A few words on a question I used to ask myself when I started using professional cameras (DSLR), and I feel I can share with you some information on. The question is what RAW format is, and do we really need it.
First, just to make sure you know what I mean, RAW (for Canon, and NEF for Nikon) is the file format that is the highest quality in your camera setting (If you are using a DSLR or a pro' point & shoot camera). The RAW file format contains untouched, "raw" pixel information straight from the digital camera's sensor. The RAW file format contains just one red, green, or blue value at each pixel location. Digital cameras normally "develop" this RAW file by converting it into a full color JPEG or TIFF image file, and then store the RAW file in the memory card. Digital cameras have to make several interpretive decisions when they develop a RAW file, and so the RAW file format offers you more control over how the final JPEG or TIFF image is generated.
There are several advantages to using RAW conversion steps afterwards, on a personal computer, as opposed to within a digital camera. The in-camera JPEG image is not able to resolve details as closely spaced as those in the RAW image. Even so, a RAW file cannot achieve the ideal details also. Only sensors which capture all three colors at each pixel location could achieve the ideal image shown at the bottom (such as Foveon-type sensors).
So what is better, and what do you need? Are there negative aspects to using RAW, just as there are good reasons?
Advantages of Raw
One key advantage of RAW is that it allows the photographer to postpone applying some adjustments, giving more flexibility to the photographer to later apply these themselves, in a way which best suits each image.
White Balance - A digital camera records differences in lightness linearly; twice the light intensity produces twice the response in the camera sensor. In order for the details recorded within a digital camera to be shown as we perceive them, tone curves need to be applied. White balance is the process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. Color casts within JPEG images can often be removed in post-processing, but at the cost of bit depth and color gamut. This is because the white balance has effectively been set twice: once in RAW conversion and then again in post-processing. RAW files give you the ability to set the white balance of a photo *after* the picture has been taken, without unnecessarily destroying bits.
High bit depth - Digital cameras actually record each color channel with more precision than the 8-bits (256 levels) per channel used for JPEG. Most current cameras capture each color with 12-bits of precision (212 = 4096 levels) per color channel, providing several times more levels than could be achieved by using an in-camera JPEG. Higher bit depth decreases the susceptibility to posterization, and increases your flexibility when choosing a color space and in post-processing.
Dynamic range & exposure compensation - The RAW file format usually provides considerably more "dynamic range" than a JPEG file, depending on how the camera creates its JPEG. Dynamic range refers to the range of light to dark which can be captured by a camera before becoming completely white or black, respectively. Since the raw color data has not been converted into logarithmic values using curves, the exposure of a RAW file can be adjusted slightly after the photo has been taken. Exposure compensation can correct for metering errors, or can help bring out lost shadow or highlight detail. I found it works well between -1 stop, and +1 stop exposure compensation
Color saturation and contrast - They can also be adjusted, depending on the setting within your camera. The high bit depth RAW image is then converted into 8-bits per channel, and compressed into a JPEG based on the compression setting within your camera. Up until this step, RAW image information most likely resided within the digital camera's memory buffer.
Enhanced sharpening - Since a RAW file is untouched, sharpening has not been applied within the camera. Better sharpening algorithms are often far more processor intensive. Sharpening performed on a personal computer can thus create fewer halo artifacts for an equivalent amount of sharpening. Since sharpness depends on the intended viewing distance of your image, the RAW file format also provides more control over what type and how much sharpening is applied (given your purpose). Sharpening is usually the last post-processing step since it cannot be undone, so having a pre-sharpened JPEG is not optimal.
Lossless compression - The RAW file format uses a lossless compression, and so it does not suffer from the compression artifacts visible with "lossy" JPEG compression. RAW files contain more information and achieve better compression than TIFF, but without the compression artifacts of JPEG.
Disadvantages of Raw
* RAW files are much larger than similar JPEG files, and so fewer photos can fit within the same memory card.
* RAW files take a big amount of time to convert to JPEG, and that alone can be worth a lot of money (they say that time is money), and they also require manually applying each conversion step.
* RAW files often take longer to be written to a memory card since they are larger, therefore most digital cameras may not achieve the same frame rate as with JPEG.
* RAW files cannot be given to others immediately since they require specific software to load them; therefore it may be necessary to first convert them into JPEG.
* RAW files require a more powerful computer with more temporary memory (RAM).
* RAW files are not good for Infra Red White balance in most RAW plug-in since the temperature of Infra red can be only adjusted selectively, and the White Balance in the software can't reach that degree..
