4 Questions to Answer, Should I Shoot in RAW?

Should I shoot in RAW? There is seemingly endless debate across the internet around RAW vs. JPEG camera settings. Regardless of which format you choose, your camera is capable of taking great pictures. In fact, I shot most of the photos in this post as JPEGs. I’ll walk you through our decision making process, so you can make a a decision for yourself. This is one of the early decisions you should make, and it starts with a few simple questions.

What size is your memory card?

Do you have a larger memory card, say 16GB or more?

If yes, then RAW is an option, otherwise go JPEG. The second question, do you plan to edit the photos on your computer? If yes, then go RAW, and you may want a 32GB SD card. JPEG photos take up considerably less space. Check out our post on media management for tips on how to organize your photo collection on the computer.

How much hard drive storage do you have on your computer?

We took ~16,000 photos last year, which is over 500GB in raw image files from our 18.1MP Canon 60D. The larger the megapixels of your camera, the larger the file size of the photos. The 60D RAW files are approximately 24.5MB on average, uncompressed. The X-T2 captures compressed RAW files, and they are approximately the same size, and it is 24.3MP.

TECHIE SIDE NOTE: JPEGS are compressed image files, but they discard much of the data captured by the sensor. The compressed RAW files use a special lossless algorithm to save space and data.Currently we trade Lightroom speed and import previews for disk space. There are still a few bugs with the compressed RAW files from the X-T2.

How much editing do you plan to do?

If you want to copy your images from the camera straight to social media, then you need to shoot in JPEG. If you plan to adjust colors or brightness first then you want to consider shooting RAW format. However, RAW files require you use photo editing software to convert them to a shareable format such as JPEG. Most social media platforms have size and format limits.

Editing a RAW image file provides much more data for a wider range of adjustments. Whether it is in Lightroom, Apple’s Photos app, or any other editing software, the extra data makes a huge difference. The above image was a difficult spot, in terms of lighting. The top portion of the picture was very bright, while the mountains look almost black. Since the original file was in RAW format, I was able to recover a lot more detail than from a JPEG.

Where do you use your photos?

We have two primary purposes for our photos: this site, and our family photo books. Occasionally, there is potential for the images to find their way into print elsewhere. What we need for printing is very different from what we need for the web.

Website photos need to be high quality and small. At first brush, it sounds like the perfect use for JPEGS because of their compression. However, even on personal blogs, the image quality standard continues to increase. Editing the photos before compressing them into JPEGs will make your site look more polished.

Print photos are a different story. Here, it depends on how large you intend to print. We print annual books, and they are 10in X 12.5in. The largest image we might print in there is 10in high and 25in wide.  This requires a fairly large image file, with a lot of detail. This ties back to the editing question. We edit the photos heavily sometimes to make sure they print well, and that is a better process with RAW files.

If you only plan to use social media, JPEGs should be acceptable, for now. As the internet increases in speed, and cameras increase in quality, this will likely change. For now though, JPEGs are likely sufficient for your current needs.

Why you should shoot in RAW over JPEG

I always felt that this debate was splitting hairs and unnecessary, and in some ways I still agree. Although, the cost of storage continues to drop, while the quality of cameras continues to increase. If you can afford the storage space, there is little reason not  to use RAW files.

If all you need from your camera is auto mode, and your only editing is the occasional automatic exposure adjustment in Apple Photos, you will be happy shooting JPEGS. They will look great on your social media profiles, mobile devices, and occasional prints for your home.

Should I Shoot In Raw – Quick Decision

• What size is your memory card?
  • < 16gb – shoot JPEG, and stop reading
  • > 16gb – RAW is an option, proceed to next bullet
• How much free disk space do you have?
  • < 500gb shoot JPEG, and stop reading
  • > 500gb RAW is an option, proceed to next bullet
• How much editing will you do?
  • None – shoot JPEG
  • “I might use auto adjustments in my free software.” – JPEG or RAW, but JPEG should be fine. Continue reading if you wish.
  • “I can’t wait to master Lightroom and Photoshop!” – Shoot RAW
• Where will you use your photos?
  • Social Media / Personal Use – Shoot JPEG
  • Personal blog / website – RAW or JPEG your call based on editing
  • High quality photo books and prints – RAW, and learn some basic editing