Raw is like a negative. In camera jpeg is like a slide made from that
negative and tossing the negative. There is 3-4 stops of latitude in
that negative, none in the slide. If the slide (jpeg) is just the way
you want it, fine no problem. But if it is a bit off, and you do not
have the raw file there is not much you can do about it. From a raw file
you can tweek your image in many ways, in camera jpegs give you the guy
who wrote the firmwares interpetation. Let me put it this way, with
jpegs and tricky lighting you need to bracket your exposures, with raw
you usually do not have to bracket. I usually make general adjustments
in the raw conversion. Tweek the 16 bit image in PS to exactly what I
want. Then convert to my final size and type image.
All that said, my camera does, 90% of the time, produce a pretty nice
jpeg and I use it that way for pure snapshots. But I really am much more
comfortable having the negative (raw file) to work with if I might want
to rework the image at some time. I do like to think that I will be able
to do better in the future as I learn more about the process.
graywolf
http://www.graywolfphoto.com
"Idiot Proof" <==> "Expert Proof"
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Kenneth Waller wrote:
Does the camera always save the jpeg the way you
want it to?
Tom, please elaborate.
