Bird pics-Raw or jpeg?

[Andy1265]

I've been shooting raw but may revert to jpeg. What are you guys/gals using and why. Thanks!

[CTScrivener]

RAW! I used to use jpeg until I really got into RAW, never looked back. The ability to adjust WB, exposure, sharpness, everything with the touch of a button afterwards and end up saving photos that would have been completely lost if shot in jpeg really made me decide on RAW. The colors just seem so much more vibrant to me atleast.

Just my $0.02

[inthedeck]

Same, Raw. Not just for birds, but for everything.

[Andy1265]

I've been using raw for the same reasons you guys have. Maybe I just need to hone my pp skills as it seems I can't get my pictures to look as crisp and colorful as the pictures that others post here.

[inthedeck]

DPP is actually sometimes better than CS2/3...so, I use that first, convert to tiff files, and then, work it in PS where it has other 'tools' that I like. Then again, I don't process a 1000 images a day...so, I take my time...hehe.

[hTr]

RAW Here and I have a few posting you can look at to see if you like!!

[Pitter]

Some cameras like the 40D let you take both at once. However if you´re only going to reduce the image to 800x something and post it on a forum I see no point in taking the time to do a lot of work on the RAW image.

[canonloader]

I am now back to RAW only. When I first got CS3, I switched back to JPG L cause CS3 lets you open them as a RAW and use the sliders. Nice options, but after a few weeks, I was losing some shots I could have saved or made better had I shot them in RAW. I probably won't try that again.

[snowyowl13]

RAW processed with DPP. My version of CS2 doesn't handle RAW files for some reason.

[inthedeck]

^^ There should be a plug-in for CS2 to work with Raw Files. A little different, than CS3, though...I use both, (dunno why), they are installed, so, sometimes, I just play around, to see which does a 'better' job.

[Duane N]

I shoot 100% in RAW. I'm too new at photography and you never know when "that shot" will happen and I don't want to mess it up shooting in jpeg. :lol:

Wishful thinking I know but I like to think positive. :p

[canonloader]

My version of CS2 doesn't handle RAW files for some reason.
Let it update. CS2 will do all RAW's up to 30D and MkII. It won't do 40D and MkIII. and for those, you can get the free DNG converter, convert the cr2's to dng and open those in ACR as RAW's. :)

[eccles]

There are several raw processors around that have subtle differences. I've recently been quite impressed with Raw Therapee, which is freeware. It seems to do all that CS3 raw does, but for me at least (Sony A700) it extracts noticeably more detail. Of course you have to save a jpeg or tiff and then use Photoshop or other photo program if you want to do anything else with it, so it's a two stage process unlike Photoshop.
I prefer raw pretty well all the time. Even images for web display are nicer if reduced from a jpeg as untouched and close to the raw original as possible.
Edit: I just checked, Raw Therapee will handle Canon 40D and Mk III

[Swift]

I shoot RAW no matter what.

[tdodd]

If you want to perform any adjustments whatsoever - WB, levels, sharpening, crop etc. then why start with a file that has already thrown away several bits of data and then compressed even more data to oblivion? If you start with a raw file then you need only "suffer" one conversion to jpeg, not two. If you don't need to perform any edits then just batch process in DPP and a few minutes later you have your jpegs.

The option to fine tune (within limits) in raw with zero quality loss is priceless. Don't throw that option away unless you are confident you will not need to take advantage of it. Well, that's my philosophy anyway :)

[wlaramie]

I held off on RAW thinking it was too much work but when I switched, many months back, I don't even think about JPEG anymore. The ability to enhance the quality of the image with the amount of detail captured makes the time spent in post processing well worth the time and energy. Feel free to visit the birding site to see photos from many of the people commenting on this posts and that should help explain why RAW is so popular.