RAW processing

Please refer me to another thread if there's a relevant one.

I have a quick question regarding RAW and jpeg comparisons. I know everyone says to shoot in raw - but what I find is that it takes me forever to post process all my RAW files if I adjust all the settings for each individual one.

Am I better off just batch converting my RAW files as they are and adjusting exposure, colours etc as a jpeg? Or do "proper" photographers tweak and then convert each individual photo from RAW to jpg (or tiff or something).

I use have elements 5 and the RAW plugin.

What I am rally asking is will I end up with a better quality jpg if I shoot in RAW and convert (without adjustment) that I would have by just shooting in jpg??

Thanks - appreciate any help someone may be able to offer.

You're better off doing everything possible in RAW, as it's faster and results in better quality as there's more data available. My workflow's linked from my sig. The key is doing things in batches, shooting manual makes that easier as you have consistency in your shots, but only if the light stays the same. Even if they're different I still open as batches and tweak individually, in CS3 ACR. I guess for basic corrections I spend about 5 seconds per image, give or take - sometimes less, sometimes a lot more. There's a RAW FAQ linked from my sig too.

Your results may be worse if you convert without tweaking because of Elements limited RAW converter... no batch processing (and I don't think a color-calibration tab either.)

I think Elements 6 actually lets you start to do batch processing, but not sure about color-calibration.

That's my main gripe with ACR... colors are terrible (reds shift to orange.) If you're having this problem with ACR too, In my opinion you're better off using DPP that came with your camera. (At least compared to Elements implementation of ACR.) Without being able to set a color calibration preset, and without batch mode, you'd be forced to MAJORLY tweak every image.

But as Tim said, better results in RAW come from doing minor tweaks to every image, but batch mode and presets are really needed to get you to that starting point in ACR (in my experience, at least)... and unfortunately, Elements couldn't do that... I stuck with DPP because of the better color results and batch ability until I began using Lightroom earlier this year.

(Note... looks like new version of DPP just released.)

OK Thanks for the helpful responses - now to put it to the test.

There are some examples on page 2, post #58, that illustrate easily seen information loss in a web jpeg derived from a RAW file & one shot in the camera. Those differences will look even bigger in a hi-res print.

Its best to use raw. There is some picture loss. But if you take a jpeg only then if an image s badly over or under exposed then you may not have any information at all stored. With raw thats not the case.

Try opening a window with a number of files in.

1 Open up photoshop.
2. then open up another window and select several raw files.
3. now drag them into the photoshop window.

You will then be able to edit several files at once.

also investigate applying settings from one picture to another. There is a button marked synchronise. learn how to use that.

In Camera Raw, try selecting multiple photos at a time to help speed up.

hairybobby wrote in post #4237758
Its best to use raw. There is some picture loss.

Would you mind explaining what you mean by "there is some picture loss"?