You can save it in any format you wish, JPEG is most popular, I use dng, it's large but just have a backup hard drive, they are quite cheap these days.that way I have all the detail, so if I want to "play" later I can. Try to slightly under expose images, I run .03 , compensation on my nikons as they are well known to slightly over expose,can slight less of an issue. Remember White is white, so a blown highlight is lost forever, whereas under exposed can be pulled back. It's scary by how much.

DNG is a good format for later use - once you save a JPG you can't do anything to it without degrading it.  But for complete control really you need to save the RAW files so it's worth keeping those for important pictures.

Raw and DNGs files are pretty much the same thing. Raw files vary according the the camera that has produced them. This means that there are many different types of Raw. DNGs are universal and can be opened by most software, but Raw files from a new camera can require an update to the software. Both are well worth being kept and used pretty much as negatives were. We never threw away negatives after they had been used to make prints. After a digital image has been converted to JPEG or TIFF, photo editing changes and manipulates to personal taste. Keeping the lossless Raw / DNG files enable you to return and edit again from scratch. Portable hard drives provide the perfect place to store all image files.

I think that shooting in Raw provides me with the best results. Sometimes I convert to DNG and the results are identical. JPEGs lose something every time they are subjected to editing.

RodB hits the nail on the head.  RAW files are your negatives and Lightroom is your darkroom. 

I've been using Lightroom for around 12 months now after using Photoshop for 20 years and whilst it's initially a bit of a learning curve, it all soon slots into place.  One thing that initially got me was that you don't SAVE a file in Lightroom, you EXPORT it to another format. The RAW file remains completely unaltered and you can go back over and over and create a different look or edit. 

Again, replicating the 'darkroom' you save all your (usable) RAW files and use Lightroom to catalogue them for future reference.  And the Print module is awesome.

Lots of people argue Lightroom v Photoshop but frankly it's meaningless in many cases. 

In terms of all the usual image processing they both do the same thing. Personally I think that Lightroom does it more easily and certainly more intuitively. But then when you want a particularly tricky adjustment or you want to get into compositing, then Photoshop wins hands down. And if you have both you can simply flip between them as you work on your photograph.

Just my opinion 🙂

I use a Nikon D3,  which has two memory cards.
I have one set up to save in RAW+jpg and the 2nd to follow on.
I save all of my RAW files, whatever I do with the jpgs

Sorry if I sound a bit dim, But if you covert, or export a raw file to jpeg or tiff. Is that file the same size as the raw file?

Sorry if I sound a bit dim, But if you covert, or export a raw file to jpeg or tiff. Is that file the same size as the raw file?

No, the jpeg will be a lot smaller but obviously will be dependant upon the level of compression you use. Always keep the RAW file though so you can go back and try different editing techniques as you learn more about the software.

I ALWAYS shoot RAW - yes the filesize is bigger than jpeg but you get to play with the "RAW" data so no degradation. Besides, I have a 64GB card in my camera so plenty of space 🙂

Devman ... when you export you can basically set it to whatever you want. So, for example, when I want an image for my website I can get a 1500px jpg image at around 250k and I can save that as a custom preset for the next time I need it. There's also loads of presets such as smaller size for email and sites such as 500px have publishing plugins and also export direct into Wordpress image galleries at specific sizes.

Enjoy the learning curve!  🙂

Google JulieAnn Kost for really good Youtube tutorials, she's an Adobe ambassador and really knows what she's talking about. HTH

Thanks Cherry or John. That makes sense. I have looked at a few YouTube tutorials, I will take a look at the one you recomended.

Tiff files can be very large, and are a good image file format to interchange tools without degradation. Some HDR software uses this format as it can accommodate a greater dynamic range.

I can also recommend Serge Ramelli on YouTube, he does regular Lightroom and photography tutorials, you'll be amazed how he can transform and ordinary image into something special.

I have a 64GB card in my camera so plenty of space 🙂

I NEVER have more than a 16GB card in my camera, I always have 5 or 6 cards handy, as a pro photographer I know only too well that cards can fail at any time, the thought of loosing 64GB of images in one go should one fail mortifies me.

Scouse Mouse ... me too. I use 2x 16G cards in the two slots on my Nikon and have #2 set as backup. I've got a couple of 32G 'just in case' I'm ever on a big shoot but rarely use them now and get any session off the cards asap.

I'm a bit paranoid I guess. Ever since nearly 40 years ago when I used to do a lot of Weddings and I put 4 rolls of 120 Vericolor into an envelope and popped them through the processing house letterbox as usual on the Saturday afternoon. Saturday evening the place burned down. Ooooops.

"120 Vericolor", now that is a blast from the past!

Ah! Vericolor, much loved by wedding photographers. It was rather good.