XMP Clarification please

[GoofBckt]

Im a little confused as to the importance of XMP files after I convert from RAW to .jpg. Do I need to keep them? I have been trying to search info on this subject, but what I find is not clear to me. I read that the XMP's have all the important image info, but once I finally convert to jpg after editing, are they still useful to keep?

[Art Scott]

depending on what all you add to your exif.......I add all kinds of copyright infor and messages to mine.....I had a book on Raw that expalined the XMP. sidecar very well..real world raw the 1st one author now deceased.....but it had a great explanation.......which I do not remember but I do keep attached as it takes up no room...............GGOGLE RESULTS of explanation of XMP sidecar................

http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=explanation+of+XMP+SIDECAR&btnG=Google+Search

[arodney]

Im a little confused as to the importance of XMP files after I convert from RAW to .jpg. Do I need to keep them? I have been trying to search info on this subject, but what I find is not clear to me. I read that the XMP's have all the important image info, but once I finally convert to jpg after editing, are they still useful to keep?

Unless you're doing something I consider insane (trashing the Raws), yes, you need to keep them. The XMP defines the parametric edits of the Raw for subsequent rendering of newer documents. I can't believe you'd build a JPEG and trash the Raws. So yes keep them (or think about a DNG workflow where that's all stored in the DNG itself).

[Richard]

Im a little confused as to the importance of XMP files after I convert from RAW to .jpg. Do I need to keep them? I have been trying to search info on this subject, but what I find is not clear to me. I read that the XMP's have all the important image info, but once I finally convert to jpg after editing, are they still useful to keep?
The XMP contains all the settings you used to convert the RAW file to JPG. If you ever want to go back and rework the pic, you will have to start from scratch if you haven´t saved the XMP. If you don´t rework pics very often, it probably doesn´t matter very much, as RAW conversion is usually not very time consuming, but if you are saving the RAW files you might as well save the XMPs as well. I agree with Andrew that you should be saving the RAW files. Even if you don´t currently rework your pics, five or ten years from now software and output devices will have improved so much that you might want to rework some of your pics. You will be less able to take advantage of these improvements if all you have are JPGs.

[GoofBckt]

Thanks for all the help, everyone. Now I know what to do. :)

The XMP contains all the settings you used to convert the RAW file to JPG. If you ever want to go back and rework the pic, you will have to start from scratch if you haven´t saved the XMP. If you don´t rework pics very often, it probably doesn´t matter very much, as RAW conversion is usually not very time consuming, but if you are saving the RAW files you might as well save the XMPs as well. I agree with Andrew that you should be saving the RAW files. Even if you don´t currently rework your pics, five or ten years from now software and output devices will have improved so much that you might want to rework some of your pics. You will be less able to take advantage of these improvements if all you have are JPGs.