RAW files & JPEG files

 The RAW Truth About JPEGs:
What They Don't teach in High School!

"My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person." - Andy Warhol

What is a RAW file? 

    A RAW file is a type of digital image file that is created in camera by DSLR, mirrorless, and some compact cameras. It contains all of the "raw" data from the sensor.

How is a RAW file different than a JPEG? 

An intentionally underexposed RAW file processed to bring out detail in the shadows.

• JPEG files are compressed files. In the same way that other digital files can be compressed by removing redundant or replaceable information, an image file can be compressed in the same way. The camera can process the raw data directly from the sensor and determine which bits of information are necessary for an acceptable rendition of the image, and which are not. The unneeded portion is then discarded, and the resulting image is saved as a ready to view JPEG file.

• RAW files are uncompressed files. These image files hold every little scrap of data that came from the sensor, whether it's redundant or not. These files are not processed for viewing at all by the camera, so they are not viewable outside of the camera without using specialized software.

The in-camera JPEG image processed in the exact same way.

Should you keep the RAW files after converting them?

     This is completely up to you, but it may depend on how you're using your images. For example:

•     If you're a wedding photographer, and your client has decided not to purchase all of the images from you, then you may be able to sell those images to them at a later time, perhaps several years later. Having the RAW files available will allow you to make changes to the images without further degrading their image quality (logo changes, color or contract changes, etc.).

•     If you're a photo journalist for a local newspaper, you shouldn't be editing your photos at all. If you're allowed to, make your changes to exposure or sharpness, save as JPEGS and delete the RAW files to save space.

•    If you're a hobbyist photographer, I would recommend converting any RAW files you haven't looked at in the last year to JPEGS or DNGs, then toss the original RAWS to save hard drive space.

Who really NEEDS to use RAW files?

    Professional photographers and pixel peepers are the two groups of people most benefit from RAW files, the latter if only to satisfy their craving for perfection... There are, however, professional photographers that need to shoot in JPEG, and there are some that prefer to shoot in JPEG.

    Some sports photographers shoot JPEG because the images process and transfer to the card faster than RAW files do. Also, the number of images in the burst rate increases. And with most of their images ending up on the Internet at 800px wide, or in a newspaper in black & white, image quality at the level of a RAW file just isn't necessary. Large or even medium size JPEGS straight from the camera look great. I know a journalist who shoots at music events on a regular basis, and he prefers to shoot small JPEGs for this very reason.

    Wedding photographers, portrait photographers, landscape photographers and anyone else who needs to make heavy adjustments to the image before presentation, will want to be shooting RAW. The benefits of holding onto that extra data far outweigh the disadvantages of slower burst rates, large file sizes, and extra time spent processing files later. See the images below for a demonstration.

File Sizes
    The file size difference between a JPEG and a RAW file is one reason some prefer not to shoot in RAW; in fact it may be the only reason. Here's the file sizes of two pictures I took with my old Canon Rebel Xsi... one is JPEG, one is RAW. Aside from being cropped to show some detail in this blog, these are straight from camera. As it would appear, I need to check my focus a little more closely, as it shifted about a half inch! Sorrrrrry....

                           JPEG file straight from camera         RAW file straight from camera

                                                  1.49 MB                                                      13 MB

 

Now imagine that you went out to some event and shot 2500 pictures... external hard drives up the wazoo! And don't these numbers make you wonder what's being deleted in a JPEG???

Color Depth
    In my opinion, color is one of the most important aspects of a great photograph. Yes, composition, cropping, subject matter, field of view, etc. is all very important (I didn't list exposure because if you don't have that right, color depth and cropping are the least of your problems, buddy!). But color, oh sweet color... THAT is something magical. It has such power in the image and can be used to express ideas and emotions just as the subjects themselves can. I'm a strong advocate of good coloring in a image. Anyway, a RAW file can provide an abundance more - a superabundance more - oodles, mountains, loads, masses, gobs, heaps, and scads more of color than a JPEG could ever dream of providing. If you love color, shoot RAW!
 

