Consensus Please - RAW or JPEG

[Gbealnz]

Hi All,
I could use a bit of fatherly guidance from the experts out there.
I have the X-Pro1 and a couple of lenses.
Shooting mainly for fun, not for sale. End use is 99% web, but I have the desire every now and then to print a picture. In the past with my Sony a700 I have shot the Sony RAW, and produced a TIFF, and had that printed.
Now with the Fuji I am faced with everyone telling me how good the JPEG's are, and also "patchy" use of LR4 to produce a DNG.
In a month we are off to Europe for a 5 week stint, and the Fuji is accompanying. Last time we were there ( 5 years ago) I carted a Canon 20D and 17-40L around, and just shot JPEG's. Very few made it to prints, and most were simply mementos of the trip. (not due to quality though).
This time I want to decide before I go, RAW or JPEG, or RAW+JPEG. It makes a difference to storage for a start.
So, oh knowledgeable ones, when you have printed from the X-Pro1, what size(s) have you been happy with, from the JPEG's? I realize "happy" is a subjective thing, but I also hear of X-Pro users using the camera for commercial use with JPEG's as an end result.
Any "gotchas" I should take into account as well.
Safe option is shoot RAW, but if JPEG's are good to say 20x16, then why bother.
Unless I have it wrong, my Fine JPEG's are about 5.5mb, and the RAW's about 25mb.
Appreciate any input.
Gary

 

[GrahamWelland]

I just leave my X-Pro1 on RAW + JPG and if the jpg is perfect I'll use it. If not, I'll process the RAW files in LR 4.1 (I don't seem to have any rendering problems to be honest). Realistically all of my final prints are normally rendered from RAW.

SD cards are cheap. Time and missed opportunities are vastly more expensive ...

 

[ustein]

I normally shoot only Raw. But for the X-Pro1 I would go Raw + JPEG. The JPEGs are that good and there is still some room for better raw processing right now.

 

[Braeside]

Raw +JPG - only way to go. 99% of the time the JPGs are good enough, but you never know, and raw processors get better (we hope!). Don' shoot JUST raw, because then you can't zoom in far enough to check focus on the display.

 

[tbhv55]

I wrestled with the same dilemma when I got my x100, and originally opted to shoot Raw + Jpeg, because I really liked the Jpeg output, but wanted the Raw file for "insurance". This meant, of course, that I was importing twice the number of files onto my computer. Bit of a drag.

More recently, I've taken to shooting Raw, and then converting in-camera using the Raw button, for selected images - i.e. only those that I consider would benefit specifically from Fuji's Jpeg engine. Otherwise, I just import the Raw files, and convert using my regular editing software. This approach does save importing twice as many files onto one's computer, but the down-side is that it requires the commitment of some considerable time to fiddle around creating Jpegs on the camera. It would take less time to do this, if there were a select-and-batch conversion option available in-camera... there isn't on the x100 at least (not sure about X-Pro1). Hmmmm... perhaps I've just come up with a new firmware update suggestion?

 

[Ario Arioldi]

Raw +JPG - only way to go. 99% of the time the JPGs are good enough, but you never know, and raw processors get better (we hope!). Don' shoot JUST raw, because then you can't zoom in far enough to check focus on the display.

+1
Also on the GXR I went back to Raw+jpeg to get a preview substantially better than the one available with the raw only option.

 

[dhsimmonds]

Raw+jpeg is the only way to be sure of both your web and occasional print requirements. I often use the jpeg's if not OOC with only a bit of cropping and resizing for web work and convert selected raw's to .psd or Tiff's for printing.

As for storage I take 3 x 32Gb cards with me for a 2 week holiday and usually have another 16gb as a reserve. I have never used the reserve and only once needed the 32gb. My style of XP1 shooting is slow and deliberate using the XP1 not like when I use my DSLR when it tends to be faster and not so deliberate, so ending up with far more images of the same subject!!

I much prefer shooting with the XP1 though, more satisfying to use IMHO.

 

[eriklovold]

I just shoot RAW. Very rarely is the rendering in LR inadequate, and if it is, I have RPP to take care of that. I shot JPG before the LR support arrived, but now, I exclusively shoot in RAW. There is alot of latitude in those files.

 

[proenca]

agreed here !

shoot raw + jpeg - use the JPEG's for everyday use and keep the RAW's on your disk.

buy SD cards ( cheap ) and a couple of external disks - they are cheap. that way if want / need to do a bigger print.

I remember when I started with my first DSLR - Fuji S2 PRO, dozens of years ago , I started using JPEG - Fuji is famous for nailing the JPEGS nicely and turning them very usable.

Problem is, when I had a shot I wanted to process different and needed the elasticy of a RAW file, I was out of luck.

Shoot RAW+JPEG and there you go

 

[Paratom]

I allways shoot raw and most of the times raw+jpg.
In your case I would just shoot raw (to save disk space) and bring enough memory cards.
In case you run outr of sd cards you could even buy 1 or 2 more during the trip.
Or buy a portable drive where you can download the images during the trip.

 

[Jim Radcliffe]

Most of the time I shoot RAW + JPG so that I have the best of both worlds but honestly, the JPGs are so good that I am beginning to wonder if I need to use up all that hard drive space for the RAW files.

I downloaded the trial version of Lightroom 4.1 and processed some of the RAW files and aside from the control of temperature and a few other factors I did not see MAJOR improvement over the JPGs the camera produces.

With most of my other cameras I always shoot RAW but with the X-Pro1 I find myself doing it less with the exception for situations where I know I made need/want the RAW for the best possible print and tweaking.

 

[Gbealnz]

Gentlemen,
Thank you all. While nobody has come out and said "I can print x by x with a JPEG, the majority have stated RAW.
I have plonked down for a couple more cards. RAW (and maybe JPEG at the same time) it is.
Appreciate all the input.
Gary

 

[Stan ROX]

Maybe it's too late - I did some studio and travel work with the X-Pro1.

1. A Studio pic of my Hasselblad printed to 60x90 cm
2. A trip to Pamplona for Fiesta San Fermin.

Both just in JPG. Never missed anything, and the JPEGs are incredible good.

Be sure to use the Dynamic Resolution Mode in 'Auto' - you will never have any problems, even portraits against the sun.

I'm not opting against RAW - just wanted to mention that it is the sex-appeal of the X-Pro1 to have wonderful pictures directly out of the cam.

Have a look at: steinert-hausmann.de (my blog), where I put the Pamplona-pocs onlie just yesterday ...

S.

 

[Gbealnz]

Stan,
never too late, and I appreciate the reply. The Pamplona shots are awesome, love the colors.
To get a 60x90 printed shot from a JPEG is encouraging indeed.
Thank you again,
Gary