For the Amateur: JPEG or RAW? (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Ron, if your camera supports it, just shoot RAW+JPG and go with the JPGs for immediate use, and if you're feeling lucky, go play around with the RAWs later.

 

[Sam Posten]

Sure, tell the guy who is never gonna edit his pics to DOUBLE UP on storage. =p

 

[Patrick Sun]

Memory cards are cheap, your memories are not.

 

[Citizen87645]

'Cept for that one time, in Vegas.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

LOL, Cameron.

Ron,

I'm one of those who shoot RAW+JPEG (and only process the RAW some of the times)... even w/ my D800 now... though I keep the JPEGs smaller on the D800 since I'd really want to use RAW if/whenever I actually need that many pixels.

Not sure it's clear, but outside of the much greater latitude for postprocessing, which is important, especially if you need to do color correction or the like, much of the diff won't be readily apparent unless/until you blow up the image where pixel-level quality (and JPEG compression artifacts) gets magnified and become an issue. IF you're only showing the photos in a substantially reduced, web-size format or in say 4x6 prints (or maybe even 5x7), then no, that quality diff won't be readily apparent. Also, if you need to do substantial cropping, that will magnify the need for RAW since you'd essentially be blowing up the final result.

_Man_

 

[MarkMel]

Here's my very amateur, recent experiance. We just got back from South Africa. 6 months prior to going, I got a new DSLR Canon T4i and a decent long lens. I spent some time learning to use it, my previous DSLR I just shot in auto. For this trip I wanted to shoot in manual, and learn how to use RAW. In my leadup to the trip, I didn't have much time to play with the processing. For the trip I shot RAW+JPEG and when I got back and started to go through my over 1000 pics pre-processing, I was disapointed. I was hoping for a least a couple of tack sharp photos.

I found this on a site describing how to take tack sharp photos; "No photo is as sharp as it should be when it comes off the imaging sensor in your camera. To compensate for this, you’ll need to apply some sharpening on the computer if you shoot in RAW."

So I opened the photos in the Canon processing software that came with the camera - Digital Photo Professional and started playing around. Wow, the difference some adjustments can make! I was able to sharpen the images to close to tack sharp and adjust the color, exposure, etc. Then I compared some of my favorites with the same pics JPEG file. Night and day difference.

So from this new old photographer (I did take photo courses in college, film of course back then) Shoot in RAW+JPEG. You will have much more flexability.

Slightly OT - I only wish I learned about back button focusing before going on my trip, I learned about that after we got back. I know that would've helped me grab some better photos.

Funny story, on safari, I was the only one with a "real" camera. everyone else was using their iPhone. How often do you get to go on safari and to take photos with an iPhone?

 

[JohnRice]

I'm not familiar with the term "back button focusing".

 

[schan1269]

When I went for the World Cup, all my digital photos were shot with a Sony P&S. The one that has panarama.Everything else was shot medium format film.

 

[schan1269]

I'm not familiar with the term "back button focusing".

Canon introduced it in 1989 to separate shutter from focus.You go into custom functions, relocate focus to the button on the back.And, if using the lens in a combined manual and auto(like shooting soccer), the AF stops so it won't fight the manual override everytime you snap a picture.

 

[MarkMel]

As stated above, normally when you autofocus with the half press of the shutter button, compose your photo and then completely press the shutter button, a couple of things can happen. One your subject could have moved between the half press and the full shutter release or you can introduce camera shake between the half press and the full press, especially with a long lens and even with IS, or the camera will try to focus on something and then refocus with the full button press.

So when you assign your autofocus to a back button you separate these two functions and avoid all of the issues associated with the half press to focus.

Nikon cameras can do this as well.

Here's an article that describes it better than I can since I just learned about it;

http://digital-photography-school.com/back-button-focus/

I know this would've helped me with taking the safari pics, I won't be going back anytime soon but at least I have my camera set up this way now.

 

[schan1269]

It is hard to specifically mention the feature as well.On Canon with AE, sometimes you have to combine AE with AF on the back button. Unless there is another separate button.Doesn't help the feature is often abbreviated nonsense...unless you've read the manual.

 

[Citizen87645]

I switched to back button focus a few years back and haven't looked back.

 

[Sam Posten]

It's transformational that's for sure. The only bitch is if you are often in social settings where you will hand your camera to another person to take a picture of you in a group, it can cause them to go into vapor lock trying to figure it out. Tell em it's simply two steps. Focus with the thumb then shoot with the index. They don't understand it but it works.

 

[MarkMel]

Do you notice sharper pictures? I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

When someone wants to take a picture with my camera I just put it auto anyway. On mine auto overrides back button focusing.

 

[JohnRice]

I don't see why this would universally lead to sharper images. Sharp images are mostly the result of good camera handling, and the quality of the lens, of course. Still, I am going to see what options there are on my Nikon. I'm guessing it involves the AF/AE lock button on the back of the camera. Unfortunately, that button is a pain to use wearing glasses.

 

[Citizen87645]

It's not about getting sharp images, but about separating two functions that don't necessarily need to or should be tied together. This may lead to improved camera handling technique, but it's not a direct result.

http://nikonrumors.com/2014/01/25/how-to-use-nikons-af-on-and-back-button-autofocus.aspx/

 

[JohnRice]

Cameron, I understand how it works and the benefits. I was referring to Mark's apparent expectation that it will make his photos sharp.

 

[Citizen87645]

I realize. I was just corroborating your post.

 

[JohnRice]

Oops.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Back button focus will only result in sharper images if the photographer is struggling with out of focus shots using the default setup and BBF improves his/her technique. I've tried BBF, but find it cumbersome, as I use my thumb to move the AF point via the joystick on the back of my cameras. For still shots, BBF is not really needed, and I've found that I get good results for "subject in motion" shots using AI Servo in combination with one of the zone AF modes on my two Canon bodies. I just setup one of the custom shooting modes for "action" with AI Servo, a zone AF mode, high-speed continuous frames, auto ISO, shutter priority, etc. and I can easily switch to "action" mode with the twist of the mode dial.