# Whats the best picture quality to shoot in?



## MasonBW (Nov 24, 2010)

Hey, I'm shooting with a Nikon D3000 and I am wondering what is the best picture quality to shoot in. I've been shooting in normal but i recently changed it to raw. There are other options to like fine and so on. So I'm not to sure which is the best to shoot in, anyone know?


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## Opher (Nov 24, 2010)

Raw keeps all the data...  shoot it if you can...  some ppl use jpg for faster transfer speeds and longer bursts


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## KmH (Nov 24, 2010)

RAW files from your D3000 have a 12-bit depth. That means it records 4096 gradations of tone per red, green, and blue color channel. 

The RAW image data format retains the most image data your camera can provide. However, every RAW data file is unprocessed and is not a finished photo.

JPEG is an 8-bit (only 256 gradations of tone per red, green, and blue color channel) lossy, compressed, ready-to-print, image file. When Fine is selected as the quality, the files size is reduced in a 1:4 ratio. In other words fully 75% of the image data (mostly it is color data, the difference between the 12-bit depth, and the 8-bit depth) is discarded, gone forever.

See page 50 of your D3000 Users Manual.

Because so much of the image data has been discarded, there is little editing headroom remaining in a JPEG file. 
The Normal setting has an 1:8 compression ratio, reducing the file size even further and negating much hope of there being any editing headroom left.


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## bigtwinky (Nov 24, 2010)

Two choices really... RAW or the best JPG possible.
It depends on what you will want to do with your image.  If you dont want to do any processing and are just going to use them as snapshots for fun, shooting in JPG is ok.  However, if you plan on doing any editing or you want the max data possible, RAW is the best.

Lets say RAW is 100% of the image data.
Your high resolution JPG may be 75% of the image data.  Your camera takes the raw data and compresses and manipulates it (saturation, sharpening,...) to make the jpg.  So you are losing some of the data
If you shoot medium JPG, it may be at 50%, while low may be at 25%.

(all these numbers are totally made up, just used to give you an idea).

Personally, I only shoot RAW as using Lightroom, the basic processing of a RAW takes only a few seconds but should I want to process more or do more with the image, I have the RAW on hand.  Its easy to squeeze out a nice JPG from the RAW, but you can't get a RAW out of the JPG.


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## MasonBW (Nov 25, 2010)

well i don't have lightroom and photoshop says it doesn't recognize the raw file so in order to edit it I have to change it back to jpg... Is it good to shoot in fine or are there any other options for me?


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## SLRJoe (Nov 25, 2010)

I usually shoot in RAW + JPG 
That way I use the jpeg immediately to see if I like the image, and then if I feel I need to tweak it, I've got the RAW file to use.


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## bigtwinky (Nov 25, 2010)

MasonBW said:


> well i don't have lightroom and photoshop says it doesn't recognize the raw file so in order to edit it I have to change it back to jpg... Is it good to shoot in fine or are there any other options for me?


 
Photoshop should recognize the RAW file.  What version of photoshop do you have and what camera are you using?  It could be an issue of needing to update the ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) file for your photoshop to make recognize the RAW from your more recent camera.

When I bought my 7D, Photoshop CS4 didn't recognize the RAW, so I had to update and now I'm fine.  If I was using CS2 or lower (or even CS3, I dont remember), then I'm screwed as Adobe usually doesn't make updated ACR files for older versions of their software


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## carl lindsay (Nov 25, 2010)

if i tell my experience about that then i will suggest for nikon , its picture quality is so good that shooting on a normal site looks great and shooting in in the natural sites looks like heaven.


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## KmH (Nov 25, 2010)

The D3000 requires at least ACR 5.5 which means you would need at least Photoshop CS4/ Elements 8 to open .NEF Raw files.

Which version/release level of Photoshop do you have?

An option, is to convert the .nef files to .dng files instead of the lossy, compressed, .jpg.

