raw vs jpeg when traveling

<p>What is the uniformed decision on whether to take raws or jpegs when traveling. Usually I take just jpegs as I take around 1500 per week. BUT I like the versatility of raws to tweak images after the taking them. How do you handle that kind of volume of raw images. Due to the differences in conditions won't each image require different settings and I don't relish doing that to 4500 images. Or do most people just take them in raw and any image that needs tweeking open them in raw then resave in jpeg. The other issue is travelliing storage. That many images would eat up all of my cards plus more.</p>

<p>Rob</p>

<p>I save RAW and a small size jpg. The jpg allows a quick preview in Explorer or on an ipad. I only "process" the RAW files in Lightroom that are worth processing, in each case using settings specific to the image. I bring enough cards so that I don't have to copy them to a hard drive until I get back home.</p>

<p>I always shoot raw, and when traveling I think there is all that much more reason to do so -- if I'm shooting someplace I might never be back to, I want to keep all my options open. I consider storage a non-issue since memory cards are so cheap today compared with past years. Just buy more cards. Converting to jpg is also a non-issue to me -- images that are going to be ok-as-shot in jpg are also going to be ok-as-shot in raw, so I just run a batch process and go eat dinner (or go to bed) while they convert on the computer when I get back home. You only have to do hands-on post-processing with the ones that need it.</p>

<p>Thanks. I have been shooting jpegs for the last 5 years and staying away from raw. Reciently I started to play with raw and wonder why I didn't take the step years ago as it gives me the "pop" and flexability that I have been missing taking jpegs.</p>

<p>rob</p>

With "modern" tools like Lightroom and Aperture I don't see any reason to shoot in jpeg anymore. With these tools it's just

as easy to create images from raw as it is from jpegs. Als storage is not an issue anymore. Memory cards hardly cost

anything anymore.

<p>It is my opinion to make all of your images with 16 bit RAW. jpegs are OK for email and such but not for a quality image you may want to print. Carry of couple of good high capacity cards for your camera and record everything in RAW. Forget about jpegs as a way to record images unless you only want a pocket camera to record snapshots.<br>

<a href="http://johndoddato.blogspot.com/">http://johndoddato.blogspot.com/</a></p>

<p>Raw, and make sure you have enough memory cards. Lightroom and Aperture make going through them, rejecting the bad ones and ranking the good ones easy. Then you can very quickly get the keepers to at least the quality level the JPG would have been and do more post work to the ones you want to. Extra storage space is cheap, so I'd rather take advantage of that and get the most out of my image files.</p>

<p>Shoot raw and be more selective. <br>

I realize we all work differently but I learned to shoot with film many years ago. 4500 shots is equal to 125 36 exp. rolls. I never found it necessary to shoot that many images on a vacation. Consequently, I still shoot each image like I'm paying for it and don't end up with thousands of unusable or marginal shots on my hard drive. Occasionally I run around with a Canon p/s in my pocket that only shoots jpegs so I don't have the dilemma. </p>

<p>Quality vs quantity, it's your decision.</p>

<p>OK I have just ordered more compact flash memory. It is truly amazing the price difference between ordering from the states and buying here in Canada. <br>

Gup I also came from film, but my wife likes taking tours so I get a little trigger happy as we are never long in one place and don't have the luxury of taking my time or going back later in the day sooo take lots with multiple exposure settings and grab the best. But using raw there is a lot of corrections for exposure as long as they are not blown out.<br>

many thanks for all</p>

<blockquote>

<p>as long as they are not blown out</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Actually that's the whole point of shooting raw - you have the option to save images that would be blown-out with JPEG. While JPEG holds 8 stops of dynamic range, raws hold more - depends on the camera, but it can be up to about 14 stops at the current level of technology. Saving images that look blown out is as easy as using a simple slider - in Lightroom it's called "Highlights". Try it once on an image that looks blown out and you'll never shoot jpeg again. This is especially true in the situation that you describe with limited time to consider your options - you have to take care of framing, angle, DOF, shutter speed, timing etc. with almost no time to think, so chances are your exposures won't be perfect.<br>

With raw, you can also adjust other values as color (white) balance, exposure, sharpening etc - but the Highlights (and, to a lesser degree, the Shadows) is THE tool for me.</p>

I shoot only raw and travel with two 500 GB external USB 3 disks.

FWIW I shoot ~60-80 GB per day (2000-3000 images) so I've gotten used to

working with many files...

I shoot only raw and travel with two 500 GB external USB 3 disks.

FWIW I shoot ~60-80 GB per day (2000-3000 images) so I've gotten used to

working with many files...

<p>Geoff,<br>

Do you take a laptop computer with you?</p>

<p>Raid</p>

<p>That's a shot every 20-30 seconds of a 16-hour day. Doesn't your shutter finger get sore?</p>

<p>I am still undecided whether I have enough memory cards ready for a trip in which I use DNG files.</p>