Photography Basics Part 4: File Formats & Post-Processing

[zmcgovern45]

love your posts...hopefully one day i can purchase a DSLR and put your info to use

^Thanks! I'll trade you my camera gear for that S2K in your avatar photo

Another top notch photography article Zach!

Thanks for putting it together!

^Thanks for reading, Mike!

Great article, thanks!!

^

Raw is usually specific to camera manufacturer. For my Nikon, .nef is the file format that gives a raw image for post processing. You should be able to change the setting somewhere in the file size settings. And generally, you need a specific software on the computer to open a raw file, windows photo viewer does not know how to read this type of file.

^Yup - Each manufacturer has a different file type for their files, but they are all "the same" in that the are just the raw data captured by the image processor. They can all be processed using lightroom, photoshop camera raw, etc etc. Raw files are not meant to be viewed by many photo viewers like Windows Photo Viewer as the unprocessed data does not compute result in the same appearance as a JPEG file.

Zach is the MAN! Always love reading your threads man! Keep it up

^Thanks Claude!

[BrianMcLeod]

I figured out how to change it I have the nikon d3200 since I don't have any of the editing software should I still shoot with raw?

[zmcgovern45]

I figured out how to change it I have the nikon d3200 since I don't have any of the editing software should I still shoot with raw?

If you have no way of processing the images do not shoot in raw. You will not be able to upload or use the images if they are in raw format... they must be processed and converted to JPEG. If you are not going to process them, there is no benefit to having the raw files.

[HD.Detailing]

I figured out how to change it I have the nikon d3200 since I don't have any of the editing software should I still shoot with raw?

download viewnx for free for nikon

Nikon Imaging | Global Site | ViewNX 2™ Download

[Bunky]

Good article!

I think you could show what too much post-processing looks like. They have over saturated and often unrealistic colors and a crispness (sometimes grainy) due to excessive sharpening.

[Hoytman]

Define what, "RAW" is please. Do you mean non-auto, or manual? My Canon ELPH 100HS has plenty of features to use in manual. After you (Zac) suggested I look at my manual regarding another question I had for you I actually took the time to briefly look at it.


Anyway...

My camera left on auto will produce pictures in JPEG, but I have to manually change each photo to lowercase letters before I can upload them into my AG gallery or albums. Do you know what may cause this? It takes way too much time to have to go through and change them all to .jpg not to mention naming and numbering photo's.


Also...
I haven't had a chance to look at all of your photography articles. Are they more oriented to DSLR shooting?

[zmcgovern45]

Define what, "RAW" is please. Do you mean non-auto, or manual? My Canon ELPH 100HS has plenty of features to use in manual. After you (Zac) suggested I look at my manual regarding another question I had for you I actually took the time to briefly look at it.


Anyway...

My camera left on auto will produce pictures in JPEG, but I have to manually change each photo to lowercase letters before I can upload them into my AG gallery or albums. Do you know what may cause this? It takes way too much time to have to go through and change them all to .jpg not to mention naming and numbering photo's.


Also...
I haven't had a chance to look at all of your photography articles. Are they more oriented to DSLR shooting?

Raw files are simply the native files your camera takes... unlike JPEG files these are not processed by your camera and they are not compressed by your camera. Raw files have nothing to do with what mode you are shooting your images in (ie manual, auto, etc). Use the links that I provided in this article for more information.

My articles discuss the elements of photography in general (ie shutter speed, aperture, iso, shooting modes, etc). Most point and shoot cameras are oriented at the consumer who simply wants to Point... and shoot. For this reason, many of them do not have certain features like storing raw image files, for instance.

[Judge]

I thoroughly enjoy reading these photography basics threads. I've found that once I started using the RAW format, there is no reason for me to go back to JPEG.

[zmcgovern45]

I thoroughly enjoy reading these photography basics threads. I've found that once I started using the RAW format, there is no reason for me to go back to JPEG.

[Hoytman]

Raw files are simply the native files your camera takes... unlike JPEG files these are not processed by your camera and they are not compressed by your camera. Raw files have nothing to do with what mode you are shooting your images in (ie manual, auto, etc). Use the links that I provided in this article for more information.

My articles discuss the elements of photography in general (ie shutter speed, aperture, iso, shooting modes, etc). Most point and shoot cameras are oriented at the consumer who simply wants to Point... and shoot. For this reason, many of them do not have certain features like storing raw image files, for instance.

Thanks Zac.