 2012

. It is not here yet.

kathythorson said:
Robin_Usagani said:

Ok, so I just bought a 5D3. I am thinking about setting the SD card to take high res JPEGs while the CF card take RAW. For those of you who take RAW+JPG, what is your workflow? I admit, I am getting overwhelmed with my PERSONAL photos. I am way behind with my RAW processing. Share your workflow? This is mostly for personal photos.

Click to expand...

You jumped on board huh? I don't shoot in both RAW + JPEG. There is no reason to unless you want to use it as a back up or you want to do a quick slideshow during a wedding or something. It is just another feature that is available. Let me know what you think of your new piece of gear.

kathyt · Jan 2, 2013

Robin_Usagani said:
Yeah, LOL.. I bought it in 2012 .. the last day of 2012 . It is not here yet.

kathythorson said:

Robin_Usagani said:

Ok, so I just bought a 5D3. I am thinking about setting the SD card to take high res JPEGs while the CF card take RAW. For those of you who take RAW+JPG, what is your workflow? I admit, I am getting overwhelmed with my PERSONAL photos. I am way behind with my RAW processing. Share your workflow? This is mostly for personal photos.

Click to expand...

You jumped on board huh? I don't shoot in both RAW + JPEG. There is no reason to unless you want to use it as a back up or you want to do a quick slideshow during a wedding or something. It is just another feature that is available. Let me know what you think of your new piece of gear.

Click to expand...