RAW question

[freybear3]

I have never shot in RAW before. What advantages and also disadvantages does it have?

I know if you shot RAW, it uses alot of MB on the card. So that is why i have never used it.

[AoxoA]

Well probably for you the biggest disadvantage would be that it requires post processing.

The biggest advantage is that in a RAW image you have the complete amount of data that the sensor recorded when you took the picture.

When you use your RAW decoder of choice, you have a precise control over the digital darkroom adjustments you can make to the image. You can tweak the white balance, your able to recover detail in highlights and shadows, and the options for sharpening are much greater.

Personally I like shooting RAW very much.

AoxoA

[freybear3]

thnx


is there any restrictions when shooting in RAW?
OR
can i use it in any situation, such as poor lighting?

[Gonzo13]

You can use raw in any situation that you can use jpeg. The major advantage for me is that you can change almost if not all of the adjustments that you make prior to taking the picture (white balance, picture styles) after you take the picture. The disadvantages that have affected me are that they take up more space, and you can on use them on computers that have software to read them.

The way that I have always seen it was comparing them to film days. Raw is the negative (stuff can be changed depending on the amount of light, the type of paper, filters), and jpeg is the print (it can be changed but it's alot more difficult).
~Gonzo13

[constructivecriticism]

Originally Posted by freybear3

is there any restrictions when shooting in RAW?
OR
can i use it in any situation, such as poor lighting?

No restriction whatsoever. JPEG images originate from RAW, the difference being if it's the camera's processor that determines how to interpret it, or if it's you eye, during post-processing.

My questions posed to those avid users of RAW: do you usually keep the RAW files indefinitely or do you convert them to the JPEG and delete them after you have a result you're happy with?

[Nicole]

Originally Posted by constructivecriticism

My questions posed to those avid users of RAW: do you usually keep the RAW files indefinitely or do you convert them to the JPEG and delete them after you have a result you're happy with?

Nooo... if anything I do the reverse. Although now with Lightroom when I export the jpg for Flickr I just have it discard the temporary jpg once it's been uploaded. For me, storage space is cheap enough to not delete the RAW file (especially since it give me more freedom to return to the picture and fix it with better processing).

[Gonzo13]

I keep the raw files and back them up on DVDs. I can always make another jpeg from the raw.

~Gonzo13

[rediguana]

Originally Posted by constructivecriticism

My questions posed to those avid users of RAW: do you usually keep the RAW files indefinitely or do you convert them to the JPEG and delete them after you have a result you're happy with?

JPEGs usually serve a specific purpose e.g. a JPEG exported for Flickr may be different from a JPEG I export to burn to CD, or if I'm printing I might use different sharpening options.

So, the JPEGs are pretty much use once and toss, and I keep the DNG files. I can easily reproduce the JPEGs if required.

[AoxoA]

With an application like Aperture, your RAW file comes in as a 'master' and the corrections/adjustments/enhancements you make are saved, not as a complete 2nd image unless you export it (or use an outside app like photoshop or aperture plug-ins like Nik apps), but a reference set of instructions to apply to the master.

AoxoA

[charlotteinkennesaw]

I understand the reasons for shooting RAW, but my problem is when I go to transfer my photos, all I see are little boxes. Sure if I click on one at a time i can see the thumbnail, but if I have just shot 50+ photos, then what? I have something called ACR for Elements 7 that is part of the package and I am supposed to be able to see thumbnails but I have not been able to get it to work. That and the reason that RAW takes up so much space, I went back to JPEG.