Beginner's Guide to RAW?

I'm relatively new to the RAW format having only taken the odd photo as most of my work is done in JPEG. Once the airshow season has finished on Sunday at Duxford I plan to read up on it and to take some practice shots and maybe try RAW for the airshow season next year. Can anyone recommend a good book that covers using RAW for beginners?

Cheers

Rob

Many of us like to use Silkypix for Raw conversion. There is a free version, and a paid version.

http://www.isl.co.jp/SILKYPIX/english/

A user has written an excellent intro to SP, obtainable here as a download for a pittance:

http://www.eos-images.com/silkypix-resources/ebook-an-introduction-to-silkypix/

Good luck.

G

I have that Silkypix E-book George is refering to, and its an excellent guide, I recommend it.
Check out some of Matts info also.

There isn't really very much you need to know about the RAW format itself. What matters is what you do with it, and that will entirely depend upon which RAW converter program you choose. Instructions and guides are written specifically for each program.

Your first step should be to find reviews and comments on various RAW converters on the web and this forum. Then choose one and have a go with it (perhaps a free trial version), then look for further reading if necessary.

I like Silkypix very much for its fine control and good results. Some other programs are easier to use, and some others are more powerful in some ways.

Hi Rob,

You could try http://www.rawtherapee.com
which is a shareware programme (ie you only pay if you want to). There is a downloadable guide to using the programme too, contains usuful info applicaple to any other raw conversion programme.

To start to dabble to RAW you may want to set your K20D to RAW + JPG so that you get a RAW and a JPG each time you press the shutter - advantange of having something you can use instantly and something that you can play with later for enhancing your best shots.
As you are interested in air shows you may wish to use the camera menus to change the setting for your RAW button too so that if you are in RAW + JPG (or even RAW only) then the RAW button will change to JPG only shoting - could be usefull if using continuos shooting for more shots than the buffer will hold shooting RAW.

Good luck
Bob