Which is the best image format to save

[PJcam]

I have just purchased a Canon Rebel T6 1300D

As default it is set to image quality JPG L

I have seen mentioned saving images in RAW format, the camera has quite a few choices

Which is best and why?
- JPG L
- RAW
- RAW L

Beginner to hobby, thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[stk]

Use what suits you best.

RAW is not a picture, but rather all the information from the sensor. It will therefore require som post processing/RAW converting before you get your final image. In terms of quality and control this is the way to go. You can with this approach also correct minor mistakes in terms of white balance and exposure.

JPEG is a finished picture processed by the camera. You have some parameters you can set in camera prior to the shot (usually saturation, sharpness, contrast and so on). JPEG can also be processed later on, but you'll have a lot less room before you start to see the image quality degrading. JPEGs advantage is smaller file size and more pictures in a row before you fill up the cameras buffer.

My advice will be to go for RAW or RAW + JPEG. There is a steeper learning curve with RAW (but it is at the same time more forgiving) and in some cases more work, but if you only shoot JPEG there is no going back.

 

[PJcam]

I need to know and find out more about RAW formats.

Can they be edited like a JPG image?

 

[pendennis]

I need to know and find out more about RAW formats.

Can they be edited like a JPG image?

Yes. And the saved file from the editor can be in any format the editor handles as output. They can be JPEG, TIFF, etc.

I prefer to save any image as the ultimate output format, and retain the raw file in its original state. I back up the file from camera to desktop, then to an external hard drive and my web back up service.

 

[PJcam]

I have Adobe Photoshop which accepts REW files but I have never used them, never had them. It is an older version of the software but supports RAW file format. Something else to test and play with I think.

Thank you

 

[Braineack]

Can they be edited like a JPG image?

better than.

 

[vintagesnaps]

If you shoot Raw basically the camera is recording more information or data than a JPEG, because the JPEGS are automatically edited (to some extent). I find it better to edit starting from a Raw image than to try to further edit a JPEG.

I too make a copy of the original Raw image and edit the copy - I save my original Raw image as-is (as a PSD, but I have a different camera than yours). Then I may save a copy as a JPEG, or decide if/how much I need to edit. But I save the original Raw image in case I need or want to go back and start over with the editing.

I'm also a longtime film photographer and I find that usually if I get a proper exposure, and frame and compose an image well, there won't be much else I'll need to do.

There are times photographers may shoot JPEGs. I've done sports and often working photographers may use the JPEGs because the files are smaller and it may work better/faster or be required by a publication to submit their work in that format. Or someone may just shoot JPEGs if they're taking snapshots just for fun and don't expect to do anything else with the photos.

 

[Designer]

I have just purchased a Canon Rebel T6 1300D

As default it is set to image quality JPG L

I have seen mentioned saving images in RAW format, the camera has quite a few choices

Which is best and why?
- JPG L
- RAW
- RAW L

Beginner to hobby, thanks in advance for your replies.

The "L" in the file name indicates "large", which you should do anyway. That simply means that the file size is as large as the camera can save. It relates to how big the image is displayed, but also how much data is available for enlargements, for instance.

The difference between JPG and Raw is the bit depth. JPG is 8 and Raw is either 14 or 16. It might not sound like a big difference, but it is.

If you shoot and upload without any editing, you might as well save the JPG files, as they take up less memory space. If, however, you wish to do extensive editing, then you want the Raw file for more data. You can probably (depending on what camera) save both the Raw file and JPGs, although you might not actually need both types. The JPG is available right away, and is the product you get from the image captured by the sensor after having been generated by the camera. The camera engineers have set out the parameters for the image product in conjunction with the user-defined "mode" settings which will have some effect on the overall "look" of the finished image.

If you get into extensive editing, you probably should start off with a Raw file, as there is much more data available to work with. With that file type you can make very minute adjustments to the color, for instance, that is simply unavailable in the JPG files.

 

[Ysarex83 77]

I have just purchased a Canon Rebel T6 1300D

As default it is set to image quality JPG L

I have seen mentioned saving images in RAW format, the camera has quite a few choices

Which is best and why?
- JPG L
- RAW
- RAW L

Beginner to hobby, thanks in advance for your replies.

