RAW and JPEG

[timwaters77]

I have never saved my pics as RAW images before.

Going to give it a try this weekend with my Canon 50D

Any tips? It looks like it gives me a lot more flexibility in the processing later on. I use Corel PaintShop Pro X3.

[timwaters77]

thanks for moving this. So many forums. I get confused.

[Medley]

Shooting in Raw means (among other things) that the camera records the exposure information, but doesn't lock it in. The exposure can then be adjusted in the Raw converter. This gives you some leeway, and allows you to make up for a quirk of digital photograpy.

Digital cameras capture the most information (a full 50%) in the brightest area of the image. If you learn to capture the image as over-exposed as possible, without clipping any highlights, then you can adjust the exposure downward in the Raw converter, pushing some of that information down into the mid-tones and shadows. In those rare instances where you have the time to set up the shot, this can create a better final image.

I don't have any experience with Corel PaintShop Pro X3, so this is simply 'general' advice:

Use Canon's Raw converter, if you can. All camera manufacturers include proprietary information regarding color that doesn't get passed on to third party converters, so using Canon's software will give you just a bit truer color (though honestly, the difference is often negligible).

One of the biggest benefits of Raw is that it captures much more information. The goal, then, is to get as much of that information to the final image as you can. To that end:

Become familiar with the Raw converter, and do as much of your processing there as possible.

Raw captures images in 16bit mode. Eventually, to save the image as a Jpeg, you'll need to convert the image to 8bit mode. Do as much processing as you can before making this conversion.

[Frog]

Shooting raw gives saves all of the image data.
Advantages: No deterioration in image quality, no matter how many times saved. Jpegs deteriorate each time saved.
Greater flexibility in post editing, especially with white balance.
Probably more.

Disadvantages: takes more memory. Requires one of the raw editing programs with photoshop, lightroom, or whatever...pretty much standard now anyway. Don't know if its in Corel. Longer edit times.

I was pretty easily convinced to shoot raw shortly after getting my first digital and very seldom shoot jpeg anymore. Was able to save some shots, making them worth keeping instead of sighing as I dump them.