Do You Shoot in RAW?

Whether you’re a weekend photographer or seasoned professional, Wired’s Charlie Sorrel says you should always use your digital camera’s RAW setting—no excuses. Sorrel cites increased dynamic range, no in-camera processing of the image, and full reign to adjust the results using all of the pre-compressed, raw data available in the image (hence RAW). The downsides to RAW, on the other hand, include slower capture times, larger files, and lack of support on lower-end consumer cameras. (Then again, if you’ve got a Canon point-and-shoot, there’s a good chance you can add RAW support and other high-end features by installing the easy-to-use Canon Hackers Development Kit.) Wired’s recommendation is one thing, but we’re curious what mode you regularly shoot in. So we want to know:

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Despite the benefits of RAW, another downside for many hobbyist photographers is time required to get good results. If you’re not someone who enjoys post-processing photographs, taking advantage of RAW’s flexibility may seem like more of a pain than a benefit. But if you want to get the most from your digital photos, RAW mode is a must. Let’s hear more about why you do or don’t shoot RAW in the comments. Photo by Neil Cowburn.