5 Steps to Better Understanding When to Shoot RAW vs JPEG | Mastering Your Craft 

Nobody realize how good the microphone sounds.

Finally a serious RAW vs JPEG video, unbiased and with right example images. Well done

As someone who is starting a hobby out of photography, this video helped out a lot in understanding raw & jpeg scenarios.

I never really thought about it. I hear people say, "I ONLY SHOOT RAW". I get stuck in that mind set of only shooting Raw. But you're right, Raw isn't always needed. Family picnic (or family gathering) is a perfect example. Other EXCELLENT video.

Excellent, clear and well-balanced discussion of the issues involved.

I shoot in jpeg simply when I know I’m not going to edit 🤷‍♂️

When he said "it's got nothing to do with RAW files, but I have to fix it fix it fix it", I felt that

Definitely one of the better videos on this subject and also at least three Lightroom features I didn't know about before. This is enough to make me want to look at all your other work. My current process (non 'professional' photography): shoot JPEG + RAW, do a first pass of deleting unnecessary images on camera itself (which gets rid of each pair), then import JPEGs only into Lightroom, look at the JPEGs full screen - identify any that are challenging and if necessary import RAW for those too, discard rest of RAW. With the exception that if the photos are for something especially important, or someone else may need to process them one day, I might as well retain the RAW files. Also 'processing' means different things to different people - wherever possible I like to get the histogram right on the camera (and the Fuji cameras do an amazing job with white balance), but I still might make subtle tweaks to the overall exposure or highlights or saturation in Lightroom - and I'd argue you can do that absolutely fine with a correctly exposed JPEG. The other things I enjoy doing don't have much to do with levels, but still make a big difference to the image: cropping, levelling, fixing perspective, post-crop vignette, spot removal, maybe slight tweaks to parts of the image with the Color panel (and of course, assigning keywords). To the best of my knowledge, lack of RAW makes no difference to any of that (I guess the obvious exception is performance of masks). The other workflow comment I'd make: if you're (and anyone reading this probably is) someone who takes time to get the exposure etc. right in camera, it's a bit frustrating / hard on yourself to have to do all that again every single time in Lightroom (whether by setting all the sliders manually, or using Auto then inevitably having to fix everything Lightroom did that you don't like). I'm trying to avoid that and maybe have a slightly fast import experience / less anxiety about disk space at the same time.

Very good video to explain when shooting raw is needed and when jpeg is sufficient. I like your decision tree method.

Great video. Love the decision tree on choosing between RAW and JPG.

You make a it all make sense! I'm going to watch more of your videos

Great advice Pye thanks for sharing.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! It hits my stage of photography perfectly!

Well said and I totally enjoy your content.

Excellent video! So helpful!

Wow! Thank you so much for this. Much needed. Subscribed! 👍🏽

Fantastic video, very useful information. And very well explained. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent breakdown of RAW vs JPEG. Very well thought out and presented Thank you!

Thanks. Your insights help a lot.

Excellent topic. I shoot sports for a newspaper and a college. They want fast delivery. I shoot portraits and families, they need processing. I've shot RAW for years because I was taught it was the way to go - period. But so many events are in dark school gyms, I went to JPG recently as the camera does a better job than LR presets. I don't see that much of a speed improvement between the two as my laptop is pretty quick, but JPG saves a few seconds per image on any enhancements and those seconds add up. It's also less stress.

An important subject and well covered by yourself. Thank you!

So great video! Thank you so much ❤️

Thank you Pye, for clarifying this subject. It was quite helpful for an old analog/film photographer like myself. Your tutorials are well thought out and not confusing or convoluted like others I've viewed.

Pye your videos are worth watching for your voice alone. 😎 It also helps that your videos have very, VERY valuable content.

That decision tree is really helpful, well explained, thanks!

Amazing information, I really learned a lot. Thanks

So helpful and informative. Thank you!

Great explanations, thank you!

Beautiful video bro

thank you , it really make sense what you just said

Thank you so much, Clear and very useful.

Very good, usefull and well done video ! There are so many urban legends saying that today shooting raw is useless ! I always shoot raw+jpeg exactly for the reasons you explained. I would say that the software has improved a lot today. I have done new raw processing of old pictures taken with my old D200 and the result is quite better today with new software (noise reduction).

Thanks for the time and information.

The time I spent was 💯% helpful, to this newbie.

3:34 Glad to see a Canon user acknowledge that (5D IV for example has around 13.6 stops of DR compared to 14.6 on a Nikon Z7). Usually people get angry and all worked up if you just state the fact that Canon for whatever reason has lagged in the DR for several years now. Sony has been doing very well in that area and since some other brands use Sony sensors they get the benefit of that too. DR is not the only thing that matters, but it matters to me mostly because I like smooth transitions between highlights and shadows and how that makes the image look. I'm not one to beat an image to death in post with raising shadows 4-5 stops (I'd rather delete the file before I do that in most cases)...so that's not the reason I mention DR. Overall I just like the look of an image that has more DR because the highlights and shadows are more evened out, for lack of a better way to say it. And regarding JPG vs RAW, yeah I don't think I really need a ton of raw files for a little family gathering. Who needs to edit all that? ;-)

That mic sounds incredible!!

