Best file to convert fom RAW?

[canon rookie]

Ok I'm almost always dissapointed with my RAW to jpeg conversions.What is the best file to convert to? It seems TFF is better but I'm wondering what most people convert RAW files to?I'm talking for printing purposes.
Thanks,
Rookie

[bheard1836]

Hi rookie

The issue is not so much what file type to convert to but more a question of what you do to the RAW file in the process.
When you shoot in RAW, you are simply telling the camera to not make any decisions on processing for you - the RAW file is simply all of the information captured by the sensor with nothing omitted. When you open the RAW file, you have to decide how to process it - white balance, sharpening, contrast etc...
When you shoot jpg, the camera makes the bulk of the processing decisions for you, and then compresses the file - effectively dumping the file information it did not use or was done with. That's why RAW files are so much larger than jpg.
My 40D will shoot beautiful jpgs - particularly if I tweak some of the picture style settings. I shoot RAW so that I have far more creative control when I get to LR and PP.

[tzalman]

For printing purposes it would be virtually impossible to see any difference between a once saved, maximum quality jpg and a tif. But unless you need to edit more in a secondary editor,why bother with the intermediate file at all? I print directly from LR and have in the past printed from DPP.

[bjyoder]

For printing purposes it would be virtually impossible to see any difference between a once saved, maximum quality jpg and a tif. But unless you need to edit more in a secondary editor,why bother with the intermediate file at all? I print directly from LR and have in the past printed from DPP.

This is pretty much true. Unless you are going to do a very large print - say 20"x30" or larger - a good, high quality jpeg should get you set.

Sound like more of a processing thing to me.

[illrooster132]

good question. i see alot of quality difference when i save my raw files to jpeg after processing.
i like the jpeg that my camera do better. so i shoot both just in case i learn a better way to handle raw

[canon rookie]

Well thanks for your replies.I didn't know I could print directly from DDP.It does seem like my prints always get softer when converting to jpeg and it seems other might agree.I just didn't know if some of the other files listed in the photoshop dropdown box were better or not.
Thanks,
rookie

[Wendell Dorman]

I shoot raw and JPG at the same time but I find that at times my raw file is missing, expecially if I make a number of shots in a short period of time.
Any help or suggested would be greatly appreciated.
Wendell Dorman

[rral22]

good question. i see alot of quality difference when i save my raw files to jpeg after processing.
i like the jpeg that my camera do better. so i shoot both just in case i learn a better way to handle raw

An unusual comment, in my circles.

I think you should experiment more with your Raw conversion, or maybe even try another converter. I know of no one who can't please himself more with a carefully done Raw conversion, than with Jpeg conversions from the camera.

I expect you will learn a better way to handle raw if you experiment more.

[Haribo]

I shoot raw and JPG at the same time but I find that at times my raw file is missing, expecially if I make a number of shots in a short period of time.
Any help or suggested would be greatly appreciated.
Wendell Dorman

A little off topic, but this sounds like it is due to the camera buffer being full... the write time for a RAW file is much longer, so less RAW files can be taken in quick succession compared to jpegs. I guess if you are shooting RAW+jpeg, then the buffer can handle a few more jpegs before it runs out of space...although I would have thought they should stop at the same time...