Here's the full image of the above example. Note the extreme loss of color and highlights in the JPEG version. From an example like this, I would say that "less post processing" as a reason to shoot JPEG is really pretty bogus. A JPEG may even need more processing!

An in-camera processed JPEG file

A Jesse-processed RAW file

Well I hope I haven't discouraged you from ever shooting JPEG again, wait... yes I do. ;)
If you didn't know what the arguing was all about on those forums, now you know and you can make your own informed decision. Check the links below for some great technical information about RAW files, JPEG files, post processing for each, and more!


Understanding RAW Files
RAW, JPEG, and TIFF
RAW File Format
Best RAW Photo Editing Software
Ken Tanaka: Shooting JPEG Instead Of RAW



Please, if you have any questions, comments, or corrections, just write them in the comment box below; your feedback helps to improve the content! And, I would LOOOOOVE it if you share my articles using the little icon thingies below!! :) Thanks!

The Lantern Battery & Your Speedlite: A Match Made In Heaven!

 The Lantern Battery & Your Speedlite: A Match Made In Heaven!

Demetri Martin

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/demetrimar414432.html#Mf83Zvw5j7IKgoKk.99

I noticed that there are no B batteries. I think that's to avoid confusion, cause if there were you wouldn't know if someone was stuttering. 'Yes, hello I'd like some b-batteries.' 'What kind?' 'B-batteries.' 'What kind?' 'B-batteries!' and D-batteries that's hard for foreigners. 'Yes, I would like de batteries.'

Demetri Martin

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/demetrimar414432.html#Mf83Zvw5j7IKgoKk.99

"I noticed that there are no B batteries. I think that's to avoid confusion, cause if there were you wouldn't know if someone was stuttering. 'Yes, hello I'd like some b-batteries.' 'What kind?' 'B-batteries.' 'What kind?' 'B-batteries!' and D-batteries that's hard for foreigners. 'Yes, I would like de batteries.' " - Demetri Martin

In this post, I'll be showing you how to make your very own fake AA batteries to insert in your speedlite so you can use a larger 6V battery instead of standard AAs!

Note: 

1. This is a mod that does not modify your actual flash; it's not permanent. 

2. I used a Yongnuo YN560. You may have to modify these instructions a bit in order for it to work for your flash. 

3. Proceed with the understanding that I assume NO responsibility for the success your project. This mod may not be completely compatible with your flash, and if you don't know enough about tinkering with electronics, I would recommend asking someone for help or not trying it at all.
4. There's a lot pictures.

This is my Yongnuo 560ii speedlite. These AA batteries start strong, but after only a few full power pops, they're done. I need more juice!

Here's some of the material needed for the project. A 6V lantern battery, a piece of 1/2" wooden dowel rod, some thin two conductor wire (22AWG should be fine), 2 alligator clips, a soldering iron, a drill, a saw, a few small wood screws, some thin tape or office labels, and maybe a few thumb tacks.

     First, grab your drill and small drill bit that's just larger than one of the conductors of your wire. Drill a hole on the end of the dowel rod about an inch or so deep. Then drill a second hole on the side of the rod at an angle so it meets up with the first hole. The pictures will explain this better. It may take a few try's, but you'll get it. Push the wire into the side hole until it pokes out the end of the rod.

     Once the wire is sticking out the end of the rod, strip off about a 1/2" of the jacket. Then pull back on the wire just a bit so that the bare wire is partly inside the rod. Get one of the small wooden screws, and wrap the bare wire around the shaft of the screw and then begin to screw it into the end of the rod.

     Once you have the wire secured in the dowel rod, you'll be cutting the rod to the correct length. The reason we didn't do that first, is that it would be more difficult to drill the holes in the dowel rod if it were the length of a AA battery. So line it up next to a real battery and mark the rod.

