DUMB QUESTION ??

Is thers a down side to keeping the camera (G6) settings on s/fine and L compression apart from the obvious one of less images per C/F card? I have a 1GB card and at the moment I keep the camera on auto as I am very new to this game. I am working my way through the manual but so far I can't see any reasons not to keep it on SF & L. Thanks.

None whatsoever except you will get "only" 325 or so pics on the card............I always use the Large Superfine setting unless I know I'm mailing a pic of a house or oil tank in my insurance business.

The G6 refers to the last settings you had when you turn off the camera.

If you're interested in a high frame rate for high-speed shooting, the buffer will fill more quickly with the Superfine/Large quality. If I remember correctly (from testing with various qualities), even on Fine/Large, the frame rate never decreases (okay, I only took about 60 seconds worth of shots, so maybe 'never' is an exageration, but I suspect the buffer would have filled by then if ever), wheras after about 4 seconds it slows down in Sf/L (again, from memory). Also, after a burst of pictures, it takes longer to flush the buffer to the card, during which time some operations are limited.
If you don't use that feature much, and you've got a big card, I'd say Sf/L is a good default.

I'd like to compare the three compression levels on the G6 to see if I can determine what percent compression each one uses--I just haven't taken the time to do so. Should be easy: take 4 identical shots, 1 RAW, and three at each of the compression levels (all Large). Convert the RAW to jpeg at varying compression and compare both file size and (harder to judge) image quality. Sort of academic, I suppose, but I'd just like to know that Superfine is 70%, Fine is 60% and Normal is 40% (or whatever they really are).
Don't suppose anyone else has already figured that out?

I'm wondering about fine vs. superfine? There are those who say that you should do all sharpening at the very end of your work flow. Is it better to do all of your sharpening on the computer, instead of the camera?

That's another nice thing about RAW, you can make all of these decisions after the shot, in the comfort of a soft chair!

this time im just using jpg for any shot... i want to learn how to shoot in RAW ... what's the advantage? and how do i finish my photos in RAW?... any idea?

one more thing, i heard that PS can open the RAW file... ... i've tried many times to open RAW in PS... but return to fail... must i get any plug-in for it?...

PS_cs version will open raw and PS7 will with an adobe plugin...discontinued now so we all get cs perhaps....except I'm runnin' mac os9.2 si I can't have cs.

Question: Has anyone got the plugin for PS7 and where can I get it?

PS Elements can also open RAW, fwiw.

Rich, you might try downloading the latest update (2.4) to Adobe Camera RAW, and then copy the Camera Raw.8bi file into your ".../plugins/file formats" folder.
http://www.adobe.com …oduct=39&platfo​rm=Windows
or for Mac:
http://www.adobe.com …uct=39&platform​=Macintosh

infeeneetee, there are several good threads here on the use of raw--you might try a search for "RAW workflow" Also search on google--tons of good tips. Also check the classic debate:
http://194.100.88.243 …rkflow/_RAW_wor​kflow.html
(there should be a link at the beginning to Ken Rockwell's original article suggesting you skip RAW). They both make good points. Kind of depends on what you're shooting, what you're going to do with your shots, and how much you like post-processing--or, really, if you post-process at all (if you do, RAW can probably be just as easy as jpeg once you devise a workflow you like).

I'd say it's similar to the DSLR vs digicam question: while it's true that a digicam can limit you, it does not necessarily follow that using DSLR will inherently make your pictures better. Ditto with jpeg vs RAW. It can help, but might not, too.

Thanks, but this is a cs version update...there was a seperate plugin for ps7 but adobe dont list it anymore.....I only got ps7.
Incidentally, does ps elements have the complete control over raw imports that cs has?

I decided for myself (after reading the review here and seeing the samples and i also tried for myself) that LARGE and FINE are enough for me - there are visibly no artefacts and you can get nearly 600 images on a 1 GB card. You still have the oportunity to save a jpeg to raw imediately after shotting by pressing the flash button

I would always prefer Large/fine over medium/superfine.

I was thinking large/fine vs. large/superfine. Some say that superfine introduces too many sharpening artifacts. I've been using raw lately because it seems to speed my workflow, I find that if I adjust the image in it's raw stage, I spend a lot less time with levels, curves, and contrast. Much easier to correct a color cast in raw.

fine or superfine just define the level of compression of the JPEG.
If you use superfine, you get a bigger file because the compression level is lower that in fine, that means the picture contains more details.
In fine, the compression is higher, that's why you'll have compression artefacts, but not sharpening artefacts.

let's put it like this : fine = good quality, superfine = better quality...

Thank you, Ikinaa.

Jeff