The mussala (prayer hall) at Masjid Negara (National Mosque) Kuala Lumpur. It features as the March calendar that you can download from the links below.

A gallery from the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Pingxi, Taiwan is now online.

It’s the beginning of another month, so it’s time for another free desktop calendar that you can download. Choose your size according to the links below. This photo is from the main prayer hall (mussala) of the National Mosque (Masjid Negara) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Below the links you’ll find today’s phototip.

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The RAW vs JPEG debate is one of those never ending arguments much like Mac/PC or Canon/Nikon. It crops up all the time in blog posts, forums, discussions, magazines and workshops. It’s one that will probably never be answered to the satisfaction of everyone. And it’s one that some of you are probably sick of reading about. So with that said, I should just say shoot RAW and leave it at that, right?

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Since I made the move to a fully digital workflow in 2004, I’ve been an advocate of shooting in RAW. With the exception of some test shots the first day I got my first DSLR, I’ve been shooting RAW since day one. I guess the exception means I’ve really been shooting RAW since day two. Why? Let’s start out by looking at some of the main differences between the two formats.

RAW

Often a proprietary format unique to a particular make and/or model of camera, a RAW file is essentially a digital negative. It is unaltered, unmanipulated and uninterpreted image data. A RAW file usually contains 12, 14 or 16 bits of image data and color information. This translates to 4096, 16 384 and 65 536 levels of brightness respectively. A RAW file is also larger than the corresponding JPEG, thus meaning you get less images per memory card (or hard drive when archiving). It will also need some kind of digital processing before the image can be printed, posted online etc.

JPEG

JPEG is a standardized format that can be easily read and displayed in a number of programs without the need for further editing. JPEG files can only hold 8 bits of image data which corresponds to 256 levels of brightness. JPEG files are smaller than RAW files due to the compression applied to the file. While this does save space, it also means that you’re essentially throwing data away when you shoot in this mode. The camera’s software makes the decision as to what data to throw away and you can never get this back. Each time you save a JPEG file, you lose a bit of data due to the “lossy” compression. This may be critical information that causes a loss in color saturation or dynamic range, or it might introduce “artifacts” into the image.

Control

To me, the biggest advantage that shooting RAW offers is that of control. With JPEG, there are just too many image decisions that I have no say in. Shooting RAW gives me control over every aspect of the image, from the moment I click the shutter to the moment I output the final version in whatever format I choose.

With JPEG, you compose an image, press the shutter button, and the camera goes to work. By the time you see the image on the camera’s LCD screen, the camera software has processed the file, probably boosted the color saturation, enhanced the sharpness and tossed away any pixels that it deems unnecessary. In some situations, and for some photographers this might be all you need. Personally, I’m not sure why someone would go to the expense of buying a big, heavy DSLR only to wind up shooting JPEG. A pocket digicam could produce similar images for a fraction of the price and size.

Shooting in RAW, I get all of the captured image data. I then load these into my RAW processing software of choice, and make any adjustments necessary. I can easily change the white balance, the exposure, adjust the tone curve, convert it to black and white, add some split toning, decide I don’t like it and go back to my original, apply different sharpening amounts for different outputs and so forth. All done in a lossless format meaning I never sacrifice any of the image quality and color information. My original RAW image always remains in the same form and none of the processing I do to it will ever alter it. With JPEG the opposite is true.

Downsides of RAW

I honestly have yet to find any downsides to RAW. When listing the cons, commentators often mention the extra space required. To me that’s not an issue. I can buy 1.5TB hard drives for about $100 or so, and one of these will last quite a while. For a casual, hobbyist shooter, you’d probably only need to buy a new one every year or two. That works out at something like $1-2 a week for storage. Really, it shouldn’t be an issue.

RAW files do need some kind of processing done on them, but again, I don’t find it an issue. It takes a while to copy and import all the files, add the metadata, keywords and so forth, but I’ll often start the process and go off and do something else – have dinner, sleep, watch a DVD etc – and come back to it later. This gives an added advantage as my mind has decompressed a bit from the shoot and feels a little fresher as I start the edit.

This segues into the other main con listed which is the learning curve required in order to use the software. For both the person who doesn’t want to spend a lot of time and the person new to the software, there’s always the Auto button. If the time bothers you, hit Auto, get a pretty good rendition and come back to the good ones on a rainy day. If you’re just learning, do the same but pay attention to which settings change and how that affects the image. In time you’ll get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.

If you’re sitting on the fence about whether to jump over to shooting RAW, why not set your camera to capture RAW + JPEG. You’ll get a JPEG file that same as you’ve always had, and you’ll also get a RAW image to experiment with as time permits. For those of you who hope to one day make a vocation out of photograph, or want to have the greatest range of options for the future, RAW is the way to go. If you just take photos in order to post on Facebook to show your friends, then JPEG is probably all you need.

That was the 60th Daily PhotoTip. If this post was useful to you, why don’t you subscribe to my feed, leave a comment and share it with your friends. You can also get access to exclusive content and special offers by subscribing to my newsletter. Sign up today. Thank you.