Shooting in Raw

ray · 29-05-2008, 09:53

When you shoot in Raw how long do you keep the files for, i ask as i see people asking others have you still got the original, do you keep them forever

orangepeel · 29-05-2008, 09:58

i keep em forever. forever, so far, being 2.5 years

Think of them like film negatives - u wouldn't throw those out. RAW files are just the same - in fact they are often referred to as Digital Negatives.

ray · 29-05-2008, 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangepeel

i keep em forever. forever, so far, being 2.5 years

Think of them like film negatives - u wouldn't throw those out. RAW files are just the same - in fact they are often referred to as Digital Negatives.

So how big is your hard drive or do you keep them elsewhwere

AQ · 29-05-2008, 10:30

I used to keep all my images but have now decided to be more ruthless and only keep the better ones or ones that are significant in some way. I used to have over 100 GB of files but that is coming down.

I do get paranoid about loosing these though so I keep seceral copies. On more than one hard drive and also on DVDs

The main think is not to keep everything on one drive. Hard drives do not live for ever and they will fail at some time. While you can restore operating systems and programs it is the data that you cannot get back if it is not backed up.

I always have at least 2 drives in my PCs and copy the pictures to both as soon as I download then from the card. If you only have one drive then I would copy your pictures onto a CD or better a DVD as soon as possible.

I tend to back up everything to DVDs at about 3 month intervals and then keep the last two back up sets as well. Did I say I wa paranoid

Hard drives a cheap now; at the last PC fair I went to 750 GB drives were going for about £65. They are also very easy to install in desk top machines.

orangepeel · 29-05-2008, 10:36

The photo storage partition is only 175GB of which I've used 123GB but that's all my photies going back to march 2006 (9,147 of em).
That 123GB also includes 900 PSD files of images worth keeping plus the jpgs automatically created when I copy the raws to my system. My PSD's range from 15MB to 750MB each but are mostly around 30-75MB mark

Note that I don't tend to delete my pics so of that 9000+ raw files probably about 8,000 of em could be safely deleted

tbh raw files are relativly small when compared with todays hdd sizes.

I've also got a backup (500GB) USB drive where I archive my stuff off plus i'm in the process of writing 2006 images to DVD for more "permanant" storage.

ray · 29-05-2008, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthraquinone

I used to keep all my images but have now decided to be more ruthless and only keep the better ones or ones that are significant in some way. I used to have over 100 GB of files but that is coming down.

I do get paranoid about loosing these though so I keep seceral copies. On more than one hard drive and also on DVDs

The main think is not to keep everything on one drive. Hard drives do not live for ever and they will fail at some time. While you can restore operating systems and programs it is the data that you cannot get back if it is not backed up.

I always have at least 2 drives in my PCs and copy the pictures to both as soon as I download then from the card. If you only have one drive then I would copy your pictures onto a CD or better a DVD as soon as possible.

I tend to back up everything to DVDs at about 3 month intervals and then keep the last two back up sets as well. Did I say I wa paranoid

Hard drives a cheap now; at the last PC fair I went to 750 GB drives were going for about £65. They are also very easy to install in desk top machines.

Yes i have 2 160g hard drives in my machine but i keep mostly music on the spare one, but if im to start shooting in Raw i will keep them on my usb external hard drive, but thats only 80g how soon will i fill that up

silkstone · 29-05-2008, 10:42

I keep everything - and yes, it does take up some space, but (as already said) hard drives are cheap nowadays.

In case it's of interest, I have a 750GB internal drive that is used only for data (documents, music and photos). That is backed up automatically every day to an external USB drive (using software that only copies files that are new or have changed). When I remember

I also backup to another external drive, and I synch between the Windows and Linux machines, so I end up with 4 copies of everything. That's overkill but it makes me happy.

ray · 29-05-2008, 10:49

Do you guy's shoot in Raw & jpeg or just Raw

silkstone · 29-05-2008, 11:04

Just RAW. Some people shoot RAW+JPEG if they want something that can be printed or transmitted immediately, but otherwise I don't see the need for both.

What you do with the RAW file is a little controversial, and depends on the software you use and how much processing is needed. I'll elaborate if you like, but there are a million different opinions on this!

**stepheno** · 29-05-2008, 11:07

RAW only. As for storage I'm pretty much like the other guys. I keep all RAW files on a separate HDD in the PC and back up to Dual-layer DVD. After about two years I will burn another DVD on a rotational basis since there is no guarantee on DVD quality and longevity.

Currently I have every RAW file. I am seriously thinking of a cull, but then I think what if.......?

ray · 29-05-2008, 11:21

Thank you all from now on im going to shoot in Raw only and see how i get on

**Markulous** · 29-05-2008, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by ray

When you shoot in Raw how long do you keep the files for, i ask as i see people asking others have you still got the original, do you keep them forever

Forever!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ray

So how big is your hard drive or do you keep them elsewhwere

Process on a 300GB drive (but now short of space) and backup to an external 300GB

Quote:

Originally Posted by ray

Do you guy's shoot in Raw & jpeg or just Raw

RAW only

Whipspeed · 29-05-2008, 16:47

I've got 500gb on the pc, which is fairly full and a 250gb and 500gb external drive. I keep pretty much everything. Shoot jpeg only for sports, as going through 500+ shots in RAW would be a pain in the Butt, but shoot RAW for everything else.

ray · 29-05-2008, 17:00

I can see i will be visiting scan at horwich next week for a couple of hard drives any one used them there really cheap, well i think so

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

silkstone · 29-05-2008, 17:13

2GB of memory for my laptop arrived from Scan this morning.