     Next, we'll be wrapping the "batteries" with something to keep the wire tight up against the side. I used some office labels I had; they're 5/8" wide & about 5" long. I tried to use electrical tape at first, but it kept bunching up inside the flash. I would recommend labels like I used or some thin tape that doesn't rip or bunch up easily. It's not necessary, but if you want to, you can stick some thumb tacks on the end of "batteries" to give them a more finished look. They won't serve any purpose electrically, as the only contacts in use are the ends of the screws at the other end; one for the negative connection in the flash, and one for the positive connection.

When your "batteries" are all wrapped up, stick 'm in and see how they fit!

Unless you modify your battery cover in some way, the wire may cause the cover to stick up a little. My Yongnuo flash's cover is still able to close with the wire sticking out.

Moving on to the other end of the wire, we need to attach some alligator clips. I would recommend removing the "batteries" from your flash before continuing, just...because.
If you know how to solder, this should be easy. If you don't know how to solder, ask for help, watch some videos, and practice on something else first. 

When your all done, attach your two alligator clips to the 6V lantern battery. 

PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR POSITIVE/NEGATIVE CONNECTIONS. 

The inside of the flash's battery cover should tell you which "cavities" have a positive or negative connection; you'll have to figure out which two are duds and which two lead to the circuitry inside. 

The top of the lantern battery has clearly marked terminals. Pay attention or risk ruining your flash!

It should look like this when your all done:

     Well, that's it for today; I sure hope you enjoyed the article! If you do complete the project, I know your going to love it! Yeah, there's other options available for extending shoot time with speedlites, but this is a super cheap and easy way to at least double the number of pops from the flash! Let me know if you can improve on this project, I'm always interested in new ideas!




Please, if you have any questions, comments, or corrections, just write them in the comment box below; your feedback helps to improve the content! And, I would LOOOOOVE it if you share my articles using the little icon thingies below!! :) Thanks!

The Image Stabilizer: Move'n & Shake'n

The Image Stabilizer: Move'n & Shake'n

"Be very nervous of the shaky hands." - Ja Rule

     If you've recently bought a a fancy new camera or lens, you might just have some sort of image stabilization available for use. Different brands all have their own patented & proprietary version, but for the most part, they all do the same thing: they take the shakes out of your pictures.

     Depending on the brand of camera or lens you have, it could be called image stabilization, optical stabilization, steady shot, or vibration reduction. There's even more names than that too! For the simplicity of this article, I'll just call it image stabilization (IS) even though that may not be the correct terminology for all brands. If you find out that your camera or lens has it (go look!), check to see if it's turned on. If it isn't, you're in for a big, beautiful, happy surprise! Image stabilization is the best thing since sliced br...wait. No, gravity. It's the best thing since gravity. 

A Canon Lens With Image Stabilization

     Image stabilization (IS) corrects unwanted camera shake which could be caused by an awkward position while shooting (leaning over a fence), breathing (heavily), shooting in a moving vehicle (as a passenger of course), or just from having shaky hands (put down those energy drinks!). It does this in a number of ways, and can depend on the brand of camera or lens. For Canon , Nikon, Sigma, Tamron, and maybe some others, the built-in IS is performed in the lens. For Sony, Pentax, Olympus, and a few others, the built-in IS is performed by moving the actual sensor in the camera! Both in-camera IS systems work, and both have advantages & disadvantages. There's also the option to use external gyros, and even simple weights!

     For a built-in IS system to be integrated into the lens, the lens must include not only a moving glass element (or group of elements), but it must also include movement sensors, several very tiny motors with gears and a computer to control it all. When the sensors detect some sort of camera shake, they relay the information to the computer which analyzes the info and tells which motors to turn on, what to do, and how much to do it! And all of this happens in a fraction of a second so all you see is a nice smooth image in the viewfinder... Ahh. This type of system does add weight, and unfortunately, it also adds a lot of price.

A Nikon Lens With Vibration Reduction (VR)

Photo by Jastrow (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

The sensor based IS systems do the same thing, but instead of moving a glass element in the lens, they move the actual image sensor to compensate for a potentially blurry image that's passing through the lens. The advantage of this is that there's no need to buy new lenses in order to use image stabilization. You can use image stabilization with a 30 year old prime!

