JPEG Vs RAW - Prime conditions to SEE the difference

OP wrote in #1:-
"After reading an article on SLR lounge: (http://www.slrlounge.com/raw-vs-jpeg...e-visual-guide) I've tried taking several of exactly the same shots in both JPEG & RAW however there never seems to be as much of a difference between them (my RAW files never look as flat, poor contrast & dark as their example)."
Just had a look at that website and have to agree with what you say.
Yep, their RAW version looks terrible in comparison!

The problem is that there's no such thing as the 'real' raw image. The raw data has to be interpreted to produce an image. DPP can read the camera settings at the time of shooting and apply those to the raw data to produce an image that is the same as the jpeg that the camera would have produced.

But DPP is the only program that can apply the camera settings, all other raw processors apply a default set of parameters - either those set by the programmers or those set by the user. The default programmer's parameters are normally set to produce an image that has lower contrast, less sharpening, less noise-reduction and lower saturation than your camera-produced jpeg.

This is responsible for one of the more common complaints about LightRoom - that it initially display a contrasty, over-saturated, over-sharpened image (that the complainant really likes) and then it replaces it with a wishy-washy, colourless, blurry image that it just horrible. That's because LR initially displays the embedded jpeg (which the camera produces using the camera settings) then, once it's processed the raw data, using its default parameters, it displays the 'real' image.

It's realtively easy to fix this by creating your own default parameters that will be applied to each image automagically when you import them.

So, there's no real answer to your question. I'd have to recommend using DPP to start with - because it, by default, is the same as shooting jpeg. But play around with a few images - double-click an image and the editing window should open. If the Tool Palette isn't visible press CTRL-T, then just twiddle with everything until you've got a good idea what it all does. Raw processors don't change the raw data, so you can't ruin anything and can always go back to the beginning.
I get this now and from what I understand DPP automatically applies all in-camera settings to the raw file upon opening so that would explain why the RAW images in DPP look so 'nice' from the off. Looks like I'll be shooting in RAW from now on after everyone's input has helped me make that decision. Being a newbie I'm never under any time (or even storage space) constraints and I've always edited my JPEG pictures (from my old Lumix TZ10 compact camera) before saving/developing them anyway. Shooting RAW will enable me to get the very best out of my camera and gives me maximum flexibility post capture.

Cheers
 
As said before, I think alot of it depends on time scales of work loads.

If I am shooting a do where turn around time isnt of the essence then RAW and JPEG everytime, if I need the photos out the next day like with the racing then I only shoot JPEG as raw takes up valuble space and I don't have time to edit 3000 Photos in one night... its just not possible.

The trade off is that I need to know the metering inside and out because if the light changes then I will get a crap shot that could be over or under exposed and I wont be able to recover it.

In raw it would be no problem to pull back or brighten up..

Portraits or animal shoots or everyday shooting I shoot raw, motorsport for the BMW's and MR2's I shoot JPEG only as time just doesnt allow me to do otherwise
 
Mmm... 13,232 images, all JPGs occupying 24.8GB. If I add RAWs as well, that's going to look like 120GB+ surely. I suppose at just over £100 for 4TB (double because it has to be mirrored) disk is cheap, so...

Frank won me over with his pictures of the sun dial.
 
There are codec packs available from Microsoft so you can view the raw files in explorer. I shoot raw then use explorer to flick through the files to remove the oof ones etc, before working on the decent ones remaining.
 
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