29-05-2008, 09:53	#1 (permalink)
ray Banned Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,017	Shooting in Raw When you shoot in Raw how long do you keep the files for, i ask as i see people asking others have you still got the original, do you keep them forever Last edited by ray : 29-05-2008 at 10:01.

29-05-2008, 09:58	#2 (permalink)
orangepeel Feet under the table Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 1,507	Re: Shooting in Raw i keep em forever. forever, so far, being 2.5 years Think of them like film negatives - u wouldn't throw those out. RAW files are just the same - in fact they are often referred to as Digital Negatives.

29-05-2008, 10:30	#4 (permalink)
AQ Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 1,191	Re: Shooting in Raw I used to keep all my images but have now decided to be more ruthless and only keep the better ones or ones that are significant in some way. I used to have over 100 GB of files but that is coming down. I do get paranoid about loosing these though so I keep seceral copies. On more than one hard drive and also on DVDs The main think is not to keep everything on one drive. Hard drives do not live for ever and they will fail at some time. While you can restore operating systems and programs it is the data that you cannot get back if it is not backed up. I always have at least 2 drives in my PCs and copy the pictures to both as soon as I download then from the card. If you only have one drive then I would copy your pictures onto a CD or better a DVD as soon as possible. I tend to back up everything to DVDs at about 3 month intervals and then keep the last two back up sets as well. Did I say I wa paranoid Hard drives a cheap now; at the last PC fair I went to 750 GB drives were going for about £65. They are also very easy to install in desk top machines. __________________ AQ - 34 days to go to retirement.

29-05-2008, 10:36	#5 (permalink)
orangepeel Feet under the table Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 1,507	Re: Shooting in Raw The photo storage partition is only 175GB of which I've used 123GB but that's all my photies going back to march 2006 (9,147 of em). That 123GB also includes 900 PSD files of images worth keeping plus the jpgs automatically created when I copy the raws to my system. My PSD's range from 15MB to 750MB each but are mostly around 30-75MB mark Note that I don't tend to delete my pics so of that 9000+ raw files probably about 8,000 of em could be safely deleted tbh raw files are relativly small when compared with todays hdd sizes. I've also got a backup (500GB) USB drive where I archive my stuff off plus i'm in the process of writing 2006 images to DVD for more "permanant" storage. __________________

29-05-2008, 10:42	#7 (permalink)
silkstone Feet under the table Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Silkstone Common, Yorkshire, UK Posts: 3,754	Re: Shooting in Raw I keep everything - and yes, it does take up some space, but (as already said) hard drives are cheap nowadays. In case it's of interest, I have a 750GB internal drive that is used only for data (documents, music and photos). That is backed up automatically every day to an external USB drive (using software that only copies files that are new or have changed). When I remember I also backup to another external drive, and I synch between the Windows and Linux machines, so I end up with 4 copies of everything. That's overkill but it makes me happy. __________________ "I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers" - Mahatma Gandhi

29-05-2008, 10:49	#8 (permalink)
ray Banned Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,017	Re: Shooting in Raw Do you guy's shoot in Raw & jpeg or just Raw

29-05-2008, 11:04	#9 (permalink)
silkstone Feet under the table Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Silkstone Common, Yorkshire, UK Posts: 3,754	Re: Shooting in Raw Just RAW. Some people shoot RAW+JPEG if they want something that can be printed or transmitted immediately, but otherwise I don't see the need for both. What you do with the RAW file is a little controversial, and depends on the software you use and how much processing is needed. I'll elaborate if you like, but there are a million different opinions on this!

29-05-2008, 11:07	#10 (permalink)
stepheno Pixalo Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 6,844	Re: Shooting in Raw RAW only. As for storage I'm pretty much like the other guys. I keep all RAW files on a separate HDD in the PC and back up to Dual-layer DVD. After about two years I will burn another DVD on a rotational basis since there is no guarantee on DVD quality and longevity. Currently I have every RAW file. I am seriously thinking of a cull, but then I think what if.......? Last edited by stepheno : 29-05-2008 at 11:08. Reason: Added text.

29-05-2008, 11:21	#11 (permalink)
ray Banned Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,017	Re: Shooting in Raw Thank you all from now on im going to shoot in Raw only and see how i get on

29-05-2008, 16:47	#13 (permalink)
Whipspeed Feet under the table Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northamptonshire Posts: 1,526	Re: Shooting in Raw I've got 500gb on the pc, which is fairly full and a 250gb and 500gb external drive. I keep pretty much everything. Shoot jpeg only for sports, as going through 500+ shots in RAW would be a pain in the Butt, but shoot RAW for everything else.

29-05-2008, 17:00	#14 (permalink)
ray Banned Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,017	Re: Shooting in Raw I can see i will be visiting scan at horwich next week for a couple of hard drives any one used them there really cheap, well i think so Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

29-05-2008, 17:13	#15 (permalink)
silkstone Feet under the table Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Silkstone Common, Yorkshire, UK Posts: 3,754	Re: Shooting in Raw 2GB of memory for my laptop arrived from Scan this morning.