Why do my jpegs look better than my raw pics?

[annacathryn]

I've just returned from a holiday to The Kimberley in Western Australia and I've just started the rather huge task of sorting and editing my hundreds of photos! I set my camera to take a jpeg version and a raw version of each picture and on looking at them this morning I've noticed that more often than not, the jpeg looks better than the raw pic. The colours look richer and more how I remember the scene to be. One example is below. The jpeg picture looks redder and more vibrant than the jpeg

Jpeg:



Raw:


It's the same with beach shots. The raw pics often look a bit over exposed where the jpeg looks to be more correct.

Why would this be? Any ideas? I'm using a Canon EOS 400D Digital.

[kirbinster]

The simple answer is your jpegs are processed and your raws are not. When you push the shutter button it takes a raw image and then if you have it set to save as jpeg the camera processes that image, throws away the info it does not need and then compresses it and saves a jpeg. If you don't tell it to save a raw then all the info in the raw is lost. You told it to save both, so now you have the raws and can process them to look just like the jpeg if you want, or hopefully look much better.

[Jojie]

with jpg's check your in-camera settings. Chances are there are settings in there that you configured in the past. I used to shoot in jpg's but has since moved to RAW permanently ---- but ofcourse bigger hard drive and and all that stuff..


RAW - files can be daunting to some. But for many of us it's a life saver! It is very flexible and can save you photos that you've shot that looks really great but had the wrong settings on them...

back to your question though, that only thing I can think of why it appears differrent to that raw image is that the setting you have in-camera processed it that way -- either you have manual done a preset or whatever that preset did.

But you should be able to manipulate that under RAW anyway?


-- edited -- darn it didn't see the reply first before my novice reply. grr! sorry!

[annacathryn]

Thanks for your replies. That all makes sense now. I think given the sheer volume of photos I took on this trip, I shall use the jpegs where I can because in most instances they definitely look better. Then if I need to I can have a go at manipulating the odd RAW file that warrants some extra work. My post processing isn't up to much yet!

[SLWRTHNU]

I'm using a Canon EOS 400D Digital

That's what they were using.

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by SLWRTHNU

That's what they were using.

Thread was spammed.

[andrewdt]

Keep your RAW files though in storage somewhere - as your post processing gets better you will want to have a crack at some of those to get the most out of them.

[Hill Country Hack]

Originally Posted by andrewdt

Keep your RAW files though in storage somewhere - as your post processing gets better you will want to have a crack at some of those to get the most out of them.

Outstanding advice. If you do not have the time or desire to "develop" you images from the RAW now, nothing says you may change your mind in the future. The only way to get better in processing images is to do it. I really like the software I use because it is not destructive to the original RAW file and better yet, it has a "reset" button to immediately go back to the plain RAW image.