Digital SLR cameras have become the “it” item of the 2010 decade. With sale prices dipping below $500 with a kit lens, most people think “hell, why not?“
It’s a common misconception that a bigger, more expensive camera will give you better shots. It’s not the camera, it’s the photographer that takes great pictures.
However, one of the many advantages of DSLR’s is the ability to save images as either Jpeg or Raw formats.
For those of you that don’t know what Raw images are, it’s pretty self explanatory, it’s an unprocessed file or picture. The image you see is exactly what was caught on the sensor at the time the picture was taken.
The reason this option isn’t available on most point and shoots is because it takes up much more space then a Jpeg. Plus, most uneducated photographers don’t need the advantages a Raw file brings to post processing, they just want a good picture quickly.
Now, Did You Know.… As you save and re-save a Jpeg file, the quality slowly deteriorates? A Jpeg saved over 30 times will have a noticeable reduction in image quality.
So, to find out if your camera has the option to shoot in Raw mode, look in the Menu > Image Settings > Quality and choose between Jpeg, Raw or Raw & Jpeg. Happy Shooting.
