Shooting in RAW

[my5blessings]

Does anyone around here shoot in RAW format?

I am trying to expand my knowledge of my camera, and my brother (a professional photographer) said I should start using that format because it is much better quality and leaves you with much more options of editing vs the other formats that my camera has.

 

[sfs]

Does anyone around here shoot in RAW format?

I am trying to expand my knowledge of my camera, and my brother (a professional photographer) said I should start using that format because it is much better quality and leaves you with much more options of editing vs the other formats that my camera has.

Yes, I shoot in raw (more specifically, in Nikon's raw format, called NEF). Shooting in raw format usually gives you a little more dynamic range (the range of brightnesses you can include in a single photo without turning the shadows completely black or the highlights completely white), and much better ability to adjust white balance, i.e. correct for different color light (sunlight vs cloudy vs fluorescent, for example).

If you (or your camera) get the exposure and the white balance right, shooting in raw buys you only modest (or even invisible) improvement, but if the lighting is tricky or you didn't get things right, it can easily save the photo. I used to shoot just jpegs. Then I started to shoot raw only when I wasn't sure about the white balance, but I finally found it easier just to shoot everything in raw.

 

[my5blessings]

I do pretty good on my own with setting everything manually on my camera. (I have an Olympus Evolt 300). Just about the only time I have to edit pics is when I don't get the framing I want, or when shooting outside and the sun gets in the way. I definitely have to edit my cell phone pics a lot more often then my regular camera pics. One reason I have held off switching to RAW is that I don't want to have to convert every picture I make.

Also, which program do you use? My brother suggested RawShooter Essentials.

 

[sfs]

I do pretty good on my own with setting everything manually on my camera. (I have an Olympus Evolt 300). Just about the only time I have to edit pics is when I don't get the framing I want, or when shooting outside and the sun gets in the way. I definitely have to edit my cell phone pics a lot more often then my regular camera pics. One reason I have held off switching to RAW is that I don't want to have to convert every picture I make.

I find myself tweaking most of my pictures these days. That's a problem with having more options: the more knobs there are to turn, the more tempting it is to turn some of them. But I could get by with a lot less than I do -- it's mostly a matter of taste.

Also, which program do you use? My brother suggested RawShooter Essentials.

I use Nikon's own program for their raw files, which has a rather clunky interface but does a good job converting their format. Not helpful for Olympus. I used RawShooter Essentials for a couple of years. It generally does a good job and has a pretty intuitive interface, although it's not as flexible as more advanced programs. This is assuming it supports your camera, that is -- they stopped supporting the program in 2006, when Adobe bought Pixmantic, so newer cameras aren't being added. But otherwise, it's a good choice for experimenting with raw to see if you like it.

 

[my5blessings]

OK thanks for the info. I might venture into RAW...not sure. Not sure if I have the time to really do it much.

 

[utdbear]

I would say if you ever plan on making money in photography, learning and harnessing RAW files is a must. I use Adobe Lightroom but others make good RAW converters as well.

 

[envision]

Yea I can say for any serious photographer RAW is a requirement. The only pros I know that do not shoot raw are big wedding studios that care less about quality and more about turn over.

Raw is a process. But that is what creating a real image is. Anyone who has shot film, especially black and white knows that printing and developing an image is as much an art as taking a picture. The RAW format gives you a digital negative to process and develop. A JPEG gives you a picture.

 

[LeightonH]

I think it's a good idea to shoot in raw in almost every situation, even if you're not an advanced photographer. The quality is noticeably better and you have that much extra leeway for correcting poorly exposed photos, which is especially nice for amateur photographers. It doesn't even have to be a complicated process. Google Picasa works seamlessly with RAW and has some useful and easy to use adjustments.