do you use raw or jpeg?

[morbidorbits]

You're right, the image will gradually deteriorate if you repeatedly open and resave it. Raw is lossless, as you said. You can work in JPEG without worrying about degradation though. Just treat the original images as electronic negatives, or master images, and always work off a copy. That preserves the integrity of the originals.

Also, when using Lightroom to edit your images (in any format) it preserves the original file and saves any changes as a set of instructions, rather than hard baking them into the image. Non-destructive editing is one of the major benefits of using Lightroom IMO.

 

[morbidorbits]

Sports i use Jpeg, everything else i use RAW

Can I ask why you do that?

 

[Gold]

Raw just being able to correct the white balance is so handy

This Lightroom and RAW make it so easy to correct WB.

 

[48thEagle]

Compared to the answers given here, I would imagine I am considered a heathen.

I only shoot in jpeg, I am lazy and useless when it comes to workflow and editing, I take the pics, and dump them in a folder, I seem to have convinced myself that I couldn't see any difference between raw and jpeg.

And I have probably deleted many pictures that someone with a good knowledge of editing would be able to salvage and keep.

 

[Dom]

RAW.

 

[JasonRS]

No, not really. If you set the camera up correctly, and get everything right when you take the shot, there shouldn't be any need for post processing at all. Unfortunately most of us can't guarantee to do this consistently, and post processing gives us another bite at the cherry, within limits.

In the words of Jim Royle, "My ar$e.."

http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2009/11/purists-beware.html

Avedon's instructions to his printer for retouching an image...

Taking the shot is just part of the process.

Even Ansel Adams is known for his darkroom techniques and manipulating the exposure zones. Expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights sound familiar??

JPEG is letting the camera do the developing, it makes a RAW from the sensor data, processes it then just spit out the jpeg to your card discarding the RAW data on the way, it makes a whole bunch of assumptions based on maths and not your creative desires, then spits out a file at the end.

The RAW file, just like the Negative from our film days, gives you much greater latitude when it comes to the post production.

In very simple analogies

Working with RAW is like developing your own film, then creating the print yourself, you control the entire process.

Creating a Jpeg is like sending the film off to quick print and hoping for the best. Once you've pressed the button there's not a lot else you can do.