Is there are any difference in quality between Large Fine JPG and converted NEF?

Question

Assume that I do not want to do any post-processing, such as white balancing, etc. I would like to preserve the best resolution (for possible cropping). So the question is: Are there any quality differences between shooting in-camera JPG, versus converting NEF to JPEG using ViewNX, Picasa, etc.?

Asked by yura

Answer

If you aren't interested in post-processing, then an in-camera jpeg will have the same resolution as a RAW image and the amount of detail in the image should be roughly the same. There is more flexibility in the RAW format in terms of post-processing and color corrections.

As an example, here is Digital Photography Review's review of the Nikon D800 showing the difference between high-quality jpeg and RAW -- http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikon-d800-d800e/22

Answered by David Rouse

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