Saving in RAW & JPEG

[Bunty61]

Can someone advise me whether it is worth saving pics in both RAW and JPEG? From what I have seen there is not much point saving RAW as quality is almost the same and then there are problems with matching software.
Just asking - would be interested to know an opinion or two.

 

[KmH]

If the JPEG files were made in the camera they were edited by the camera software and are intended to be finished, ready to print photos.

Save both.
The Raw file is like a film negative.
Saving a Raw file entails no file size compression.
Each time a JPEG file is saved it is again subjected to the loosy compression and eventually the image quality degrades.
If you need to make space, discard the JPEG.

JPEG file size is reduced by a lossy file compression method that reduced the Raw file color depth from 12 or 14 bits (depending on your camera/settings) to only 8-bits.
That color bit depth reduction and some other changes to the image file limits what can be done editing wise before editing artifacts start becoming visible in the JPEG photo file.

The Raw file is like a film negative..
Saving a Raw file entails no file size compression.
Each time a JPEG file is saved it is again subjected to the loosy compression and eventually the image quality degrades.

Image Files

• Understanding Bit Depth
• Understanding Image Types: JPEG & TIFF
• Understanding RAW Files: Why Should I Use RAW?

 

[CaptainNapalm]

I used to do this a couple of years ago but it was short lived as I concluded it was a dumb idea soon enough. I never save in JPEG anymore and shoot exclusively in RAW because I like to edit my keepers and when I do I like to have the most flexibility in doing so. I have friends who never shoot RAW and are totally content with fine quality JPEG but these are also people who don't do much post processing and that's great. However, I don't see a point in saving both, you either like to edit your photos or not, that's the way I see it.

 

[hirejn]

I don't have a reason to shoot or save both. Some photographers might. I shoot RAW and save RAW and convert to JPEG only for export. On the occasions that I shoot JPEG, I shoot only JPEG and obviously then there are no RAWs to save. There are many reasons for shooting both, and there are a few applications for saving both, perhaps to use RAW as a main file on a main drive and the JPEG as a smaller backup on an external drive, but I don't use that method.

 

[glun]

Usually most people save in RAW only and not RAW+JPEG. This allows you to do post processing much better than JPEG. If you have a 32GB memory card you can take 1k+ shots with RAW only format.

 

[SpikeyJohnson]

One of my professors in my college classes required the class to shoot in JPEG for a while. In order to still be able to edit to my hearts desire I shot Raw +JPEG Fine. I could see it being useful when you are shooting a short event where photo's are required shortly after or for proofs. Such as sports or journalism where you sometimes need to upload immediately. Otherwise, my camera is back to RAW only for the time being.

 

[Trever1t]

what's a jpg?

Seriously though, if you think that the 'quality is about the same" then you have much to learn grasshopper. Until then, save your raws.

 

[Seventen]

I prefer to save both RAW and JPG. For a couple of reasons, If i shoot some basic photos of my child most are just quick moments of something interesting happening and not really the quality to edit much so jpg works fine there but I then decide to do a serious photo someone where and and find it is still in jpg its a terriable mistake so for this reason its worth me having it in jpg fine and raw all the time.

Another example from just a few nights ago I was shooting the Andromeda galaxy and made a 45 minute exposure. I went home processed the RAW data in a stacking program and it was blank, there was some issue with the RAW files even someone else tried them on there machine and had issues. But luckily I have the jpg not as good overall compared to if the RAW had worked but at least I had something that was actually looking very good, rather than nothing.

So what I am saying for me it works best to save in both.

 

[tirediron]

I save RAW+[lowest quality] JPG simply because it makes it much easier to whip through a big directory of images or when if I want to e-mail them to a client, etc, etc. The saved .jpg file is NOT an image to me so much as an index.

 

[brihalbach]

Keep it raw. Keep it real. The only reason you might use jpg is if you are shooting in both raw and jpg. And using the jpg to present the photos a client would want you to edit and would like. Then edit raw and give me your best quality shot.