Raw? JPEG?

[ameerat42]

To all who have replied -thanks for increasing my understanding.
Does shooting in raw mean that a lot of time is spent processing them? Currently I just download them to the computer and decide if the image is OK or to be trashed.
Do you use raw for all/most photos or only those you want to adjust to a achieve a specific style?
I have so many questions wonder if I will ever really understand and fully utilise even the basics of photography?

To me, you just spend the "necessary" amount of time. How you approach raw processing will change over time as you learn more.
The main Q is: why do you use raw?
My main answer is: because of the wealth of information it contains and what it can allow you to do.
A simple for instance is to recover a fairly well exposed image from a shot that would have been lost in jpeg mode.
Don't worry about the heap of Qs all at once. Try it a bit, see what you learn, and go from there.

Hi Hopefull,
Don't worry too much that you have been shooting in Jpeg only, because if you get Adobe Photoshop (Elements or CS5 etc.) you can use a little trick to open your Jpeg files and process them similar to Raw files.
Instead of using the "Open File" command use the "Open File As" command and in the drop down panel select "Raw" and select the Jpeg file you want to open. You will then be able to do the "Raw" adjustments before hitting the "Open Image" command (or whatever is used) and moving the file into the Photoshop editing panel.

As said above shoot in both Raw and Jpeg until you get your image editing software and get comfortable using it.

Darey. I'm not dismissing your advice, but although you can open a jpeg as raw the exercise would have limited value, as you do not have all the raw info to manipulate.
In effect, it would be rather like just familiarising yourself wit the raw processor.

I would suggest shoot in raw+jpeg, and use the jpeg as a guide to process your raw image.

Am to both.

[pixy]

Hopefull,
Most beginners start in auto mode on their cameras using JPEG.

When they feel comfortable and experiment they will try the semi-auto programs, aperture-priority, shutter-priority,etc, or stay at the sane level and enjoy the snaps as they are.

You will obtain more detail in Raw,but as already been mentioned you can use both,storage is cheap,but when you take that magic moment and the photo is black on your screen,

you don't have to cry because Raw can give you a usable photo.

Photoshop is the benchmark in editing programs,but there are other free programs which work quite well.

Jack

[hopefull]

All the info is so helpful thanks. I have had trouble downloading gimp etc to my macbook os 10.7.3, have recently received info from Canon re upgrade to the software that came with the 550D to suit my computer but have not had a chance to play with it yet. Seriously considering getting Photoshop (Dept Ed discount).
Jack - You sound like you know me "...black on your screen, you don't have to cry because..."
To all - thanks again, very nice of you to take the time to reply to such novice questions.