Originally posted by DafTekno Someone pointed out that the exposure meter in the camera was set up for JPEGs, so shooting RAW would mean ignoring it, using Highlight data instead.
How would this be done?
The meter does not differentiate between RAW and JPEG. It only gives one reading. You should be using the meter to ensure a correctly exposed capture whether shooting RAW or JPEG. Now some may have a preference to under-expose when shooting RAW and you can dial that in using Exposure Compensation. But you should generally be aiming for an image where the blacks are not crushed, and the highlights are not blown..... ie the histogram is broadly centred (depending on the tones in your subject)
Originally posted by DafTekno I've been looking at several photos I took, when I also saved a RAW version, whilst I play with Dark Table, and everyone is right, the RAW shot, even before any processing, looks vastly better!
You need to be careful here. A RAW file is not an image file. When you open and view it in many photo viewers or editors, you are looking at the embedded JPEG, which will have had adjustments made to it dependent on your cameras JPEG settings.
To see a RAW "image" you need to open the file in software that has a RAW converter. If no default adjustments are made to the RAW data, the image will look flat, lack contrast, and lack sharpness. Most converters apply a set of defaults when you first open up the file, which you can change, which of course is the whole point of shooting RAW in the first place.
Originally posted by DafTekno As RAW seems to prefer underexposed images
Be careful drawing that conclusion. A RAW file is the best option to shoot if you want to bring out detail in an underexposed image, but to do so risks an increase in noise; colour noise; and other unwanted artefacts. You do best to get a good exposure in the first place, not an under-exposed one.
Originally posted by DafTekno But then, if the in camera review is basically a JPEG thumbnail attached to the RAW file, then judging exposure from it may be suspect, as the JPEG thumbnail may include the JPEG detail issues (exposure / colour / detail) previously mentioned here.
So, does that mean you can't judge a RAW photo from in-camera reviewing..?
Correct, the camera image shows the embedded JPEG, and will be displayed according to the settings for JPEG you have set in camera. The histogram is a better tool for examining exposure, but it also is based on the JPEG settings. I always have my JPEG camera settings set to "natural" so that the display image and histogram are as close to neutral as can be. You will find this perfectly adequate for exposing your RAW files.