{"id":1957,"date":"2024-03-27T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skylinereptiles.com\/?p=1957"},"modified":"2024-05-01T16:14:35","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T16:14:35","slug":"is-shooting-rawjpeg-the-best-of-both-worlds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skylinereptiles.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/27\/is-shooting-rawjpeg-the-best-of-both-worlds\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Shooting RAW+JPEG the Best of Both Worlds?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The post Is Shooting RAW+JPEG the Best of Both Worlds?<\/a> appeared first on Digital Photography School<\/a>. It was authored by Jim Hamel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"RAW+JPEG<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

For years, photographers have debated whether to shoot in RAW or JPEG. (Well, maybe “debate” is the wrong word. Usually, it’s a matter of more experienced photographers encouraging beginners to start shooting in RAW and stop shooting in JPEG.)<\/p>\n

There isn’t much question that RAW files are technically superior. They come with plenty of benefits: greater dynamic range, more color information, and an adjustable white balance, to name just three.<\/p>\n

However, these benefits can only really be appreciated when post-processing files. So for photographers who don’t wish to edit their files, the advantages of RAW photography don’t really apply, and certain RAW drawbacks – such as the need to process each file before it can be shared or printed – don’t seem worth it.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"RAW+JPEG<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Usually, this RAW vs JPEG question gets presented as an either\/or proposition. You’re told that you have to decide to shoot in RAW or <\/em>in JPEG, looking at the pros and cons of both file formats. <\/p>\n

But if you could have the advantages of both formats, wouldn’t that be the way to go? Wouldn’t you want the editing flexibility of RAW files, combined with the instant shareability of JPEGs? Is that even possible?<\/p>\n

It is, in fact! <\/p>\n

Take a look at your camera’s Quality or Image Quality setting in the menu. Most cameras will allow you to put that setting on both<\/em> RAW and JPEG. This is known as RAW+JPEG shooting, where your camera captures a RAW file and a JPEG file each time you press the shutter button. In using RAW+JPEG, aren’t you getting the best of both worlds?<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"RAW+JPG<\/span>
RAW+JPEG settings on Canon system.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Let’s take a look. But first, let’s review the advantages of RAW files versus JPEGs.<\/p>\n

JPEGs<\/h2>\n

When you take a picture, your camera is actually taking the data that it receives from the image sensor and creating a file. In the early days of digital, a group of experts got together and agreed on a file format everyone could use. It is called “JPEG,” and it stands for “Joint Photographic Experts Group.” <\/p>\n

The idea is that everyone could use the same format, and thus it would be easy to share. And you know what? It worked out pretty well. JPEGs are more or less ubiquitous. If you pick up your camera and start shooting, you’ll generally be creating JPEGs. It is the default of virtually every dedicated camera. And because internet browser developers consistently built JPEG support into their software, it is also the format of virtually every picture you see online.<\/p>\n

But when your camera creates a JPEG, a few things happen. The first is that the camera compresses the picture data so the file size is smaller. A JPEG will only use about a quarter of the data that your camera captures, and as a result, a large chunk of data is discarded. Some of that is color data, which is done by reducing the number of available colors (there are still a lot of colors available in JPEGs, though). Where you’ll see the biggest impact is in the highlights and shadows, where some detail may be lost.<\/p>\n

In addition, when a JPEG is created, your camera will add some processing to the picture. The camera manufacturers know that you want your pictures coming out of the camera looking sharp and colorful. Therefore, they add some effects – like sharpness, contrast, and saturation – as the JPEG file is rendered. The benefit is that your pictures generally do look a little better, but the downside is that you aren’t in control of the process, and sometimes your camera’s processing doesn’t match what you’re after.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"RAW+JPG<\/span>
The file on the left is an original RAW. To make it displayable to your browser, I had to convert it to JPEG – but I didn’t apply any edits. The file on the right is a straight-out-of-camera JPEG. Note that it’s slightly crisper, and the colors are subtly warmer and more saturated.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

And that brings us to RAW files.<\/p>\n

The RAW advantage<\/h2>\n

In most cameras, you can go into the menu and change the file format to “RAW.” No, there isn’t really some sort of universal file format called RAW. Rather, each camera has its own way of bundling the data that it receives from the image sensor when you take the picture to create its own proprietary file (NEF for Nikon, CRW or CR2 for Canon, RAF for Fuji, etc.). The resulting file is called “RAW.”<\/p>\n

You might already perceive an issue here: Since RAW files aren’t the same format, they aren’t easily shareable. In addition, RAW files are huge, typically 3-4 times the size of JPEGs.<\/p>\n

So why does nearly everyone recommend shooting RAW, then? Because they contain more information. Remember how JPEGs discard data to create smaller files? RAW files preserve all of that data. That means you keep all the color data, and you preserve everything you can in the way of highlight and shadow detail.<\/p>\n

In addition, whereas the camera adds processing when it creates JPEGs, that doesn’t happen when you create RAW files. That means you are in control of the process. You can add any level of sharpness, contrast, saturation, etc., that you want (assuming you have access to a RAW processing program, of course). The camera isn’t making those decisions for you.<\/p>\n

Sure, RAW files are bigger, but they are way better. And you can always create a JPEG from your RAW file later<\/a>, which you can use to share your photo online once you’ve finished editing.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"RAW+JPG<\/span>
The RAW+JPEG setting on a Sony camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Shooting both RAWs and JPEGs<\/h2>\n

So RAW files are the way to go, right? You’re preserving all that color data, not to mention the highlight and shadow detail. And you are in full control of the processing of your picture. That’s got to be worth it, right?<\/p>\n

Generally, that’s true: RAW files are worth creating. But what about if you are not going to process your photos at all? Wouldn’t it make sense to then shoot in JPEG, since it is the file that looks best coming out of the camera? Or what if you need to share the photo right away, and you don’t have time to do any editing?<\/p>\n

That’s why I encourage you to shoot both RAW and JPEG files! Your camera will likely have a setting allowing you to do both – so that every time you take a picture, the camera creates a RAW file and a JPEG. That would allow you to have all the advantages of both <\/em>file types. <\/p>\n

How might that benefit you? Here are the advantages to RAW+JPEG shooting:<\/p>\n