# RAW or JPEG



## ziggy84 (Dec 17, 2012)

What do most of you shoot in? Newbie to digital, and looking to understand more. I know the biggest difference is RAW uses more memory, but why? What is the reason to use RAW? Thanks


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## BuS_RiDeR (Dec 17, 2012)

Rah! Rah! Raw!

So much better if you need/want to edit it.


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## 480sparky (Dec 17, 2012)

Actually, if you look around the forum, there's several threads that address this.



ziggy84 said:


> I know the biggest difference is RAW uses more memory, but why?............



This is not really a correct statement.  Raw uses more memory simply because it is_ more data_. More data means the camera has taken the information from the sensor, converted it from analog to digital, and saved it on the memory card.  It has not applied any sharpness, contrast, white balance, saturation, etc. settings.


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## dewey (Dec 17, 2012)

Raw vs JPG 101: Let me google that for you


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## ziggy84 (Dec 17, 2012)

I actually looked for a topic on this, but didn't find one. I didn't look extensively either. Thanks for the info guys.


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## ziggy84 (Dec 17, 2012)

While we are on this topic; what do you all prefer to shoot in?


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## thetrue (Dec 17, 2012)

Although some snarky remarks are in here, this thread has some good info: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/beyond-basics/306466-raw-really-worth.html


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## KmH (Dec 17, 2012)

The reason Raw files are bigger and take up more memory, is because Raw files have more *bit-depth*.

Raw files are 12-bit or 14-bit files as they are written to the memory card, while JPEG is limited to being an 8-bit depth file.
12-bits can represent 4096 colors in each of the 3 RGB color channels, or about *68.7 billion colors* (4096 x 4096 x 4096 = 68,719,476,736 colors)
14-bits can represent 16384 colors in each of the 3 RGB color channels, or about *4.4 trillion colors*  (16,384 x 16,384 x 16,384 = 4,398,046,511,104 colors)
8-bits can only represent 256 colors in each of the 3 RGB color channels, or about *16.7 million colors* (256 x 256 x 256 = 16,777,216 colors)

Bit Depth
Tutorials &#8211; The RAW File Format
Image Types: JPEG & TIFF File Formats


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## panblue (Dec 17, 2012)

A thong


ziggy84 said:


> While we are on this topic; what do you all prefer to shoot in?


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## ziggy84 (Dec 18, 2012)

Thanks everyone.


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## panblue (Dec 18, 2012)

Mostly I am and have always been happy using JPEG. Hardly ever any significant issues for me and my kind of photography using JPEG. But I don't assume that my tastes and tolerances are typical for the majority of photographers, or that it is so unusual either. If I've decided dropping SOOC JPEGs in 2013, it is to do with archiving and organising my photos offline rather than image quality.I will make JPEGs for web use and not keep them on my home PCs. All my home archive from here on, I would like to be raw and JPEGs will be created for one time purpose, uploaded or emailed, otherwise deleted.Using FastStone Image Viewer, setup with the quickest review settings, I can review raw images as fast as JPEGs so the raw+JPEG I think will be redundant for me.





ziggy84 said:


> What do most of you shoot in? Newbie to digital, and looking to understand more. I know the biggest difference is RAW uses more memory, but why? What is the reason to use RAW? Thanks


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## nathfromslg (Dec 28, 2012)

Jpeg+Raw


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## JDFlood (Jan 9, 2013)

I shoot Raw... + a backup JPG. I never use the JPG. Most serious photographers shoot raw. You can adjust jpgs after the shot, but they are no where near as adjustable as Raw. Think of it as your camera has a little bitty CPU, and your computer has a huge CPU, which do you want creating your jpgs? The big computer at your control is almost always the answer, unless you are in a big hurry and have to hand them off to someone. JD


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## ziggy84 (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks guys


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## 480sparky (Jan 9, 2013)

I started out shooting JPEG.  Once I 'discovered' raw, I shot raw + JPEG.... for about three days.  I quickly realized I was just clogging up the hard drive with unneeded JPEGs. Then I went to shooting raw 99.99% of the time.

Only time I shoot JPEG is when I know I'm just going to post or email the image SOOC.


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## Ysarex (Jan 10, 2013)

Raw capture to TIFF to print. JPEG never happens to my photographs unless I'm taking a detour and showing one on the Internet. JPEG was invented for the Internet and has no reason to otherwise exist.

Joe


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## 480sparky (Jan 10, 2013)

Ysarex said:


> Raw capture to TIFF to print. JPEG never happens to my photographs unless I'm taking a detour and showing one on the Internet. JPEG was invented for the Internet and has no reason to otherwise exist.
> 
> Joe



Not all print labs accept TIFs.


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## Ysarex (Jan 10, 2013)

480sparky said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > Raw capture to TIFF to print. JPEG never happens to my photographs unless I'm taking a detour and showing one on the Internet. JPEG was invented for the Internet and has no reason to otherwise exist.
> ...



I accept TIFFs and I do my own printing, but you got me -- I do send an occasional non-critical print job to Mpix and I send them a JPEG.

Joe


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