Tannin
Common; sedentary.
Keith Reeder said:Ah - so RAW snob bad, jpeg snob good then?
Glad we've cleared that up.
As Steve very eloquently suggests (though I admit I'm putting a personal "spin" on this), if you're such a brilliantly talented photographer that you never, ever get the initial shot more than slightly wrong, then yes, jpeg is fine (I say that - pretty much - in post 10).
For the rest of us, RAW allows so much more latitude in post processing that the slight notional downside implied by that format is a small price to pay.
And I'm speaking as someone with a steam-driven Win ME machine that can't even run many of the latest examples of RAW processing software.
That post is bordering on the offensive. Not quite, but close.
Let's repeat the actual point in nice small words, shall we?
Raw has advantages in post-processing.
JPEG has advantages in shooting.
Which is more important? Well, it all depends. If you are going for an action shot in good light, JPEG wins by a mile (unless you have a camera that can store raw shots as readily as it stores JPEGs, which is a rare and expensive thing). If you are going for relatively static shots in poor light, raw wins by a mile.
OK, those two situations are easy, there is a clear "best" format in each. But what do you use when the situation isn't clear in advance? You are, let's say, wandering around in some woodland and you don't know what bird in what light the day is going to present you with next. Well, there are two basic philosophies: either you decide to take your chances on missing shots because your camera is bogged down processing raw files, or else you decide to take your chances with the lighting. It is, in other words, entirely a matter of which compromise you feel most comfortable with - but make no mistake, both methods are compromises. Flip a coin if you can't decide any other way.
Naturally, if you have the time and the presence of mind, you can switch between raw and JPEG as best fits each situation you are presented with.
But sneering at people who use the "wrong" file format is not on. Do you sneer at people who drive a different brand of car, wear a different colour tie? For the love of Mike, lighten up a bit and stop preaching at people.