Hi Pentaxuals,
I'm trying to figure out how to get the best out of RAW photo files.
I often take shots I deem as good in JPG & RAW, but when I edit the RAW photos (up until now, in Develper Studio 3.0 LE), I struggle to see what all the fuss is about.
Nothing appears to be any different to working with the JPG version.
The only exception being when working with a RAW photo, Developer Studio 3.0 would give me an extra selection in the Contrast list: "Standard".
This would bring out extra detail that would otherwise be invisible.
In fact, THIS is the only thing I've yet seen working with RAW files that is better than just working with JPG's.
No matter how much I alter exposure / contrast / colour / etc. settings, I can't seem to bring out any more details in a photo taken as RAW instead of JPG.
This "Standard" Contrast setting in Developer Studio 3.0 LE is the ONLY time I've found an extra setting made available when using RAW, and it indeed adds a little extra depth & detail.
But that's it!
So I'm trying hard to understand what the big deal is with RAW and why I should be using it more often.
There's got to be something else!
I must be missing something here.
And if you end up saving the end results of your editing as a JPG anyway, for printing or publishing, then what exactly are you gaining by having a RAW file photo?
Wouldn't this end up crushing your beautifully evolving Sky colour into several JPG steps?
Unless the end result is a TIFF, but I hear they're incredibly big files, so are rarely used.
So, clearly, there's something I don't understand here, in relation to RAW files.
Which isn't really a Photo Editor discussion, but is kind of related, I feel.
Maybe there's a stock type of photo I can take to highlight RAW's higher potential inside an editing program.
Maybe some RAW editing programs offer more / better RAW processing than others.
Unless Developer Studio 3.0's "Standard" Contrast is as good as it gets...
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks - D