[Leica] M8 notes during use. Now -- RAW or JPEG? ;-)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Doug Herr asked:

>> I gotta ask Ted... is your previous RAW experience with the M8's DNG
files?

I ask because the DNG files I've been getting from the DMR are hauntingly

beautiful and incredibly easy to work with; using DNG instead of JPG

expands my options for tweaking the pictures tremendously.<<<

 

 

Hi Doug,

No not with the M8, but Canon 20D and digilux 2!

Part of the problem is sitting in front of the screen any longer than I have
to. If I shoot JPEG it's all click - click swift and great!

 

But each time I've shot RAW... the Digilux 2 is an absolute waste of time
seriously, because it seems like it takes minutes to down load to the card
after the exposure is made. That was the end of RAW using the digilux.

 

The Canon 20D.I did try to make it work in RAW. Yep the camera worked fine,
it was when I'd try to down load. It was so much damn trouble fiddling &
finding the correct down loading routine certainly compared to JPEG. I
finally just frustrate out with... "Screw this!" And back to JPEG!

 

There isn't any question, the major problem is me! I'm the first to admit
it. I don't cater too many patients to learning this stuff on my own, so
when it doesn't sort of happen like breathing then I become frustrated and
leave it.

 

By the same token I look at the beautiful 13X19 prints, colour & B&W, I've
made from all kinds of JPEG recorded images under all kinds of the wildest
lighting conditions you can imagine and ask myself, "Why the hell bother
with the extra work of RAW? Is there going to be such a major change of
image quality I can actually see the difference without using a magnifying
glass?" 

 

If the answer is "no you wont see that much change." Then why the hell go
through this whole new learning routine when I'm already working on the thin
edge of ability disaster every time I open PhotoShop and play photo
correcting? Print!

 

However, I respect quite deeply people like yourself, Tina, BD (who's also
been on my case to shoot RAW.) as well as so many others suggesting I
should. But I don't seem to have the aptitude to make it work without great
frustration. Then I get into quite a lousy dumb ass funk with myself because
I feel pretty stupid not to make it work easily and comfortably, as I do
with JPEG. And that's as much a reason why I throw up my hands and go back
to JPEG!

 

Certainly when others make it sound so easy, I feel I should be able to roll
along without the troubles I have.

 

So maybe Lightroom will make a difference, we shall see. 

 

ted