Read this: class notes

Joe

 

[PJcam]

Thanks Ysarex, some useful information in this, I am working through it. What I have already learned and read in the last 4 days is making sense of what I am reading here, the shutter of my mind is opening daily. Reading, learning, playing are all important, experience can only come by doing these things, practising them and with time.

Thanks Joe

 

[KmH]

Photoshop includes 2 plug-ins called Camera Raw and Bridge. Camera Raw is also known as Adobe Camera Raw or ACR.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom's Develop module is also Camera Raw.
With Adobe's Photography subscription Bridge is a separate download while Camera Raw loads right along with Ps.
The Digital Negative: Raw Image Processing in Lightroom, Camera Raw, and Photoshop (2nd Edition)

Note: Raw is not an acronym and isn't all caps, but is a noun and the R is capitalized.
JPEG is an acronym that stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group.
TIFF is an acronym that stands for Tagged Image File Format.
A Raw file isn't an image until it has been processed in a raw converter application. ACR is just one of many, many Raw converter apps.

Bridge is a file browser included and usable with most of Adobe's software. Lr doesn't have Bridge because Lr's primary function (Library module) is image file database management, a more complex tool than a file browser.
Both Bridge and Lr are Digital Asset Management (DAM) tools. DAM is a book length subject.
The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers

Also: It isn't release yet but when it is I highly recommend getting Martin Evening's book Adobe Photoshop CC for Photographers - 2018 edition - if you have Adobe's Photography subscription.
If you want to use Lr Classic CC get:
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC Book: Plus an introduction to the new Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC across desktop, web, and mobile

Image Files

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

Tones & Contrast

• Understanding Histograms, Part 1: Tones & Contrast
• Understanding Histograms, Part 2: Luminosity & Color

 

[Fstop-]

Personally I do RAW & JPEG, with my work flow I scan the JPEGs to see which shots I want to keep(I usually delete 70% of shots) then I use the RAW for adjustments before I bring them into PS. That's just me and my current work flow, the ability to scan tru the JPEGs is much faster then importing them into a catalog only to delete 70% of them.

 

[PJcam]

Interesting Keith but, only parts sinking in at this stage.

I have changed my camera to Raw +L, I then just shop a general image of something near me to try see what is happening and try understand it more.

Checking my view finder in the camera I am presented with the image just taken, pulling up the file details it tells me it is a Raw +L file. So far so good. So I removed the card and plugged into the laptop, I could see 2 files, a name.cr2 file and a name.jpg file. Looking at properties of the files I see the *.cr2 is 23.1mb and the *.jpg is 5.84mb, I can see straight away the massive difference on file size and memory card space they take up!

I then opened Canon Digital Photo Professional 4, again I can see the 2 files and the setting the files were taken at, not aware of the Raw format, other than having seen the file format name, and many others, I have always used JPG files and if I wanted better images I would use TIFF files. Having got this far, I decided to go a little further and downloaded RawTherapee 5.3 FREE software for *.Raw files. Now I can see 'some' of the benefits but, need to back off a little for a while I think, I need to get back to fully understanding the photographic triangle and get that clearly fixed in my brain.

There is so much to learn and the grey matter in the brain doesn't take things in as fast as they used to, but thanks for the information, suggestions and help.

 

[PJcam]

Personally I do RAW & JPEG, with my work flow I scan the JPEGs to see which shots I want to keep(I usually delete 70% of shots) then I use the RAW for adjustments before I bring them into PS. That's just me and my current work flow, the ability to scan tru the JPEGs is much faster then importing them into a catalog only to delete 70% of them.

I am able to see the Raw +L images in the camera viewer same as I could the JPG ones, I can also delete them from the viewer in the same way I could the JPG files. Maybe it is just that my camera allows me to do this, I am not sure as it is all new to me, all I know is mine is only a entry level camera, or that is how it is classified for marketing. It must have worked as I purchased it.

 

[KmH]

The camera cannot show a Raw file on the rear LCD.
DSLR cameras make a JPEG Basic (smallest JPEG file) to show on the rear LCD. That JPEG Basic image is embedded into the Raw file and is also used to show in other applications, like your computer's file browser.