 RAW files
Shooting RAW files is so good that once you understand how to take advantage of them you'll use them forever.
Uncooked ingredients
What's the hassle about unprocessed, untreated, unrefined, crude, unedited, undigested and unprepared pixels? Well, a lot, actually! A Photo Aficionado is pretty much like a Chef: using canned tomatoes is a sin; you must use fresh tomatoes. You can't let a tiny brain decide what it is going to happen to your pixels. That's fine for the P&S apprentice, but not for the true Photo Aficionado.
There are three important components to create a photographic image: the lens, the sensor and the camera's processor. When the RAW format is chosen the in-camera processor is override leaving the image just as the sensor received without any other treatment. This RAW files should be interpreted with software.
Appetite for destruction
Many people use the RAW files but and there are still many photographers using the JPG format. This format is popular because files are smaller due to the strong compression, but it is destructive and the image degrades every time it is saved.
The RAW files provide a great control of exposure, white balance and color. In many cases it is possible to rescue a badly over or under exposed photograph and the white balance could be easily restored.
A better way to handle image noise
Another strong reason for using the RAW format is image noise. This is especially important with the G9 that has really high levels of noise. A common sin among compact cameras is the wrong approach to noise reduction. Some manufacturers try to solve the problem by eradicating chroma noise and preserving luminance noise to produce a "grainy film" effect. Other choose to get rid of luminance noise. In most cases, an over aggressive noise suppression approach will ruin the detail on the shot. Choosing how to handle noise is a very personal choice and depends on many factors: light, the kind of scene and the level of detail you are willing to compromise.
With RAW files you can have all the control you need to handle noise.
In the case of EOS dSLR applies the same but at much higher ISO levels (1600 and 3200).
Pros and cons of using RAW files
| PROS |
CONS |
COMMENTS |
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RAW files consume both hard disk space and memory cards. |
RAW files are bigger, indeed, but the price of memory is falling dramatically. Today a decent 4Gb Compact Flash memory card costs about $50 and a more than decent 1Tb external hard drive is $250. So, don't worry about memory price. Your memories are pricier (sorry for the cliché :-) |
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RAW files take longer to be interpreted by the computer. |
Yes, it is true. It is not the same to process a ready-to-use 3mpx JPEG than a 10MB RAW file. If you don't have the latest computer around it will definitely take longer. Most of the photos on PhotoAFicionado.com (product photos) are shoot with a 40D. Since we don't plan to print such photographs and we are sometimes in a hurry, we take advantage of the sRAW (small RAW) format of the 40D. This way our RAW workflow speeds considerably, the computer takes less time to interpret the RAW data and we can publish the photographs in no time. |
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RAW files are too much for the camera buffer. |
Yes, it is true, a RAW file is bigger and it will take a toll over processor and memory buffer, but the latest generation of the Digic processor (now on its third iteration) is a pretty good handler of this extra amount of data. With a 40D you won't notice any difference, although it is true that the G9 and the Rebel XTi suffer a little more, but nothing unbearable. |
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RAW files are not standard, even from models from the same manufacturer |
Yes, each camera produce a unique RAW files, although every camera is shipped with the software to process the RAW files. Major developers (e.g. Adobe, Apple, etc.) take no less than a month to create the necessary upgrades for new models. |
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RAW files are too big for the internet |
Yes, you don't want to send a 10Mb attachment in your next e-mail, but a 3Mb JPEG is no small either and certainly you are not gonna shoot any photograph (important or not) in 640x480 pixels just because it will be easier to send to aunt Emma. |
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You have to process the files. |
Yes, but most of the time you will retouch or enhance a good photo to take the most out of it, so if you are going to process it anyway it is a good idea to have the extra information contained in the RAW file. |
| White balance is easier to adjust. |
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And that's great to have the ultimate control on the quality of your images, especially in difficult lighting or under several kinds of light. |
| RAW has a non-destructive compression. |
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Although you may think that RAW files are uncompressed they have a slight compression, yet it is loss less compression. The JPEG's are smaller but they loose detail and important information every time you save them. The RAW files don't and if you convert them to .TIF you won't have any loss of quality. |
| There is extra information in highlights. |
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You can reduce the highlights clipping of your photos easier via recovery tools if the photo was over-exposed. |
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The cost of processing software is an extra. |
Yes, but Lightroom is an amazing piece of software for $285 that does much more than just converting RAW files. But there are budget software such as Capture One LE or even Photoshop Elements 6. If you have a Mac, chances are that you will be able to use iPhoto for free. |
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It's more difficult to use than JPEGS. |
Not actually, most programs have presets so you can process your photos in one single step, but you can adjust your image with no hassle. The JPEG is ready right out of the card, but that's the only arena where JPEG's are easier than RAW. To use a RAW file you just need to download the images to computer, make any adjustments if you want and export them. |
| RAW files contain extra information for improved creativity and flexibility |
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It's true: such information give you enough ingredients to improve that you can end with images looking exactly to your taste instead of relying on the average processing of the tiny camera processor (even if it is a Digic III) |
| RAW files may be the equivalent of classic film |
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If you want an expressive photograph, not just to mimic reality, you can obtain dramatic results for excellent mono tones, more vivid colors, enhanced contrast. |
| Anyone can use RAW files |
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Pretty much like Gusteau's motto "anyone can cook", anyone can use RAW files. We are in the digital era and very probably you have access to a computer (you're reading this, right?), and the only thing you need is a camera capable of writing RAW files (a G9 or any EOS dSLR). |
| RAW files are forever. |
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Let's imagine this scenario: december 2017, ten years ago you used to have a now-old and very primitive 40D, and you took some very important photos back in 2007. In those days there was a big hassle about digital photography and (unbelievably) many people were afraid of shooting in RAW files.
Since you were an early adopter -and you was one of the pioneers that enjoyed the incredibly famous PhotoAficionado.com- you shoot your pictures in RAW.
Ten years from that, you backed up your photos in archive-quality digital media and there is a bonus: back in 2007 there was the crappy LightRoom version 1.3. Now, you enjoy LightRoom 20.0.
If you've used JPEG you'd have to stick to the processing style of 2007, but since you used RAW, you can interpret the files with the ultimate technology available. Sounds pretty good, huh? You don't have to wait 10 years, you'll see great improvements in image processing in the next 36 months. |
Canon's anti-RAW policy
Unfortunately Canon has decided to restrict the RAW format to the G9 and the entire line of dSLRs. It is a shame because the image is in RAW format right in the moment that the sensor captures it and then the in camera process is applied. Many allege that it is a marketing decision. We don't know the reasons, but many other manufacturers allow to shoot in RAW format with low end cameras. We hope that Canon adopts a different policy in the future about the RAW format availability.
Conclusion
Using RAW is like extending the control of the Manual mode even more. Don't be afraid of this file format, the difference is practically transparent and the benefits are huge. And, by the way, if you still have doubts, you can always set your camera to RAW+JPEG mode and shoot the two formats every time.
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