printing A4 landscapes -- shoot RAW or JPEG..?

[Yardbent]

I've been happy shooting Landscapes in jpeg with some fine tuning in PS Elements
i understand the rationale in shooting RAW

i have
Nikon D300
Adobe PS Elements v7
Nikon Capture NX-D

A4 prints of landscapes for home display ...would you shoot RAW or jpeg..?

 

[TGphoto]

I’d shoot RAW regardless.

 

[Mintchocs]

Today it’s A4 but what about next year when you want a bigger print. Shoot RAW and delete the files you don’t want. Sometimes when we look at a later point we see other compositions within which would require cropping so it’s best to shoot RAW.

 

[Sky]

Definitely RAW. If you're shooting with jpg and letting the camera decide everything, you may as well let someone else take the picture.

 

[Bobsyeruncle]

depends on what type of landscapes you're shooting .You can get great results from Jpeg if you set things up properly,and have minimal processing when you get home.
If shooting in lower or tricky light, raw can provide more scope for serious processing.

 

[Yardbent]

depends on what type of landscapes you're shooting .You can get great results from Jpeg if you set things up properly,and have minimal processing when you get home.
If shooting in lower or tricky light, raw can provide more scope for serious processing..................

Thanks -- that's my feeling ATM. I'm a fair weather tog so the light is not 'usually' a problem

however I'll shoot a few RAW and see if the time at my PC is worth the result..................

 

[dweeble]

No harm in shooting raw, Nx-D develops them very well if slowly. Why not download GIMP and darktable, both have a steep learning curve but are seriously sophisticated - and FREE. Try them, you will be amazed whaty you can do.

PS You can always do raw+jepg, then you have the best of both worlds at the expense of filling cards a bit quicker.

 

[Yardbent]

No harm in shooting raw, Nx-D develops them very well if slowly.
PS You can always do raw+jepg, then you have the best of both worlds at the expense of filling cards a bit quicker....

tried GIMP some years ago - overwhelmed.!

I dont take a large number of shots at each outing so my 16MB CF card is OK...

 

[dweeble]

GIMP can be daunting, but not bothering to work with layers makes it a lot simpler. darktable can also be quite easy, or insanely complex if you let it. Happy to help another D300 Devotee (or should that be dinsoaur?) Feel free to pm me and I'll give some ideas on how to flatten the learnign curve (as opposed to the tone curve)!

 

[Yardbent]

.......snip............... Happy to help another D300 Devotee (or should that be dinsoaur?) Feel free to pm me and I'll give some ideas on how to flatten the learnign curve (as opposed to the tone curve)!..........

very good of you. Unfortunately i took a bad fall several weeks ago hitting the edges of some open desk drawers.. lotsa deep tissue bruising and 4 massive gouges down the ribs.........anyhoo not been out with the new D300 yet so no RAW landscape images to play with.

may take some of the farm cats just to experiment.

I'll stick with my Nikon Capture NX-D for the immediate future and appreciate your offer to assist...................

 

[dweeble]

OOOOW! It's so often the daft knocks or trips which do more damage than the dramatic purlers!

You'll love the D300, which lenses have you got?

But cats.....hmmmm.....no horses or stock instead?

If you get another cut done bales in the field are one of the few landscapey things I enjoy photographing.

 

[Yardbent]

...............You'll love the D300, which lenses have you got?

But cats.....hmmmm.....no horses or stock instead?.............

lotsa boring sheep in fields.......

from my D90 but so far nothing exotic.!
Sigma 10-20
Tokina 17mm
Nikon 18-55 VR
Nikon 18-70
Nikon 28
Nikon 28-70
Nikon 35mm 1.8
Nikon 50mm 1.8
Nikon 50mm f2
Nikon 55-200 VR
Sigma 70-300

I will sell those which will not work on the D300

 

[dweeble]

That's a collection! One to look out for is a Sigma 28-70mm 2.8 MF, very few made, has lead/arsenic heavy glass....produces the most lovely colours and pop on my D300. Dirt cheap too, i paid £23 for mine.

 

[Retune]

Ouch!

