RAW or JPG – Which format should I shoot in?

RAW vs JPG

I know I struggled with this one when I first turned on my first DSLR camera started shooting. I began shooting using the RAW+JPG scenario on my Nikon. I figured I had both bases covered going that route. Problem, now I had double the number photo files to wade through. Take a poor shot (which I did a lot learning!) and you have to manually delete two photos from the camera on screen menu. Just keep it simple and shoot in RAW format. It’s highly flexible post processing to fix all the boo-boos you may not have caught during the photo shoot. Yes, the files are larger, but it’s the only to retain control over your finished product.

Think White Balance

I’m always tweaking my photos post-processing, so I highly recommend shooting in RAW format. In Nikon, your RAW files will have a .NEF file extension. Camera raw files contain unprocessed picture data from a digital camera’s image sensor. Please note that the will NOT match the photo as displayed in the LCD on the rear of the camera. The LCD displays .JPG format for speed and convenience. Raw files give you, the photographer, control over interpreting the image data rather than letting the camera make the adjustments. Any post editing done to raw files are non-destructive and won’t suffer from any degradation. Meaning it preserves the original raw file data. You can edit the image as you desire, export the file to a type appropriate for your destination media, and keep the original raw file intact for future use.

If you choose to shoot in .JPG format from the get-go, you are VERY limited on the post processing photo adjustments you can make. It is a compressed image format, so the file sizes are considerably smaller but it is considered to be a destructive file type. In simple terms, every time you edit and save a .JPG photo file, the photo loses quality. And that’s a big issue if you want to turn out professional photos! If you absolutely must shoot in .JPG format, use fine compression and use the highest resolution possible.

If you haven’t checked lately, massive hard drives are inexpensive. This type of file storage is cheap! Buy two for double the capacity to make sure all your files are backed up! It’s cheap insurance for all your hard earned work! Buy inexpensive brand name big TB drives.

Shoot in RAW for the most flexible options later. And always remember to take the best photo possible to avoid post processing later.