So which is better
RAW or JPEG? There is no single answer, as this depends on the type of photography you are doing. In most cases, RAW files will provide the best solution due to their technical advantages and the decreasing cost of large memory cards. RAW files give the photographer far more control, but with this comes the trade-off of speed, amount of work need to convert it, storage space and ease of use. The RAW trade-off is sometimes not worth it for sports and press photographers, although landscape and most fine art photographers often choose RAW in order to maximize the image quality potential of their digital camera. I never use RAW (NEF) when doing Infra Red, but I decided a while ago to shoot in RAW to maximize the quality of my images in details and control.
Good links to learn more:
Using Raw Digital Files
Why use RAW
The RAW File Format
JPG vs Raw
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Another thing, a reminder of a project I'm taking a part in - A Light unto the Nations. It's an exhibition that tries to show an artistic point of view that allows the mind to desire peace and hope. Muslim and Jewish photographers build a statement and a bridge to give us a pictorial record by which we can further our understanding. I have a few photographs and texts to be shown there. Full size images are always great
There are also other photographers taking part at this project, and some of them you might know from DA, and they are: Tamara ABDUL HADI, Aasil AHMAD, Anthony ASAEL, Kitra CAHANA, Lamya GARGASH, Steve SIMON, Sawsan YASSINE
The project is a part of "CONTACT", an annual month long festival of photography with over 500 local, national and international artists at more than 200 venues across the Greater Toronto Area in May
MAY 10 - 20
OPENING MAY 10, 6 - 10PM
12 Ossington Ave, Toronto M6J 2Y7 - Toronto, Canada www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?…
More info about the exhibition in Toronto
A Light unto the Nations
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Now, I invite you to take a look with me, at 10 of my favorites Under my weekly spotlight
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"when it becomes a hobby a worst day in fishing can beat the best day in office"... This photo shows that in the simple of ways.
Total views up to now: 42
Total Favorites up to now: 12
Atmosphere shot, almost a blur, an abstract.
It holds many questions and no answers.
Exactly what I need to call it art.
Total views up to now: 317
Total Favorites up to now: 41
Beautiful shot, captures a scene in the best of ways.
You see everything in the way that tranfers not just the details, but the mood as well. Very unique.
Total views up to now: 176
Total Favorites up to now: 27
Dreamy Infra Red.
Using G1 for it, which is the best camera for IR, and you see why.
Total views up to now: 53
Total Favorites up to now: 6
How beautiful nature is, when you know how to show it.
Well worth our attention.
Total views up to now: 41
Total Favorites up to now: 9
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Beautiful B&W shot. It works so well.
The lines, the contrast, the way the compostion balances it all.
Very impressive shot.
Total views up to now: 274
Total Favorites up to now: 39
Minimalistic and graphic. Perfectly located and composed.
Such a beautiful shot, ehre the world is like a sketch ready to come to life.
Total views up to now: 48
Total Favorites up to now: 7
Perfectly timed street shot.
The graphic illusion, the silhouettes, the composition.
That's the way to be creative with everyday life around us.
Total views up to now: 56
Total Favorites up to now: 15
Smart idea, that sells you a concept. One that has been used before and works very well here as well. What do you really think about yourself? Are you aware of that?
Total views up to now: 53
Total Favorites up to now: 4
Second IR work for this shot.
It's worth it
Total views up to now: 204
Total Favorites up to now: 27
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It's amazing to see how much beauty and quality is passed un-noticed here in all one week. I hope that more great work will get noticed here. It's up to us. Use the comments favorites power to support the un-noticed.
Keep supporting!
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1. Art is all about expression
2. About Photography, and Israel too
3. DA Thoughts
4. Infra Red
5. Let me shed some Light
6. All the Info you can probably get on me – The BTL with G
7. Listen to "One Day"
8. About freedom of speech and ethics
9. A Different Look At Israel / Part 3, and part 4
10. Where you can download the "A Different Look At Israel" presentations.
11. Summing up 3 years of being a DeviantArt member
12. Summing up what I had to say in 2006
13. Special Interview - An Eye On The World
14. Tips on Shooting indoors
15. Tips on recommended filters
16. Using build in flash
17. Keep your pixels yours
18. About making money in photography
19. Do you know how to get exposure?
20. When does photography become manipulation?
21. About making money in photography
22. A Light unto the Nations
If you didn't hear about the wonderful project of ArtistsForCharity now its the time! go, share, and help.
These are five prints of my work, I gave to the project so far:
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Yours, G
If you don't want to read all this Bla Bla Bla, you can simply download the "A Different Look At Israel" presentations here.
