Hello,
I've bought myself a D50, and since then everybody has been telling me to shoot raw. My first question is, can iphoto convert RAW photos into jpeg? Sorry if I am unclear, or confusing to understand, I don't know a great deal about RAW.
Secondly, what are the advantages of RAW over jpeg?
Cheers.
Eric D.
In short, from an amateur who tried RAW and went back to jpg -- RAW has a lot more photo data, so you can better post process (like, bring back images in shadow, for example). You can post process a RAW on a more customized basis than a jpg, because RAW is not compressed. However, you'll eventually want to create a jpg, and that leads to the downside -- you HAVE to post-process RAW. And, at first, you'll be startled by the seeming lesser condition of the RAW compared to a JPG of the same picture. Just remember RAW is UNPROCESSED. So, you've got to do now what your camera would have done (e.g. sharpness, noise reduction, etc.). I decided (for me) I didn't have the time/desire.
If you think image quality is really important for you, then don't be discouraged, take some time to learn how to use RAW, and as long as you don't mind putting in the effort, you might be able to get better pictures.
iPhoto will convert RAW formats that OSX supports. There's more detail to that statement, but suffice it to say that Aperture or Lightroom will help you handle RAW much better than iPhoto. Ap and LR have much more advanced developing tools to do all the processing referenced above. If you aren't sure you want to pay for Ap or LR, you can download a free 30 day trial. I only use iPhoto, but when I was trying RAW, I trialed Ap and LR, and it was clear immediately the power they provide you when working with RAW.
Good luck
