JPEG or RAW

[ian_humphrey]

<p>Hi<br>

What is the difference between the two formats (JPEG and RAW) and does one take up more space on the camera. I have a canon d7 and not sure which format to use or how to select either. Any help would be geatefully apppreciated.<br>

Ian</p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>Google: digital image file types= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_file_formats<br>

RAW - direct compression of the pixels in the sensor with little or no loss of image information.<br>

JPEG - loss type compression, the camera converts the sensor data into this file type before saving it. OK for web based small photos and snapshots.</p>

[mendel_leisk]

<p>The raw format file is invariably larger, but still a very "efficient" format, for what it contains. It contains all the data the camera captured, and jpegs can produced from it in great variety of tonal differences, even black and white. The raw file remains untouched, it's the digital equivalent of the film. It can't be directly "viewed"; it's accessed by various raw-reading software programs which in turn present you with a viewable interpretation.</p>

<p>When I got my first digital slr I hemmed and hawed over it for a day or two, then went raw format only.</p>

[making_time]

Absolutely misleading RE Charles's assessment of JPEG.

 

RAW is the carte blanche data from the sensor. All processing decisions (curves, white balance etc) are up to you. A RAW image which

has no processing applied often looks flat and lifeless - meh.

 

 

To get to JPEG the camera applies some presets to the RAW data which you can influence (curves, white balance etc) but in-camera

rather than placing the onus on the photographer. The issue is that the "darkroom" work is applied by the camera therefore a certain level

of control is removed. Some colour information which cannot be perceived by the human eye is discarded in this process, hence the

image is compressed.

 

 

In any case, a RAW file will usually be compressed to JPEG once processing is complete, and large prints made. Therefore JPEG is not

just "OK for web based small photos and snapshots"

 

 

Whether you choose to shoot RAW or JPEG depends on your workflow - if you like to realise your vision in the digital darkroom by all

means shoot RAW and then process. If you are willing to release a little control, go for JPEG. You may even shoot more with the time

saved.

 

 

Note that JPEGs can still be post-processed with good results. Large curves adjustments (ie changes in pixel values) will likely cause

irregular changes in tone however as each pixel can only hold 256 shades vs 65536 shades held in RAW files.

[bobatkins]

<p>I wrote this for photo.net back in 2004. It's still valid (well, mostly...)</p>

<p><a href="/learn/raw/">http://www.photo.net/learn/raw/</a></p>

[museebfoto]

<p>RAW is the name which define itself = Film which was captured (used) but doesn't yet processed .. WOW!.<br /> So you can process it later as you like and how much you like!.<br /> One another good benefits that it can give more capability for highlight recovery!.</p>

[GerrySiegel]

<p>In addition to Bob's article on the two file formats, I found another one by the gent Dr. Wrozniak in 2009 to be informative about the RAW or JPEG or Both choice. Pros and Cons without a strong position to endorse one choice ...Yes it is one of those irritating It "All Depends"things and worth at least understanding what is what, still not clear to the world after all this time, and why the choice gets made. In other words deciding stuff and not just following a recipe on some authority or other. Although you can, in fact, shoot both but why is the question for me. (There is plenty in photography I am never going to appreciate like certain sensor "filters" in digital and why they are good or bad or what they even do frankly, so I am not a guru by any means. RAW or JPEG is worth some study though.)<br /> For what it is worth, I am satisfied with what I get out of my camera's JPEG internal processors. Enough of what I need for what I do which is pretty basic cropping and tweaking in my too fancy for what I need PS program actually. Five minutes per image, tops....I save in large JPEG files so I can knock off a print now and then too. Never felt highlight deprived whatever that means to any one who shoots and gets undernourished highlight features in their stuff. Maybe I just don't know what I don't know and so be it... I am even happy enough with white balance out of camera or my choice of white balance for what that is worth. So why change now is my approach, subject to debate and arm wrestling of course:-)<br /> Though I know some newcomers feel that shooting JPEG is such an uncool thing or a lazy approach or even almost sinfully amateur, to a few anyway. Stubbornly here, they have not persuaded me that I need to spend more time on the computer when I could be learning guitar, trying new meatloaf recipes, or anything more fun.<br /> A not very short but not bad and most readable article I have saved:<br /> http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/tech/raw.html</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>I tend to shoot RAW+JPEG most of the time. I'll initially play with the JPEG images, but if I find one that needs significant tweaking I have the RAW file to work with. I've been known on occasion to forget to change white balance and in that case having the RAW file makes it a non-issue. Color correcting a JPEG that's been shot in daylight using tungsten WB is very difficult. </p>

