Yes it’s true. Ten years after getting my first DSLR I still make mistakes. And I always will. To err is human. There’s error in our ways. We will never achieve the perfect photograph and I will never own the perfect camera. And this is all a very very good thing because we can only begin to imagine how boring life would be if everything was perfect. Which is why I shoot RAW.
Let’s put this in context: All the shots I took in my first year of photography with my first Nikon D60 were JPEGs. Because I didn’t know what Raw was. At the time the photographs looked great to me. And, for the most part, they were. But when I look back at them now I often regret not having the Raw files to “play with” and post-process. I can never go back and take those photographs again.
But what is RAW, exactly?
“Raw” is simply the original digital file written by the camera BEFORE it has been developed “to taste”. It contains a huge volume of data about the situation in which the photograph was taken. You need software to decode and display the raw file. The ability at least to view Raw files is often, but not always, built into the computer operating system. Not always because each new camera that is released will record images in a very specific Raw file that will NOT be viewable (or editable) on computer at the time the camera is released. Unless the camera manufacturer makes the specifications available to Adobe, Apple, Microsoft, etc. well in advance of release date. And I don’t think that has ever happened before.
Each new camera is, however, usually supported at least by the manufacturer’s own software. So if you ONLY captured raw files there would almost always be a way to develop and view them from day one. Many cameras now include the ability to develop from Raw images, individually and/or in batches, in their image review / playback menus. This can be very useful.
But I digress. The point is: Raw files (unless you have chosen a lossy compression method in camera) have ALL THE DATA there is to be had from the shooting scene. This can then be developed “to your personal taste” on the nice big screen of your computer. JPEGs are a summary of the data, developed by the camera applying its pre-set assumptions about the scene, time of day, light… yes cameras are indeed very (artificially) intelligent these days. But the “fun” is in processing raw files to one’s own personal taste afterwards.
Pro’s and cons
Here are three advantages to RAW FILES in the order in which they apply to my personal photography experience:
So much more dynamic range. Example of an error: The bird flew quickly from the open area into the shade and I under exposed the shady shots. Usually salvageable from a Raw file; not so from a JPEG.
White balance. Cameras are so intelligent these days that Auto White balance usually does a very job every time. But you might still want to tweak it. Especially if you’re planning to print that beautiful sunrise or sunset image. If you have your RAW file you can set your final image’s WB to any WB imaginable; just as you could have manually in the camera. That’s simply impossible if you don’t have the raw file.
Resolution. RAWS have all the available resolution. Sometimes JPEGs have very little. Some in camera JPEG compression choices e.g. “basic” as opposed to “fine” are probably intended for quickly archiving text documents. Not for recording precious photo memories.
And here are a couple of advantages to capturing JPEGS:
You save a lot of card space. But hey, card space is cheaper than it’s ever been.
The output file can be instantly shared to social media. You don’t need to convert it first using special software. However, some cameras do now have “Raw conversion” built into the play-back / image review menus, allowing one to quickly create a JPEG from a RAW in camera.
The output file is processed by the camera to its taste. So if you feel like you just don’t want to have any creative into the final file… go ahead and shoot JPEG.
The best of both worlds
This is so easy. Just set the camera to capture Raw PLUS Jpeg. Simple as that. Then you have both. You might even like the JPEGs so much you just save the Raws away on a separate drive. You might feel like you don’t need them today. You might not have the right software (e.g. Lightroom / Photoshop, etc. ) to develop Raws right now. But at least be saving them for the future. Because I wish I had done that with my early work.
Thanks for reading. If you want to see a couple of exposure errors and real example of how amazing the extra “hidden” data in a modern Raw file is, here’s a fun video I put together very quickly.