Originally Posted by JamesD
I'm very interested in this discussion as a newbie about to receive my k10d this week and not having shot anything in RAW before.
Would someone mind correcting me? Here is what I've gained from your previous discussion. (snip)
Yes, JPEG files are compressed. However, in the higher quality modes (selected in-camera), you'll will not see any visible differences in the actual images as a result of that compression.
As far as post processing is concerned, the main difference between the two file formats is that one is initially processed in-camera (JPEG) using the settings you select versus the other initially processed on the computer (RAW) using the settings you select. Virtually everything, with either file format, can be further adjusted using graphics editing software (Photoshop, etc). After processing the RAW file, you'll need to convert it to either lossy or lossless JPEG or TIFF. The JPEG file can also be saved in either lossy or lossless JPEG or TIFF. Obviously, the lossless formats will help avoid any degradation of the image quality during the editing process afterwards.
Any program supporting Adobe Camera RAW 3.7 or later will read Pentax K10D RAW files. When you open the RAW file, you'll be given the option to adjust WB, contrast, saturation, and so on (you can also just accept the defaults). Again, the resulting image will be saved in either JPEG or TIFF afterwards.
Finally, here is a list of the top five freeware image editing programs, listed by popularity (downloads). All provide a wide varity of tools and nearly all of the latest versions of each are Photoshop plug-in compatible. I'm not sure which, if any, support Adobe Camera RAW 3.7.
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IrfanView by IrfanView
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Ultimatepaint by JTL Development
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VCW Vicman's Photo Editor Pro by VicMan Software
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ImageN by Pixoid
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FastStone Image Viewer by FastStone
Hope all this helps you in some way.
stewart