[marc_rochkind]

<p>As Michael Reichmann of The Luminous Landscape said once, if, when you got prints and negatives back from the processor, you immediately threw the negatives in the trash, JPEG is for you.</p>

[ljwest]

<p>With a Canon 7D, shooting RAW, you'll get about 500 images (give or take) on a 16GB CF card. If you shoot in JPEG, at maximum size, you will get over 2,000 on the same card.</p>

<p>But the JPEG format limits you in some of the adjustments you can do. If you get the white balance wrong, you have a very limited ability to fix that without the image quality deteriorating. With RAW, that is a simple fix, and the image does not degrade.</p>

<p>With the 7D, to set the image format (manual page 60), you go to the menu, the leftmost icon along the top, and to the "Quality" selection. Here, you can select from several JPEG styles, RAW, mRAW and sRAW, or have the camera record RAW + JPEG.</p>

<p>Your choices here will be reflected in the top LCD also.</p>

[garypeck]

<p>Photo.net features a neat search fucntion, give it a try:</p>

<p>Learn about RAW, JPEG, and TIFF with the digital photography ...<br />Jun 21, 2008 ... Digital Photography Tips: learn about RAW, JPEG, and TIFF.<br />photo.net/learn/raw/<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />JPEG or RAW - Photo.net Medium Format Forum - Photo of the Day<br />1 day ago ... Interested in medium format photography? Get your questions answered at the Photo.net forums.<br />photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00bffv?unified...<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />RAW v. JPEG shooting for weddings - Photo.net Wedding and social ...<br />Feb 28, 2010 ... And, with the latest generation of super-ultra-mega-extreme CF cards, burst rates are basically the same between RAW and JPEG, you get ...<br />photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00VsgL<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />Separating raw+jpeg after import - Photo.net Digital Darkroom Forum<br />Dec 1, 2010 ... I would like to separate my "raw+jpeg" files in Lightroom and although I checked the "Treat jpeg files next to raw files as separate photos" in the ...<br />photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00XmdK<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />Sorting jpeg and raw files - Photo.net Digital Darkroom Forum<br />Mar 24, 2010 ... Find answers to all your darkroom-related questions in the digital darkroom forum only at Photo.net.<br />photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00W4eI<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />RAW vs. JPEG... - Photo.net Beginner Photography Questions Forum<br />Apr 26, 2013 ... Not a universal format (20 years from now, the latest tools may not be able to read your old Raw files). Shoot Raw + JPEG so you can always ...<br />photo.net/beginner-photography-questions-forum/00baex<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />CONVERSIONS RAW TO JPEG ( OLY ORF) - Photo.net Digital ...<br />4 days ago ... Find answers to all your darkroom-related questions in the digital darkroom forum only at Photo.net.<br />photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00bf3n<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />raw vs jpeg when traveling - Photo.net Travel Forum - Photo of the Day<br />May 13, 2013 ... 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 ...<br />photo.net/travel-photography-forum/00bdn5<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />Getting JPEG from RAW+JPEG (Canon 10D) - Photo.net Canon ...<br />Apr 4, 2005 ... I always shoot in RAW since I'm a beginner and I do okay in the photoshop post processing. Except there is a RAW+JPEG setting. I ask myself ...<br />photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00BjbO<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...<br /><br />iPhoto Raw & JEPG - how to split into different events - Photo.net ...<br />May 22, 2011 ... For a variety of reasons I've started to shoot Raw and Jpeg combined and finish up with both shots along side each other in iPhoto 09 - one ...<br />photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00YljP<br />LabeledForumsAll ArticlesEquipment ...GalleryTechnique ...</p>

[GerrySiegel]

<blockquote>

<p>As Michael Reichmann of The Luminous Landscape said once, if, when you got prints and negatives back from the processor, you immediately threw the negatives in the trash, JPEG is for you.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Javohl, Herr Reichmann, he is the Mann, says a lot like Ken whatsisname. Uh, hmm, I don't swallow that kind of pat homily without a heavy dose of Mylanta and vodka. Just follow your favorite guru as you like. But read the articles,op cit, sportsfans...havaniceday and keep everything is a good practice, but file the stuff too. (Throw the NEGs away...like really now..) Da Vinci kept all his notes you know, but backward. Just saying.</p>

[Larry_G1664882113]

<p>I shoot RAW. The only reasons for not using RAW are wanting small size files (jpegs are much smaller) and not wanting to process or edit the images. </p>