JPEG or RAW for Motorsports?

Strangways

Strangways

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Gordon
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I've not done any motorsport photography yet, but I wondered which was generally preffered, JPEG or RAW. The camera will probably be set on high speed continuous so I would have thought JPEG would be the better option, but would appreciate your comments.
 
Depends on your final destination for your images.... sending it to a newspaper or interwebs, jpg - save yourself some time and disk space.
 
Been there, done that! If I can nail the exposure, .jpg. Saves all the pfaff of converting. If the light is tricky, go RAW but be prepared to do overtime at the 'puter.
 
I always shoot RAW just to give an extra safeguard in terms of being able to recover something if I get the settings slightly wrong...
 
Personally I shot RAW until I was familar with my kit, then started shooting jpg only.

Now I'm on a different body and I'm shooting RAW again until I get to know it and I can get away with shoot jpg.

Personally if it's your first time I'd suggest RAW just in case you need to tweak the exposure.
 
You wont go far wrong with jpeg. if you keep looking at what youve taken.
If youve got plenty of time to fiddle about after the meeting, shoot RAW
 
MORE IMPORTANT THAN JPEG OR RAW IS TO STUDY YOUR SUBJECT WELL, NOTE THE LINES THROUGH THE CORNERS, BRAKING POINTS ETC THEN PRACTICE, PRACTICE & PRACTICE SOME MORE, LEARN TO PAN & WORK YOUR SHUTTER SPEEDS DOWN UNTIL THE CAR IS SHARP, BUT THE BACKGROUND & WHEELS ARE NOT, THIS WILL STOP YOUR SUBJECTS LOOKING STATIC, DON'T USE THE MOTORDRIVE GET ONE SHOT RIGHT NOT MANY WRONG
 
GLYN BAREHAM said:
MORE IMPORTANT THAN JPEG OR RAW IS TO STUDY YOUR SUBJECT WELL, NOTE THE LINES THROUGH THE CORNERS, BRAKING POINTS ETC THEN PRACTICE, PRACTICE & PRACTICE SOME MORE, LEARN TO PAN & WORK YOUR SHUTTER SPEEDS DOWN UNTIL THE CAR IS SHARP, BUT THE BACKGROUND & WHEELS ARE NOT, THIS WILL STOP YOUR SUBJECTS LOOKING STATIC, DON'T USE THE MOTORDRIVE GET ONE SHOT RIGHT NOT MANY WRONG
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No need to shout, Glyn ;)
 
I shoot raw as I don't notice a slow down in burst speed and I don't like throwing away picture information.
I don't quite understand why post processing should cause any additional work other than a few clicks to point the raw developing program to a folder and letting it finish. The resulting jpg is identical to what the camera would have produced. Any other PP required (cropping/straightening/levels etc) would also be required on an ooc jpg and there would be less data to play with.
 
GLYN BAREHAM said:
MORE IMPORTANT THAN JPEG OR RAW IS TO STUDY YOUR SUBJECT WELL, NOTE THE LINES THROUGH THE CORNERS, BRAKING POINTS ETC THEN PRACTICE, PRACTICE & PRACTICE SOME MORE, LEARN TO PAN & WORK YOUR SHUTTER SPEEDS DOWN UNTIL THE CAR IS SHARP, BUT THE BACKGROUND & WHEELS ARE NOT, THIS WILL STOP YOUR SUBJECTS LOOKING STATIC, DON'T USE THE MOTORDRIVE GET ONE SHOT RIGHT NOT MANY WRONG
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I was considering just taking single shots, but noticed the camera sport setting is continuous. I also read an article that said use continuous shooting mode. Maybe I should mix them up on the day and take a few of each.
 
I always shoot jpeg. After going to a track day/racing event or whatever I've usually shot 300/400 images. Theres not a chance I'm editing that lot so nailing the exposure is first on my list of things to do at the track. Once thats done its just click and forget in a way.

I never use the continuous setting either. I find that it results in far too many shots each almost exactly the same. If the exposure or focus is off in the first, all the rest that follow are the same.

Might work for some people for sure, but not me.
 
apkent said:
I always shoot jpeg. After going to a track day/racing event or whatever I've usually shot 300/400 images. Theres not a chance I'm editing that lot so nailing the exposure is first on my list of things to do at the track. Once thats done its just click and forget in a way.

I never use the continuous setting either. I find that it results in far too many shots each almost exactly the same. If the exposure or focus is off in the first, all the rest that follow are the same.

Might work for some people for sure, but not me.
Click to expand...

Do you change any of the in camera settings, like increasing sharpness or contrast?
 
Nope. Lightroom optimises all my shots for web/print as necessary when I export them. I do occasionally tweak levels on jpegs, but very rarely and only for a 'special' shot.
 
neil_g said:
if youre bunging them into lightroom then you may as well shoot RAW anyway..
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Eh? Why? Lightroom is as brilliant for indexing and sorting as it is for editing images.

Why would I want to fill up memory cards in the camera 4 times quicker and forever store all those RAW files at home as well when a jpeg will do the job just as well?

In my eyes the jpeg does the job 90% as well as a raw for 25% of the storage space. A bargain!
 
apkent said:
Why would I want to fill up memory cards in the camera 4 times quicker and forever store all those RAW files at home as well when a jpeg will do the job just as well?
Click to expand...

He's right there alright!

There's a time and a place for raw files and IMHO its not when you are shooting tons and tons of images.
 
I'd shoot jpeg. Continous focus and shooting. Set-up the WB correctly (manual wb plus I have a slight pink correction set-up in camera - to act like a skylight filter). Up the contrast and saturation a tad in camera.

Sort shots. Keyword & caption selected shots. Create another folder inside directory like 'picks' then another saying '12', put the 12 strongest into 12 and the rest of the good/saleable shots into picks.

Open in Ps. Crop. Levels. Resize to 3000px/2600px/1800px depending on who your sending the files to. Shapen.

Upload 12.
Upload picks.

File away all the files to another HD.
 
TheNissanMan said:
I always shoot RAW just to give an extra safeguard in terms of being able to recover something if I get the settings slightly wrong...
Click to expand...

even with a jpeg you've got a fair bit of latitude.

original


processed. Not perfect and it's exagerated the noise but still perfectly usable for smallish prints.
 
Thankyou to everybody for the input, very much appreciated.

JEmerson said:
I'd shoot jpeg. Continous focus and shooting. Set-up the WB correctly (manual wb plus I have a slight pink correction set-up in camera - to act like a skylight filter). Up the contrast and saturation a tad in camera.

Sort shots. Keyword & caption selected shots. Create another folder inside directory like 'picks' then another saying '12', put the 12 strongest into 12 and the rest of the good/saleable shots into picks.

Open in Ps. Crop. Levels. Resize to 3000px/2600px/1800px depending on who your sending the files to. Shapen.

Upload 12.
Upload picks.

File away all the files to another HD.
Click to expand...

The camera set up is just how I would have done it, apart from the pink. What is the benifit of that?

I won't be selling the pictures as it is our companies corporate event (kart racing at Buckmore Park). I will probably upload them to Photobox and let anybody who wants them buy them from there.
 
Strangways said:
JPEG or RAW
Click to expand...

I always shoot RAW+JPG at events. RAW goes to my nice fast CompactFlash card, and the JPGs go to the SDHC ready for immediate use (printing, transmission to the net, or wherever).

JPGs are plenty good enough for on-site printing, publication, etc. but sometimes I like to go through and tweak the RAW files myself once I get home if I've got any images I'm particularly chuffed with. :)
 
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