As you have NX-D, and don't shoot large numbers of photos, there's not much of a downside (and plenty of potential upside) to shooting raw. NX-D, if you stick with the defaults, will give you something very similar to a Nikon in-camera jpeg (closer than you get with third party raw processors) and can do batch processing, so raw just costs you a little time and some storage space. And when you need to adjust things, raw gives you more latitude. If you find NX-D slow, you may want to try the free Capture One Express package:

Download Capture One Express for Nikon

Get editing essentials for Nikon cameras, free.

account.captureone.com

The rendering of raw files will be a little different, and some of Nikon's proprietary in-camera settings (like picture controls) won't be used, but it does high quality conversions with a nice workflow.

 

[Yardbent]

.........Ouch!...........?

As you have NX-D, and don't shoot large numbers of photos, there's not much of a downside (and plenty of potential upside) to shooting raw. NX-D, if you stick with the defaults, will give you something very similar to a Nikon in-camera jpeg ------- And when you need to adjust things, raw gives you more latitude. .............

Thanks - I'll stick with NX-D for the moment........Capture One Express doesn't appear to be free
By signing up I will get access to a 30-day free trial

 

[Yardbent]

That's a collection! One to look out for is a Sigma 28-70mm 2.8 MF, very few made, has lead/arsenic heavy glass....produces the most lovely colours and pop on my D300. Dirt cheap too, i paid £23 for mine...............

I need less lenses not more..........
some are for my Nikon F3

I did ask the Forum which to keep.......my kit Nikon 18-55 VR or my Nikon 18-70

Overall consensus was to keep the Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-S DX

 

[dweeble]

Sounds sensible, I find the kit 18-55mm very mediocre and really don't use it. Enjoy the D300! And I hope that deep bruise goes soon, they can be bloody crippling.

 

[Retune]

Thanks - I'll stick with NX-D for the moment........Capture One Express doesn't appear to be free
By signing up I will get access to a 30-day free trial

The way they've presented it is a bit confusing! The same installer is used for the Express version (free, does not expire) and for the trial of the full version (expires unless you buy it). You select the one you want, and the licence key you get determines the mode it is installed in.

 

[Nod]

I'll shoot a few RAW and see if the time at my PC is worth the result..................

When you do, take raw + JPEGs, process the raw files without examining the JPEGs and get someone else to have a look at both results - ideally a non-photographer.

I find the kit 18-55mm very mediocre and really don't use it.

Compared to the 18-70, the 18-55 options are all mediocre, although the VR option can help reduce camera shake (Dad had a benign tremor which meant that he had problems hand holding the 18-70 but the 18-55 VR allowed him to hand hold.)

 

[Yardbent]

When you do, take raw + JPEGs, process the raw files without examining the JPEGs and get someone else to have a look at both results - ideally a non-photographer.

Compared to the 18-70, the 18-55 options are all mediocre, although the VR option can help reduce camera shake (Dad had a benign tremor which meant that he had problems hand holding the 18-70 but the 18-55 VR allowed him to hand hold.)............

will do as soon as we get some sun up here..! next week..?

all my 'serious' landscapes are shot using a tripod and a remote release ...

as I recall it's recommended to turn OFF the VR on a tripod........true.?

 

[Nod]

It definitely used to be the case with IS (Canon's version) but IIRC, newer lenses auto=sense tripod mounting (but don't trust my memory!) TBH, since VR isn't needed on a tripod, I usually switch it off, although that does rely on me remembering to do so... Rarely use a tripod for anything but astro (wide field, single exposure) using a UWA and my 14mm and 12-24 don't have VR/OIS/VC.

 

[Yardbent]

-----.. Rarely use a tripod for anything but astro (wide field, single exposure) using a UWA and my 14mm and 12-24 ----

D300 with Sigma 10-20 or Tokina 17mm....what f.stop and exposure times do i start with..?...thanks

 

[Nod]

Start as wide as possible and at 30s. Check for trailing and adjust as necessary. Tripod set as low as easily possible - the extra metre or so distance won't make much difference! Start at ISO 1600 and go up if necessary.