DISCLAIMER: Before I begin, I want to state on record that this is neither trollbait thread nor a flame fest. Therefore, if you find yourself unable to participate in this thread without taking offense or insulting someone then please do us all a favor and skip this topic. - thanks.
And now for the good stuff! Having seen numerous instances of the RAW vs JPG debates over the years, I've come to the conclusion that significant changes that have taken place toward this topic which I believe warrant a serious second look. And the main reason for this is where recent developments(specifically Pentax) have brought about significant improvements in sensor performances. Though at the same time, the in-camera processing attributed for these camera's seem to have fallen ever further behind than they were previously. For example... dynamic range doesn't seem to have undergone any improvements whatsoever despite the fact that the K-5(for example) stands as the highest ranking camera in that particular area. Likewise, the same could be said for color depth and tonal range also. To which I'd add, I'm not sure these are taken advantage of either.
Having said that, during a recent discussion over a raw vs. jpg thread, I was prompted to do a very simple comparison between a K-5 OOC JPG and a matching RAW file to see what inherent differences might come out of it. That being said, I DID NOT subject either file to any post processing so as to avoid adding any further layers of subjection to the observation. Anyways, to get to the point, here's what I've found to date. Using Image Resources files, I chose both a K-5, ISO80 JPG and a matching RAW sample as shown:
CANDIDATE 1: http://www.bertin.ca/tmp/CANDIDATE_1.jpg CANDIDATE 2: http://www.bertin.ca/tmp/CANDIDATE_2.jpg
As can be seen, both files were shot in identical settings. That is to say that both were setup under the same lighting, with matching camera and lens settings(focus). However... to help make things as objective as possible, I've chosen a JPG sample yielding the most contrast and detail out of all of the camera profiles. However, if for any anyone should feel that the test would have been better conducted using another OOC candidate, then I would be more than happy to revise the sample.
Having said that, here are 1:1 crops of both files. One being an OOC JPG whereas the other is from RAW, processed in RAW Therapee r4.0.8.3:
POLL SELECTION IMAGES:
CANDIDATE 1: click image to enlarge CANDIDATE 2: click image to enlarge
And now for the good part(
). Aside from the poll selections, I'd like to hear your thoughts and opinions on each of these sample as you yourself see them.
ie. advantages/disadvantages, things that stand-out, and/or any other comment that you feel may contribute to this fascinating topic. - I'd like to thank-you all in advance for participating and look forward to reading your thoughts and comments.
Sincerely,
JohnBee
Last edited by JohnBee; 04-09-2012 at 01:03 AM.