raw or jpeg/fine - noob question and which camera mode to start off with

gline

just started using my d30 i got

just wondering which would be better to use .. either raw or the fine jpegs setting?

Im only a noob at this

also i noticed that raw doesnt apply to auto mode..... so i suppose for decent shots i am going to learn how to manually focus and use raw???

are the jpegs good enough quality and what are they like for manipulating in photoshop? what is the advantage of raw??

DamoKen

there was a thread on this recently that might answer some of your questions -> http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054991911

gline

thanks

gline

ok just read that thread (well most of it except the arguing :rolleyes: ) and the general feeling seems to be use high quality jpeg for unimportant pics (basically everything i will be doing ) and then raw for important stuff.

so starting off il just use the highest quality jpegs......

just wondering though on the d30, why cant you select raw when in auto mode???

dazftw

I think its cause auto mode does everything for you so you dont have the hassle with all different settings!

Just change it to manual and it should be selectable from there!

gline

DeafVision wrote:

I think its cause auto mode does everything for you so you dont have the hassle with all different settings!

Just change it to manual and it should be selectable from there!

yeh in manaual it is selectable but manual is difficult for a noob

dazftw

Hey dont worry about it! we were all there at one stage(I still kinda am:D) but you get the hang of it just keep using manual and it will get easier.. thats how I done it!

Manual is easier to do than using a program for RAW files! lol

gline

yeh im just reading the camera manual now in work... dossing as usual man there are sooo many buttons and settings, hehe

elven

You don't need to use full manual, use the aperture priority or shutter priority modes for now...

dazftw

elven wrote:

You don't need to use full manual, use the aperture priority or shutter priority modes for now...

Its funny I have the 350D now for nearly a year and I have never used those modes.. I used either auto program or manual..:rolleyes:

ladgie353

You can simply use it on Program Mode (P on a canon) and it will do all the work but let you select things like image quality, white balance.
You will even be able to change the speed/aperture ratio without risking to mess the exposure.

elven

My camera pretty much lives on Av because I'm usually trying to control the DoF and let the shutter speed take care of itself. Saves me having to press an extra button when I'm setting it I only switch to manual when it's a tricky situation that needs under/overexposure. Suppose it's down to habit, mostly.

gline

is there any books you would recommend on photography or using the d30?

gline

elven wrote:

Suppose it's down to habit, mostly.

yeh i suppose il just have to test all the settings and see which i prefer using and that look the best

dazftw

I only ever had one book from a couple of years ago on composition... It was very handy... I cant remember the name but it was filled with pictures and not much writing which was very handy..

Id reckon most books are good!

As for learning the camera controls and stuff... My best advice trial and error :rolleyes:

gline

DeafVision wrote:

As for learning the camera controls and stuff... My best advice trial and error :rolleyes:

yeh that is what i was planning on doing

dazftw

gline wrote:

yeh that is what i was planning on doing

Give it like a week and you be flying!

gline

DeafVision wrote:

Give it like a week and you be flying!

hehe.. snap..snap..snap.snap.....format card.... repeat

dazftw

What I did actually was sit around my house and backgarden and stuf, find a subject and just keep taking pictures of it with different shutters speed and what not..

Eventually I figured what the settings were to get a nicely exposed photo... and just like kept redoing that when out taking proper photos!

Thats the beauty of digital you can try over and over again!

gline

yeh.

i might try raw aswell and some photoshopping, i still have to learn that aswell :eek:

dazftw

RAW to me is so difficult! It really is I always just end up moving all random sliders all over the place until I get something I like!

gline

oh yeh another question
i have an apple ibook g4 and a dual core pc... which is better for photoshop cs2???

sionnach

elven wrote:

I only switch to manual when it's a tricky situation that needs under/overexposure.

Why not just increase or decrease the exposure compensation while in Av?

elven

sionnach wrote:

Why not just increase or decrease the exposure compensation while in Av?

Ahem... well... because I kept on forgetting that I'd done it and took then next 5-10 shots with it still set :rolleyes:

I also prefer not to use that if I'm on Av in low light because it could reduce the shutter speed to below my handholding minimum without me knowing. If I use manual, I know exactly what both are set at.

Sorry for going O/T.

gline

elven wrote:

Sorry for going O/T.

nah tis ok, this is useful info

tab126

I'm one of those people that leaves the camera in Av (aperature priority mode), too. Manual is just too much for my little brain to deal with for every picture. But I do keep a sharp eye on my shutter speed to make sure it doesn't drop below my handshake threshold (which I'm thinking is too low nowadays).

Lately, my shots have not been action intensive (I learned shooting sports in Tv mode), and generally I want to adjust my DOF more than shutter speed. And if I do want to adjust the shutter speed, it is usually by large strokes. Changing the aperature moves the shutter speed a lot faster on my camera than the Tv mode.

I also make use of the exposure compensation knob because, again, my little brain cannot deal with all of the detail of manual. I've left my camera in 1 metering mode for the past year and I've gotten fairly good at knowing when it'll over/under expose. If you want to play a practical joke on me, change my metering mode. I'll be confused for another year and will NEVER figure it out.

All that said, the one thing I can NEVER remember to do in the middle of shooting is change my ISO. Last weekend was the first when I actually made use of the dedicated button to adjust to fit lighting conditions a bit better. Duh... Another few months to get used to that and I might end up with something decent.

Anyways - just my 2 cents on what works for me and why.

Oh - and to keep it on topic - I shoot in RAW when I might want to get it printed, jpeg if I know it'll only be going on the web. In addition to hassle, there is a storage space issue - I can take 250+ tourist jpg's, but only 80ish semi-pro raws. And the PP techniques of a lot of people around could make a grainly jpg look better than my raw anyday.

Valentia

An Av man here too for 99% of the time. Just a mention if you are doing panoramas. You must have it on manual to get good results otherwise each exposure will be very different so the joins will be very obvious. That's if you plan on doing any of course, but with the free software coming with the camera it's hard to avoid the temptation

As far as file size is concerned I see ScanDisk are after introducing 16Gb CF cards today. If we could only afford them!

gline

i changed the title of the thread to match what is being discussed

also interested in which setting people opt for ie, tv,Auto... etc

tab126

Valentia wrote:

As far as file size is concerned I see ScanDisk are after introducing 16Gb CF cards today. If we could only afford them!

I managed to pick up one of those nifty card downloaders used. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/epsonp2000/ No - I didn't pay anywhere close to full price. But between that and 2x1GB picture cards, I've never had an issue. Now trying to load them onto my laptop/webspace is another matter altogether...

sionnach

For most of my photography i use full manual mode.

I only use the automatic modes when there's some fleeting photographic opportunity that i only have a second or so in which to capture it.

DotOrg

i use av most of the time with exposure compensation when needed for spotlit or backlit subjects

if i was advising a total newbie, i'd advise to shoot raw only and in manual exposure, it'll be a harder learning curve but you'll get better results once you get the hang of it

note to the original poster, manual exposure doesn't mean you have to manually focus