RAW Vs. JPEG

[wmc1117]

I am sure this question has been asked before, but I am just curious as to what the difference and benefits of shooting RAW vs. shooting JPEG is?

 

[silverbody]

Jpeg-

- Sharper image than RAW
- Compressed on camera
- Higher in contrast than RAW
- Smaller file size than RAW

RAW-

- Not as sharp
- lower contrast
- higher in dynamic range than jpeg

 

[epp_b]

RAW: more exposure latitude in post processing, can change white balance at a whim later on, but takes up more disk space and is proprietary

JPEG: universal image format, compression used properly is usually unnoticeable, smaller file size, but has less exposure latitude and the white balance isn't explicitly adjustable

I usually shoot JPEG unless I'm unsure of the white balance or I know I'll need to underexpose and pull out details later on.

 

[KmH]

A RAW data is about the same as a negative was to film. It is a master file of exactly what the image sensor captured. All RAW files need post processing.

A negative (or RAW file) can be manipulated in numerous different ways to make a variety of prints, without altering the quality of the negative.

A JPEG is an image print file. It is made from a RAW image. The processing that is applied to it in the camera, at a minimum, is decided by the camera manufacturer, not the photographer. The photographer can alter some of those global settings in the camera. Settings like contrast, saturation, and sharpening. But, the changes are global and not targeted.

A JPEG is essentially a print (not a negative) so you can't do all that much to it without substantially changing it's quality. Many times the in camera processing clips the highlights and shadow detail and since there is no negative, it is what it is.

 

[paulk_68]

If I'm shooting for a client, I will shoot in both RAW and JPEG. Having JPEG files downloaded with the RAW files has cut down on my post processing tenfold. Having the RAW files gives me a sense of security if I messed something up, and it doesn't take too much to delete them after I have gone through all of the shots.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Having the RAW files gives me a sense of security if I messed something up, and it doesn't take too much to delete them after I have gone through all of the shots.

Isn't that like throwing away your negatives?

 

[Samanax]

RAW vs JPEG

Introduction To White Balance

RAW File Format

Tutorial: White Balance

RAW vs JPEG: A Visual Comparison

RAW Versus JPEG

White Balance: What Is It? Why Does It Matter?

Understanding White Balance

 

[Alex Manfredini]

Raw means "uncooked" and JPG are "cooked" filtered by the camera software. If you want to get the whole information capture by the camera, you should shoot as RAW

 

[paulk_68]

Having the RAW files gives me a sense of security if I messed something up, and it doesn't take too much to delete them after I have gone through all of the shots.

Isn't that like throwing away your negatives?

The finished images get burnt to the clients DVD and a copy is made that I hold onto. There really is no point in keeping them on a hard drive after the client has received their DVD with the finished images on it.

The only way that has come back to bite me so far, is not having a lot of images to show on my website without digging through those I have on DVD/CD's (which I'm too lazy to do). The (crappy) pics that are there now will be replaced with some better images over the next two weeks if anyone is wondering how I'm making money at this :lmao:

 

[wmc1117]

Thank you guys...reading up on white balance now!

 

[RJohnston]

Ive done similar things. Burn to DVD the RAW files, create a TIF of any file I want to on my HD. With Lightroom all my RAW files are only added after burning them to a DVD. The DVDs are like my negative storage files, never destroyed.

Years later Ive gone back and re printed a negative, because learning a lot in the meantime, have been able to use some creative ideas to make a much better print.

You can do things with negatives or raw files you can not do with a TIF or JPG and keeping them costs very little. Keeping only the catalog for Lightroom on the HD, takes a lot less space. Naming the DVD with an appropriate name and folders, means being able to locate the specific one easily. All my DVDs contain the date and the folder contains time of day. Scanning through images using keywords in Lightroom makes it easy to find that info.

Once, almsot 15 year after a sitting I did for a family with 8 children. Also shot each child individually in case the group was not satisfactory. They bought only the group shot.

One of them was killed coming home from school on a bicycle.
They got in touch with me to see if I still had the individual child.
Made them an 11x14 which was almost lifesize of the face, then gave it to them. There was no way I'd have charged for it.

We never know how important one negative or original will be.
Because some ancestors felt the same way I do, today we have over 2000 family photos on our family website from the latest newborns, back to Tintypes and the Civil War.