     External gyros were more of a specialty device used on very old or large equipment and were mainly found on commercial movie sets. However, as technology keeps advancing, and consumer grade cameras become more capable in making movies, external gyros are making their way into common use. They're still very expensive to own, but they are available.

     Weights are, well, weights. They're the poor mans gyro...sort of. They work based on the simple idea that the small vibrations created with our hands aren't enough to shake the heavy weight attached to the camera, and therefore, the camera doesn't shake either. They certainly can make a difference, though they may not be as effective as the other methods, and your arms will hate you for not spending the extra money!

In these two exciting pictures, no settings were changed, 

except for turning on the image stabilization.

Handheld, f 9.0, 6th/sec, ISO 1600

     I won't dive into the history of image stabilization, nor all the intricate pros and cons of each system, as that would make this post WAY too long; so I'll post some links below in case your interested in reading up on it. 
 
     To sum up this rather short article, I'll say this: Image stabilization is like air conditioning and automatic transmissions in a car; they used to be very costly options, but now they're standard on nearly every vehicle. I think it's because we've realized that certain "luxuries" are so wonderful and helpful, that having them is not so much an advantage as not having them is a disadvantage. Or think of electricity: it used to be a "plus" if you could afford it, now it's a "neutral" because everyone has it, and it would be a "negative" if you didn't have it. Make sense? Anyway, if you don't have some kind of image stabilization, now you know what your missing. Go buy it. 

     Please, if you have any questions, comments, or corrections, just write them in the comment box below; your feedback helps to improve the content! And, I would LOOOOOVE it if you share my articles using the little icon thingies below!! :) Thanks!




Here's some links, start reading!
Canon
Nikon Explains
Olympus 5-axis sensor shift  
Bobatkins
Kenyon Laboratories 

The Lens Collar: Support In Just The Right Places

The Lens Collar: Support In Just The Right Places

“The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.” - Thomas Kempis

     Have you ever seen the pro photographers at a sports event? You know, the guys on the sidelines with black, pocket covered vests and HUGE telephoto lenses? Well they're quite familiar with lens collars, as they come standard issue for those enormous barrels of glass. Lets take a closer look and see how they work! 

     

     A lens collar (a.k.a. tripod collar, lens bracket, camera bracket or big metal ring) is pretty much what it sounds like, as you can see in the photos. It's meant to hold the lens and attach it to a tripod or monopod for stability. Since the lens is mounted to the tripod, the camera hangs free in the air. I thought this was strange when I first saw it, but it makes sense that the heavier & bulkier of the two should be mounted. On the side of the collar, you'll find a tightening knob or screw that secures the collar around the lens.

     In the photo below, a large lens was used to demonstrate the use of a lens collar, because usually, a lens collar isn't used on smaller lenses. A small lens, like a Canon 17-40mm f4 L, is easily steadied by hand, or can be safely supported by the body of the camera itself. However, if you're using a lens like the Canon 400mm f4 weighing in at around 4 1/2 lbs, a lens collar is probably something your going to want! If you have a long telephoto without a collar, and would like to see if a collar is available for it, check B&H, as they have a great selection of lens collars available. And, guess what? If you're not the proud owner of a $6,000 mega lens, and all you have is a lowly old beat up Canon 75-300 f4-5.6 MkIII (ahem... like me), you can buy the Manfrotto 293 Telephoto Lens Support and voilà! Now, you can head to the race track or sports event or rodeo or whatever, and look super cool with a lens support system! 

By Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

     Well, that's about all there is to say about lens collars. Or rather, that's all I know about lens collars. It's a simple device that serves a very important purpose: stability. I imagine it would be near impossible to get a decent photo without a collar and tripod if you're using a very large lens. If you're a landscape photographer, this is a must-have accessory! 

    Please, if you have any questions, comments, or corrections, just write them in the comment box below; your feedback helps to improve the content! And, I would LOOOOOVE it if you share my articles using the little icon thingies below!! :) Thanks!