RAW - what should I know about it and what should I do with it

[franco stacy]

I can't relate RAW to the film world, so I am little lost on what it is or what I should know about it. How should I be using, configuring, or editing it. I basically take a picture, download it to my PC and either leave it as it or try to edit it with some type of software (which is also something I am not good at) Just recently came back to photography from sulking about film dying for a guy like me. So I bought a D90 and have barely used it. Recently started using it and I love the flexibility of shooting massive amount of pictures and gettting instand feedback. BUT I can't relate RAW to film and therefore I don't know if that is something I should check, adjust, manipulate, upload differently to my PC, edit a jpeg or a raw.

Is it something I should consider before the shot, during the shot or after the shot?

 

[480sparky]

A raw file is just like a film negative... all the information the camera recorded is on it.

A jpeg is just like a wallet-size print.... it contains very little information in relation to the amount of information on the negative. You can make a 16x20 print with a negative, but a 16x20 made from the information on the wallet-size print would look absolutely terrible.

Once you learn what raw really is, and learn how to work with them, you'll kick yourself for shooting solely jpegs.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Franco, shooting with RAW will allow you to fix the WB after you shoot it. If you were to shoot it with JPEG it doesnt work as well. Also RAW has a lot more information in the data than JPEG. If you miss the exposure by 2 stops, it is still salvageable most of the time where JPEG if you have blown sky, then you are stuck with it. You should be able to edit basic stuff (white balance, exposure, saturation etc.) with the software that came with your camera.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Another thing is in film world they used to tell people to underexpose because the film will have more detail, in digital world it is the other way around. You usually want to overexpose your shot without losing too much highlights (correct me if im wrong since I have never shot SLR film).

 

[franco stacy]

Okay....here is my ignorance..... I will ask and yes I do have a manual, but I thought my camera only took RAW photos and when I download to the PC they become jpegs, or something the software can handle.

So take me step by step how I should do it - I have a D90

 

[Robin Usagani]

Are you sure? Go to the camera setting make sure it is RAW. I dont know, im not a nikon shooter.

 

[480sparky]

All you need to change on the camera is the setting to record the image in Raw, or Raw + jpeg if you want to cover you bases.

The camera should have come with software to edit the raw files. Or you can purchase Capture NX2 or use the free Raw Therapee.




Technically, your camera does only shoot in Raw. If you set it for strictly jpegs, then it uses internal processing to create a jpeg and only saves the jpeg file. Setting the camera to 'shoot in raw' only causes the camera to save the raw file on the memory card.

 

[ann]

color slide film was underexposed, usually about 1/3 of a stop. It was common for many to overexposed color, just as black and white was overexposed, usually about 1 stop. Many people tested specifically for determing a personal EI.

If your shooting both with your Nikon , both file types will appear on your computer when you copy from the memory card. THe raw file will be identied with NEF and you won't be able to see it unless you open it in a program that recognizes that file type. The jpeg will appear as usual. The raw file does not look like the jpeg file, until you bring it into the software and decide how you wish it to appear. Then make the changes, and save as a jpeg or tiff file. I always save as a tiff file as it is not compressed as would be the jpeg.