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RAW or JPEG? |
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johnc79
Member Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 38 |
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Posted: 24 Mar 2006 at 2:05pm |
What do you all use and why? Any advice on this? Many thanks John |
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Hi Jon, I think most will say RAW for one very good reason, RAW files allow far better control over image post processing, certainly important if you are taking professional quality pictures as Tony does. On the other hand I often choose to use just JPEG, reasons being that I may only be taking piccies for fun to put up on here, or for individual ID purposes, so by shooting just high quality JPEG I get a lot more shots on my memory card and they are much faster to download from my camera. A quick bit of sharpening in photoshop and I'm done. Maybe in time as I get better I will want more control of the image post processing and start using RAW more often, but for now JPEG is good enough for me. I think Lee posted a really good explanation regarding the virtues of RAW before somewhere, though I can't find it at the moment. |
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Vicar
Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1184 |
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JPEGs are obviously more useful for posting and have shorter loading times and take up less space, but there are different RAW to JPEG algorithms. Usually the conversion on camera is optimised for speed, as you wouldn't want to wait 5 seonds before you took the next shot. When you do the conversion on PC, the algorithm is usually biased towards quality (and takes longer to convert). There are many very good technical reasons for shooting in RAW, but better quality JPEGs is a good practical one that everybody can appreciate. |
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johnc79
Member Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 38 |
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The one thing i have found out is that you can save RAW files as JPEG but not the other way round. |
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Deano
Senior Member Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 133 |
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One reason for using RAW is that it gives you complete control over how your picture develops. A bit like using the old print film. You could take the developed negative into the darkroom and manipulate the image easily. Just shooting Jpeg is like using slide film, once the film itself was developed that was your image. With RAW a little over exposure won't hurt you can still pull back some detail and it is better to under expose because you can easily increase the exposure using Photoshop or RawShooter Essentials (which you can download for free) and you will get an increase in your shutter speed = sharper pictures. If you really over expose you will blow your highlights and lose all detail but, it isn't as bad as it used to be with film. One more thing. Photographing Reptiles/Amphibians, we are usually using a brown/green background for a brown/green creature so everything is usually midtoned. Shooting in Jpeg mode shouldn't be a problem. If you do want to make adjustments save your file as a TIFF, work on it and save as a Jpeg when you have finished. If you keep saving a file as a Jpeg it will loss quality at every save, as the file is compressed. Where as TIFF is lossless, but a bigger file. If youwant to prepare your images for the web here's how using Photoshop CS: Open the master file. Select Image/Mode/Convert to Profile. Adobe RGB (1998) should appear in the Source Space box. If sRGB does not appear in the Destination Space box, click on the arrow and select it from the drop-down list. Now click OK. Then click on Image/Image Size and change the resolution to 72(PC) / 96(MAC) pixels per inch, making sure that the Resample Image box is unchecked, and click OK. Next, click on File/Automate/Fit Image. Enter 650 in both the Width and Height boxes. Click OK. Then sharpen the image for web use - Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp Mask with the settings at Amount:125%, Radius:0.2 pixels and Threshold:0 (for small JPEG files to be used electronically...). Some digital images might need two sharpening passes. Film images generally require three rounds of sharpening. Next, click on File/Save for Web. Make sure that JPEG is selected in the box below the word Settings. Click on the tiny right-pointing arrow above the word Optimized near the upper right corner of the Save for Web window and then click on Optimize to File Size. Enter the number 40 in the Desired File Size box, click OK, and then click Save. In the Save As Optimized box, make sure that you click through to the desired location and folder and make sure that "Images Only" appears in the Save As Type box. If HTML and Images appears in the Save as Type box, click on the arrow and select Images Only (*. jpeg) from the drop-down menu. Click Save. When you close the picture, a box will appear asking "Save changes ... before closing?" Click No as you must leave your master file intact. Have fun. |
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Deano
Better to be lucky than good looking. |
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Well guys, I made the jump today, only shot in RAW and made my first efforts with digital post processing in DPP. Will I be shooting in JPEG in future? Nope. Deano, any idea why I'm getting a loss in quality around the edges (particularly under the chin) when this goes on the web, looks sharp on my monitor? |
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*SNAKE*
Senior Member Joined: 16 May 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 226 |
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Agreed
T |
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Hi Paul, it was OK on the 350D, I was able to shoot bursts in RAW, quick enough to get the sequence of a tongue flick. It didn't limit the shooting, well not until I filled up my compact flash card in half the time I normally would. |
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johnc79
Member Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 38 |
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Great pic! What lens did you use? Many thanks John |
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Hi John, this was shot with an EF-S 60 mm macro using auto focus, I'm really getting to like this lens. I guess I've known all along what I wanted my pictures to look like. In recent days I'm getting close to achieving it. Get a bean bag, makes a huge difference
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