Today’s Question: You said you recommend using raw capture for “basically all photos”, which sounds like there are some situations where you would use JPEG instead of raw. Is that the case, and if so when would you shoot JPEG instead of raw?
Tim’s Quick Answer: In my view JPEG capture should only be used for situations where you are more concerned about file size than image quality. For example, I think it makes perfectly good sense to use JPEG capture for “casual” photos such as those you might capture with a basic point-and-shoot camera or a smartphone.
More Detail: A colleague of mine long ago was fond of saying, “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right”. A similar notion in photography that resonates with me would be, “If a photo is worth capturing, it is worth capturing with optimal quality”.
There are, of course, many factors that can impact the quality of a photo, from the performance of camera gear, the specific exposure settings used, and photographer technique, among others. Among these many factors is the file format used to record the photo at the time of initial capture.
While JPEG captures can certainly provide an image of very good quality, they also represent a compromise in quality due to the effects of compression artifacts.
The primary advantages of a JPEG capture are relatively small file size and broad compatibility. It is quite common for a JPEG capture to have a file size that is about 90% smaller than a raw capture, for example, which can be quite significant in terms of the cumulative storage requirements for photos.
However, JPEG captures also represent a compromise in image quality. This primarily relates to visual artifacts of the compression applied to JPEG captures, but there is also an impact on overall tonal range and color fidelity.
For casual “snapshot” photos where you aren’t particularly concerned about optimal image quality, it is perfectly reasonable to use JPEG capture. However, for photos that you want to ensure will represent the best quality possible, I highly recommend using raw capture, even though doing so will increase the amount of storage space required for your photos.
