RAW or jpg??? (as promised)

It's one of the biggest debates in digital photography.  Which is better?  RAW or jpg?  For me, I think both have their qualities.  And both have a few downsides.  I think the biggest factor is which will be more appropriate for WHAT you are shooting.

Some pro photographers would tell you JPEG...that you should always know the right settings for a photo.  Others say ALWAYS shoot in RAW...the quality is much better and you will have more power at your hands to change things later on in post-processing.

Personally, I have my reasons, times, an occassions to use both.  Shooting some subjects I prefer one over the other.  Sometimes, one format just makes more sense than the other.

Let's take a look:

RAW - this format allows you maximum control in post-processing.  You will also be able to change your white balance later without any quality loss.  You can change exposure, saturation, sharpness, etc., with less quality loss than you would have with JPG.  A downside - a larger file size means you are going to fill up your memory card alot faster, and the images will take longer to upload to your computer.  In addition, shooting RAW only allows you to take a few shots in a burst before filling up the buffer and getting a pause.

JPG - In most cases, any post-processing is going to result in loss of quality, especially when you make adjustments to the exposure of the image.  On an up side, smaller file size will allow you to fit more on a memory card (usually twice as many) and of course your images will upload alot faster.  When shooting in the JPG format, you can shoot significantly more shots in a burst than with RAW.

Now, from my experience, I prefer shooting RAW - UNLESS I am shooting motion.  For example, alot of times when taking candid shots of children, or shooting wildlife such as birds or butterflies, JPG is the way to go.  Why?  Because as I mentioned above, JPG allows you to shoot more continuous shots in a burst, therefore, your chances of getting a great shot are alot higher....because these subjects are rarely still except for a split second!

Everything else, portraits, landscapes, etc. - go RAW.

So, it really boils down to personal preference.  What subjects are you generally shooting?  Do you enjoy or despise alot of post-processing?  Do what works for you.  Rockwell will tell you JPG.  Polin is RAW all the way.  Then there's people like me, you find each to have their advantages and disadvantages. 

Hopefully this has helped some of you on this ever present issue!  If you have further questions, I will try my best to answer them, so leave them in the comments box.  And if you would like to share your reasons for using one format over the other I would love to hear them!

Happy Shooting!