RAW vs JPEG: Which one should I use?

Common question I usually find in photography forums is "Which one should I use? Raw or Jpeg?".  Some say raw is best and others say jpeg ftw, and it even got heated in one of the threads I read.  I've actually asked this question myself when I first started photography.  I bet you are wondering too.   I won't discuss the specifics of Raw and Jpeg, there are a lot of blogs that explain this in detail (check out links below).  I'm here to share my experience in shooting raw and jpeg.

RAW

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Raw file is an uncompressed and lossless data straight from the camera sensor. It looks washed out or has lack of contrast.  It usually not sharp.  The file is larger in memory  size compared to jpegs because it holds a lot of data.  You'll need a computer software to read these files.  

Shooting raw takes a lot of memory space in your recording medium (SD or CF cards).   It also takes awhile to record raw files to memory cards compared to jpegs.  Sports photographers usually use jpegs because if they shoot raw, the image buffer in their cameras would be full in a matter of seconds; especially cameras with high frame rate per second.

You'll need to post process raw files and convert them to readable formats like jpeg or tiff.  Raw files are typically a propriety format.  Nikon's raw files are .NEF while Canons are .CR2.  Software, like Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom, is used to process raw files.

What I love about processing raw files is that you may edit the file extensively, with minimal data loss, compared to jpegs.  

Best used for:

Raw is best used when shooting fashion, portraiture, landscape and hdr.  For fashion and portraiture, extensive post processing is done to get that smooth skin and skin tones.  In my experience, raw for landscape is best to have a larger leeway for correcting exposure.  And of course for HDR (high dynamic range),  HDRs are post processed images, use raw.

JPEG

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Jpeg's are relatively small in memory size.  These produce a compressed, sharp, and contrast images.  It is also printer and web friendly compared to raw.  

Because jpeg's are compressed files, it gives a very little leeway for editing.  It easily loses data when edited extensively.  

Best used for:

Jpeg is best used when shooting street, sports and events.  Due to it's small memory size, shooting jpeg for sports and events is practical, so you won't need a ton of memory cards to carry with you.  And besides, there's not much need to post process sports or events.

Summary

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Generally, use raw if you need extensive post processing and jpegs if not.  If you're on the go, use jpeg to maximize the memory capacity of your memory cards.

So, which one do you think should you use?


References:
RAW vs. JPEG - dPs
RAW vs JPEG - Kenrockwell
RAW vs JPEG - slr lounge