RAW or jpg.

I have received conflicting advice on the file type to use for recording photographs on a DSLR. I have heard several advanced members at the club saying that they only take high quality jpgs while many of the photographic magazines advocate taking RAW files. It’s all very well advanced workers telling us that provided the camera settings are correct they only need jpg files but what about the occasions when us lesser mortals get it wrong.
As an example I was taking badger photographs in failing light and increased my ISO speed to enable higher shutter speeds. Inadvertently in the poor light I had accidentally changed the White Balance from Auto to Tungsten and unfortunately I did not notice this for several days. Fortunately I have always taken both RAW and high quality jpg files together as a sort of belt and bracers option and so was able to correct my mistake.
Is it a case then of only using RAW when we are in unusual conditions where the recovery of detail, that would otherwise be lost in a jpg, would still be there in the RAW file? I would be interested to know how many club members use RAW files.
Opening and adjusting newer RAW files has proved difficult as my favourite program, Photoshop CS4, will not open them. I must use Nikon’s View NX2 and Adobe Lightroom 4.4 to open them. I am just getting used to Lightroom 4 but would prefer to use Photoshop CS6 if only it was priced at the same level as Lightroom 4. If anyone knows of a source of a discounted Photoshop CS6 I would appreciate it if they could let me know via email to roland@rolandbooth.com.
Roland Booth

Roland
I only shoot raw except if i just want small file JPG for emailng or web use etc. Pretty well all the mags and pro's recommend raw. The downside of course is that you have to work on every image, but all the detail is there all the time. You don;t have to worry about camera setting other than the basics for exposure etc.
If you are happy with the quality of tones of your jpg then fine but if you make a mistake such as you say then so be it. You can still of course take jpg's into raw editor but you don't have the same controls.
I don't see any point in shooting both as you are using up valuable storage space.
Raw editors can be frustrating; I have recently bought a Canon G15 and CS5 will not read the raw files but LR 4 does; cannot even see the images in bridge unless I download in DNG format.
But on the whole raw will cover all the bases.
John

Hi John,
Thanks for your reply, this site is not very well attended which is a pity.
I record in jpg and RAW so that if a small print is all that is requested I use the jpg and if I have to print to A3 I will work from the RAW file. My problem is I would prefer to open the RAW files in Photoshop as I am only just finding my way around Lightroom 4. Nikon’s View NX2 is very limited and I’ve only got Photoshop CS4 but I need Photoshop CS6 to open my RAW files. I wish sometimes that I was still in teaching then I could get CS6 cheaper but then I remember with a shudder what teaching had become.
Thanks again, Roland

Roland
If you have LR4 then the raw adjustments are better than the adjustments in Adobe Raw that is with my CS5 make sure you have the latest updates for LR4. when you have done the adjustments in LR you can always right click on the image and "edit in Photoshop" for further tweaks. I know you do a lot with nature subjects so LR4 should do everything you want in my experience.
John

The Adober DNG Converter is a good freebie which can be downloaded from the Adobe website which covers a majority of cameras, give it a go might be worth a try for your RAW files:) 

Thanks for that info.
Just read an article about Raw v Jpg, i see that when your camera processes the jpg from the raw it is only in 8 bit whereas your raw file will be 12, 14 or 16 bit according to your camera and settings therefore hundreds of more times information. With jpg you will not have the same quality particularly in the shadows and the highlight.
But at the bottom line if you are happy with what the jpg gives you then who am I to say what's best.
John