Is there a significant benefit in using RAW instead of highest JPEG on a Canon Digital Rebel?

Question

I am an advanced amateur, and I generally don't print larger than 8x10.

Answer 1

The benefits of using RAW are marginal. In fact, a lot of (professional) wedding photographers shoot exclusively in jpg.
The two occasions where you do want the extra information in RAW files are:
* when you shoot under tricky lighting conditions, where you might screw up the exposure. A RAW file is easyer to salvage. (If possible, bracket and use the histogram, too.)
* when you want poster size prints.

Answer 2

In a word, no. Although there is some slight loss of fidelity most cameras these days have so many megapixels that it just doesn't matter unless you are blowing the picture way up.

The point to using RAW format is you can manipulate the picture AFTER you have taken it. The settings for white balance, color saturation, contrast, and sharpness are implemented during digital development (ie when the RAW format for the camera is converted into a generalized format like JPEG). Let's say you decide later on that you used the wrong settings for white balance or that certain of the colors are incorrectly saturated or that the picture is too soft. Although you can manipulate these things with special software in JPEG format, you will lose some fidelity of the picture. However, since these settings are not implemented until the process of digital development, if you maintain a RAW image, you can manipulate them directly BEFORE digital development, with no loss of fidelity. Also, you typically have much more control over these things manipulating the image on the computer, than the camera has when it automatically converts them to JPEG as you take the picture. Also, there are various types of color conversion while doing digital development. They may give different results. Your camera may offer only one or two while a computer program working on a RAW file offers more.

Answer 3

JPEG is what's called a lossy format. It compresses the file size, but in the process some pixel data is lost. The lower the compression factor, the more detail that is throwm away. This is recognizable on highly compressed JPEGs as "artifacts," random blocks of pixles with the same color.

RAW means that no compression is being used, so no detail is lost. Of course, this means a much, much larger file and thus fewer pictures that can be stored on your camera.

In my experience, as long as the JPEG compression factor is set fairly high, say higher than 8 on a scale of 10, the loss is not noticable and the there are few artifacts. The tradeoff in the size of the file is worth it, in my opinion.

Answer 4

jpeg is a compression format no matter what setting you use. it's always going to lose information and destroy pixels. raw is an archival non-destructive format. that is the ideal setting for the highest quality digital photos. raw also has an extremely large file size. but with a 1-2 gig memory card you should be fine.
p.s. print size and file format are not really related.

Answer 5

One consideration to take into account is that there are a variety of RAW formats. You need to ensure that the photo processing software you use willl handle the particular RAW format of your camera. Because JPEG is so prevailant in the world of digital images is is more than likely that photo software in the future will always accept JPEG images but it your camera's version of RAW format disappears you could be out of luck in archiving your photos.

Some cameras such as the Olympus E 500 can save the same image as both RAW and JPEG. This is the best of both worlds.

I quess the short answer is: shoot RAW if you can (considering file size) and always save a JPEG copy of the image.

Answer 6

I, personally, have pretty much not used the .jpg setting on my Canon Digital Rebel anymore -- the .crw setting is what I use (and for me, this is an enjoyable hobby). Anytime you use .jpg -- there is a loss of quality in terms of pixels of data and information being saved -- and if you are not concerned about that situation -- then use the .jpg setting because you will be able to put more images on your CF Card.

I, however, use the .crw (raw) setting because I am more concerned about the enjoyment of using my camera (I am retired, and now am returning to visit all the places I went through at hyper speed while on Active Duty with the Military), and for me, I want to remember what I am seeing, and what I am doing, and just enjoy the sights that I am photographing -- then I use the Adobe Photosoft to artistically improve my images.

So it all depends -- maybe later on you will decide "hey, the .jpg is not what I want really" and start focusing more on taking the .crw images for the additional information that is in them. Just do whatever makes you comfortable at this time.

Answer 7

not really unless you are a professional and need the raw format for sophisticated manipulation of the picture. But if you were a pro, you wouldn't be asking this question. So I would say no!