Good information

Great video. I had no idea what raw in photography ment before seeing this video

Your mic sounds fantastic. Lol loved the remarks you made re: straightening the horizon 😂👍. Great video, thank you!

Great video thanks. Also, got to say, I've watched a load of RU-vid the last two days and your microphone sounds the best hands down!

thank you! Very helpful for this amateur!

Good job Pye.. I really enjoy the vids you post. Your execution and delivery are clear and concise .. Have u ever done any workshops in the eastern states maybe Cleveland or pittsburg areas??

Well explained 👍🏾

Good video!

Nice video. Thanks.

Funny thing is that I actually used RAW for the first time yesterday... and it was for a family BBQ. :') Then I ended up watching this video. In the end, the BBQ was a great exercice to experiment more with semi-manual mode + and RAW editing, so don't hesitate to use any opportunities to practice your photography skills, hehe. Great video sir ! :) Liked the soothing voice and the use of the comparisons.

Many Thanks for this (saved) comparison & decision tree. Recently, I prefer making jpeg photos when composing and shooting: Time saving & a much more human touch than a full robotic and cold perfect Raw followed by hours of postprod. Relying on Fuji simulation films: to be choosen, as well as WB, HDR, before composing, shooting. Final image can be checked on site & ready to share. Et voilà!

Good INFO! RAW + JPEG one has a reference in jpeg to create an image, otherwise, we may have something totally different from what we saw in mirrorless. One learns photography better using the jpeg. Good to discard the notion of being a pro and learn photography.

Thank you very nice and clear

Great video, thanks. Your mic sounds great.

Formidable now I understand :) Very pleased that I am already "Subscribed" :)

Thank you Pye for that explanation. In my opinion though, I would shoot both RAW + JPEG for everything, even if you know you're not going to need to process said images (at least not right away anyway). And I say not right away anyway, because how do you know that said image isn't going to be important down the road? Think of RAW files as digital negatives. Because one major downside of JPEG files is that, say you archive said JPEG images onto an External HDD or SSD. Unless you convert said images to TIFF (which for the beginner is another format that's related to JPEG but better), every time you open a JPEG image, that image degrades slowly over time. As Pye said though, the only exception are press photographers who NEED to shoot JPEG for their line of work.

Basically get it right in camera and the jpeg can look just as good. Problem with the demo is the shot is basically done wrong. If you are trying to get the extra dynamic range you would use exposure bracketing or hdr mode. It is ilogical to expect high dynamic range jpeg files if you don't set the camera up for it. You could also sometimes 0ut a gradient filter on the lens. The white balance should also be set right in camera but still it's usually easily corrected even on jpeg. It almost all comes down to the choice to either be a good thorough photographer or be an editor with lots to fix. Even with jpegs I think they require at least a good bit of post to get the most out of them so I don't think it forgoes the need to edit.

thanks a lot you just make me think you are great !!

I like this

I dont need my photos seconds or minutes later. So I always shoot in raw. Still prefer raw for family events etc., dont see the post processing later as a hurdle, prefer the raw details in case I need them later.

Thank you for these explanations

MANY THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO! I'm a JPEG kind of Nikon guy, but I'm willing to try RAW and risk using all of my computer file space! LOL Thanks again...

I have my canon 5D4 saves RAW and JPG in separate cards. I generally use the jpg files only. The RAW files are kept as backup and also for the rare occasion when I need to pull drastic adjustment. I do bracketing and fill in flash in difficult situation. The camera does a better job than the Lightroom presets.

simple just shoot both together and u got it covered. tons of room on duel card cameras (cards are huge these days) so no issues running out space.

Edit the image in post? Huh?Iit sounds so cool to you.

You may end up forgetting which file you're shooting at. I'm just a casual shooter and I regretfully did mistake of shooting JPEG for high DR stuffs. From there on, I always shoot RAW. Fuji does this very correctly. In body raw converter. I really hope other maker does the same.

👍👍👍👍 👌👌👌👌 Excellent Tutorial 🙏🙏🙏🙏 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Great content... much appreciated!

While the basic point is clear, the blitz through the myriad editing software variables is bewildering. How many of them, in what ways and to what extent are worthy of one's attention in rendering a finished product?

Hi Pye, great video as always. I would like to know your opinion about RAW versus multiple JPEG EV bracketing? I tried this RAW processing and shadows looks awful after light up in PS. But when I shoot 3 or 5 JPEG with different EV settings after merging them together they looks lot better. I have to admit a lot more work but the results are lot better and cleaner image. I have seen professional photographers print outs from RAW editing, 100% shadows lifting and they were really ugly with lot of noise, colour shifting and lot of other issues. What do you think? Do you use EV bracketing with RAW?

Taking advantage of the end of lockdown to take up a secondary hobby in photography. Raw vs JPEG really seems to be a huge debate, kinda like thermal paste in PC building, doing it the popularly "right" way only really matters for those doing highly custom work.

Great video. But why does everybody reduce RAW-abilities to Lightroom-abilities? There are so many and even better RAW-processors. Some are even better adopted to the camera makers than adobe stuff. And some of those are even free. Just save your RAWs for future progress.