DNG, digital negative | Adobe

Adobe Camera Raw differences between Photoshop and Photoshop Elements

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 * Tonal and image adjustments in camera raw files


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## MasonBW (Nov 30, 2010)

bigtwinky said:


> MasonBW said:
> 
> 
> > well i don't have lightroom and photoshop says it doesn't recognize the raw file so in order to edit it I have to change it back to jpg... Is it good to shoot in fine or are there any other options for me?
> ...



I have CS4 and im shooting with a nikon D3000


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## LightSpeed (Nov 30, 2010)

Additionally, a raw file is the equivalent of a film negative in the digital SLR world. It affords more room for error and compensation for that error among many other attributes. On the other hand there are many who have nailed down .jpeg images that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference on a print.


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## MasonBW (Dec 1, 2010)

so RAW is the best?


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## robb01 (Dec 2, 2010)

MasonBW said:


> so RAW is the best?



Yes, the only downside to it is that it requires much more space than a .jpg


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## Cheffriis (Dec 2, 2010)

I've been using GIMP for my photo's as its a free download,I haven't started shooting in RAW yet as I'm not sure if the program can use the RAW file. Can anyone tell me if it can or should I make the switch to photoshop??


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## jackdone (Dec 21, 2010)

After selecting a best picture quality, you can get the best picture quality. Suppose that your camera will be a 3 to 4 MP then it will give a prints up to 50 x 75 cm and it's a excellent picture quality.


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## KmH (Dec 21, 2010)

MasonBW said:


> so RAW is the best?


You need to update CS4, so it can open your cameras Raw files.
Open CS4 click on Help > Update.

As with anything else, *there is no one best*, it always depends.

When I shoot action field sports, I use JPEG Large, Fine.

When I shoot portraits, I use Raw. Many pro wedding shooters shoot JPEG's.


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## daarksun (Dec 26, 2010)

joeprice said:


> I usually shoot in RAW + JPG
> That way I use the jpeg immediately to see if I like the image, and then if I feel I need to tweak it, I've got the RAW file to use.


 

+1^


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## Jcampbelll (Dec 26, 2010)

RAW is the best.


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## pipesintune (Jan 4, 2011)

RAW for the important stuff.  JPEG's are fine for snapshots around the house, etc. But since I use Lightroom for processing, there really is not difference in file handling between RAW and JPEG, except for file size.  So the nod goes to RAW.


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## Rob1n (Jan 5, 2011)

Your d3000 shooting raw is much better quality than a canon 1ds shooting jpg, raw contains 300 times the information of a fine jpg. Learning to process your raw image is the most important part of digital photography, but it's relatively simple to learn. Capture one for $99 dollars is the best investment in quality you can make, but photoshops camera raw is perfectly acceptable & allows burning and dodging from the raw.


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## ls6firebird (Jan 6, 2011)

i have elements 9 and cant open my raw images. it says its the wrong type of file. doesnt work in lightroom 3 either


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## AleK (Jan 6, 2011)

i always shoot both, fine jpeg and raw, i give after the rough jpeg to the model and i take care the raw. 

i don't ever make adjustement from jpeg since i've got Raw's camera.


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## Brett.W (Jan 7, 2011)

ls6firebird said:


> i have elements 9 and cant open my raw images. it says its the wrong type of file. doesnt work in lightroom 3 either



I had this same problem with my nikon d3100. just go to updates in PSE9 and you will find an update for RAW, download it this worked for me.


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## ls6firebird (Jan 7, 2011)

Brett.W said:


> ls6firebird said:
> 
> 
> > i have elements 9 and cant open my raw images. it says its the wrong type of file. doesnt work in lightroom 3 either
> ...


 
thanks man it worked!


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## Brett.W (Jan 8, 2011)

No problem glad it worked!


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## MarkCSmith (Jan 9, 2011)

pipesintune said:


> RAW for the important stuff.  JPEG's are fine for snapshots around the house, etc. .



Exactly how I choose what format to shoot in. Snapshots, family get-togethers, I usually just shoot JPG's. 

Anything even somewhat serious (models, landscape, nature, photojournalism, etc) I'll shoot in RAW for more flexibility in post-processing.


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