JPEG or RAW on my G5 underwater???

[pggeek]

I usally shoot JPG images in fine and I like them but I am venturing into the world of underwater photography where the reds get lost the deeper you go and post processing color correcting is manditory. Also it's not like if you dont' get the shot you can retake it.

Someine sugested I look into RAW images. Will this allow better control in post processing? Or should I just stick with JPG can someone explain the difference?

 

[Dee]

If you are just starting in U/W photography, you'll probably be just as happy to remain with JPG. The only thing I can tell you for sure about RAW is it takes up a humungous amount of space on your memory card and it records exactly what hits the CCD screen. That way you have a non-processed image to work with in your manipulation program of choice. Also keep in mind that not all programs will accept RAW images and may need additional plug-ins. Some are free, some are not.

In my opinion, if you are a pro you may get an advantage by using RAW. But for a regular recreational photographer, JPG will suit you just fine. There are other ways to handle the loss of colors. Filters and post processing are the most common.

Just my 2¢

 

[notabob]

One thing that I noticed is that in certain shots, especially with wide open expanses of open water where there are lots of very slight tonal variations, shooting in JPEG can result in some color banding, even at the minimal compression setting. Haven't tried RAW yet, but will the next time I shoot in the open. The disadvantage of RAW, of course, is vastly greater file sizes. Also, the white balance setting and a few others have no effect on the raw images, those are applied afterwards.

-Roman.

 

[nusspli]

I too would like to learn more about the quirks of UW photography. I have a G3 and was wondering how to compensate for the color changes underwater.