Crash Course

[mcvolunteer]

I am new to this forum and had a few questions. For taking landscape pictures and nighttime city pictures what are the best settings for a digital camera. Should I just use the symbol for landscape when taking landsape pictures or use my own settings? Also I understand when taking landscape pictures to make sure to use RAW. What is RAW and why use it versus and different file type. Thank you very much

[Frog]

Are you using a dslr or p&s?
Raw format is a lossless program. Once you shoot it and load it, it won't deteriouate when you save copies. Allows much more latitude in post processing, also.
Some p&s cameras do not have a raw format option.
I haven't used an auto setting except aperture priority in many moons so don't know how well your camera handles the auto landscape.
With your lack of experience I would use it and then go to manual mode and pick as small an aperture as the shutter speed will allow.
Also, use a tripod, especially if your shutter speeds need to be slow.

[WesternGuy]

Hopefully this link will give the scoop on raw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_raw

It is difficult to answer your questions on the best settings for a digital camera without knowing the gear that you have and, if you have a DSLR, what lenses you are going to be using. I know this doesn't help much, but until we know what you have, can't really give you much advice.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[freygr]

It depends on your post photo editing. You can make a mess of your images by using JPG by opening and saving. But if you open and close there is not any change of the original file but opening and saving recompresses the file each time with a loss of quality each time.

As long as when you edit you save as NON-compressed file format and only save the final image as a JPG you will not notice any image quality loss.

As far a RAW images, you get 12 or 14 bits per color depth, compared to JPG's 8 bit per color, and RAW is lossless compression so you don't have quality loss from processing the image. The only down size is the storage space is 5 to 7 time more than JPG image.

[jetrim]

As the others have said, until we know the camera model, it's tough, but my suggestion would be (since you are completely new to this) set the dial on your camera to P which is automatic program mode, and leave it there until you get comfortable enough to experiment. On this setting, the camera will choose everything for you, based on what it's sensor "sees". Most of the time it will do a pretty good job, sometimes it won't, but not often. Those times are what will motivate you to learn what the other settings do

[another view]

You can get better results in RAW, at least in a situation like this and in my opinion. However, there's a lot of work in learning how to get those results. It sounds like you're learning about everything, so I'd really recommend that you work more on exposure and techniques like that before adding RAW to the equation. The best results always start with a good image file.

"P" may give you good results, but the camera never knows what you want. In a case like that, I'd personally shoot with manual exposure mode. Shoot on "P" and the landscape setting and see what you get. Some situations it might be fine, but this probably won't be the case all of the time. I'll bet it overexposes, but try it out and see what happens.