Why use RAW in digital camera?

[Ann Marie TN]

Donald - no, I am not afraid of the jargon. I am willing to learn as I go. I've been an amateur photographer for the past 10-15 years now...and I really enjoy it, it's come quite the hobby (and also my relaxation after a hard day at work). I've read photographer ezine on-line and some of them are not very plain. Like I said earlier, I am still learning the things my camera can do even tho it is a Fujifilm...it takes beautiful photos.

Sadly the lens in my Fujifilm has loosened and needs sent out to be repaired. I really don't want to be without a camera while it is gone...that's why I am looking into a Nikon (or even a Canon).

Thank you to everyone that has commented on my questions...I really do appreciate the help with the raw & JPEG questions that I had.

Ann

[george013]

WOW!!! Lots of info! Thank you so much for teaching me about raw and JPEG.

One more question...does it matter if I want to print out a 8x10 picture - what would the difference between the raw and just a JPEG photo?? Would the raw be more crispier, clearer?? Or is a raw photo taken only to be used in a program to MAKE it more crisp and clear???

Thank you again for answering my questions.
Ann

Yes ladies and gentlemen, again.



Ann,
Focus on that RGB raster image. That's the image you see, that's the image you print, that's the image you edit, that's the image you save to disk in some format.
The RAW data is the Color Filter Array. It's not an image yet. So you can't print it, or see it. Only after it has been through the converter you'll have an image, a RGB image as used in computers.
You didn't mention the type of your camera yet. Does it have a RAW possibility? Or are you still wondering what camera to buy?

George

[pnodrog]

Please change scherm to Monitor or Display...

[xpatUSA]

Please change scherm to Monitor or Display...

I asked him to do that long ago. He won't do it. He won't correct "editer" either . .

Trivia: In Afrikaans it means a hut, screen or shelter.

[revi]

We don't know what kind of Nikon/Canon camera you are looking for.
The ones with exchangeable lenses always offer the possibility of saving in raw format (afaik...),
for the others, it's mostly the high end of the price range. If that's what you are looking at anyway,
having the option to save as raw might be nice.

But you have to be aware that when you start working with the raw files, the first results are probably
worse than the in-camera jpegs... Raw treatment has to be learned (not that difficult, but different
from jpeg).