Vacation and family pictures only for me. What’s going to be the easiest way to get great photos? We do a lot of landscape and wildlife on vacation. Shooting with a Pen ep7 (like the portability) and will edit on Rawtherapee or GIMP (haven’t used either but using free software)

Pye speaking the truth. Still lost to the world's best photographer : Lee Morris. But great advices, nonetheless. Thanks Pye !

Very helpful. I guess for a wedding I should use raw? It’s a simple wedding. Not that fancy or big. Something family only.

What is the name of the outdoor light you used on the beach? 🙏

Ok, saved to be view....review...and review again and again =D

Thank you. I feel better about shooting in jpeg. Because I shoot a lot of photos in a single shoot and I really try to get the shot "in the camera" I also thought your jpeg shot was more realistic. The image is back lit, you should not have all that information of the rocks, they should be in shadow as much as the subject is.

What would you do without Photoshop? Before this tool and digital cameras photographers took perfect pictures?

There is also the scenario 'i can't afford to shoot raw' by this i mean i can only afford to get an entry level camera (M50) and half way decent glass (sigma 100-400) i shoot wildlife action shots so i like to do fast burst which means 23 before buffer slows things down in jpeg and 8 in raw. if i could afford a camera that can handle fast burst raw of 30+ then i would use raw.

Thank you for all your content, your channel has been really great. *Question,* if I'm just practicing my skills and getting to know my different lenses, would shooting in JPEG force me to be a more accurate photographer on site? I don't want to over-rely on editing, but at the same time I get some practice shots where I love the composition and artistry and would like to fine-tune the image later on, but can't since I've been shooting in JPEG. At the same time, hundreds of these shots are throwaways. I'm never sure which are which til I see them on a computer screen. Even though I'm shooting on an older crop sensor camera, I've invested in pretty good glass- not topline glass, but not kit lenses either, and the widest apertures I could buy (I have two f/1.4 lenses and a continuous aperture f/2.8 zoom). Please advise, thanks!

Great video although thought the decision between shooting RAW and JPEG was decided once and for all when High speed 128GB SD cards dropped to $30. :)

I will shoot jpeg to emulate analog film. Just develop or print its the final image or apply presets to save time

nice voice Pye...

Hi, I have a doubt, in a photography competition they are asking to submit a raw photo, but I actually clicked my picture in a JPG format. Can I submit the JPG photo ??please reply

💖

I just saw that the link for downloading photos is not working :( There is any posibility to have these photos, there is a link I could take from?

Does this work for mobile lightroom?

For an image with high dynamic range,should I shoot 1 raw photo or multiple jpegs with different exposures and then stack them together? What do you guys think will turn out "better"?

The issue is that jpeg does not work well for times when you want to maximize SNR. Ideally when practical, you need to saturate in camera and process in post. The goal should be to saturate the sensor as much as possible without clipping desired highlights, and then get the look you want in post.

so if i edit may jpeg pic then it will make my pic low quality???

Why there are more noise in raw

Is that photoshop he was using, does anyone know. What editing software was he using?

so if I shoot RAW with realtime lut, it doesn't come with the file when loaded on Lightroom for example?

How do you get your camera on raw? I'm so confused about this... I understand its easier to edit but what about getting the camera set up to shoot in raw?

So I make jewelry and am not a "photographer". I have a canon rebel T6 I use for my jewelry and have been afraid to shoot RAW. One of the comments I get frequently from customers is "it looks so much better in person". What that tells me is that my photos need to be better. The hardest thing to capture is the high polish silver. In your opinion, would I be able to edit those photos better shooting RAW, and is there somewhere I could learn as it would apply to jewelry or other small items with high reflection. No photo stacking please :) I;m in rural Vermont and don;t have access to in person training, but would be happy to pay for a course online.

Questions to ask yourself if deciding to shoot jpeg instead of raw. 1: Did you spend a lot of money on your camera equipment in order to get better quality, but wish you could get lower quality results? (then shoot jpeg) 2: Do you believe that imperfect software and hardware will give you perfect results 100% of the time? (then shoot jpeg) 3: Do you wish that you had fewer stops of dynamic range? (then shoot jpeg) 4: Do you wish that 14-16 bit per channel ADC that made up a large chunk of the price of your camera only gave you 8 bits per channel to work with? (then shoot jpeg)

Good video, if you just start at the 2min mark

I just bought a camera and every image comes out noisy, there is even some noise in the bright images

My first camera was a kodak monitor six 20 I rescued out of my neighbors trash can back in 1958. Although an amature/hobbyist I have become decent with my Canon 80D. I have always shot jpeg but now want to shoot RAW. This video is a great incentive for me. Photograpy is fun.

My guideline is: Am I gonna shoot a special or once in a lifetime scenery? Then raw. Everything else can go jpeg just fine.

Uncompressed RAW image has the highest image quality and greatest detail compared to compressed JPEG image.

Great video👍

Good information, but the lighting is unbalanced. You need some fill and backlighting. Watch some YT videos about 3 point lighting with videos.