First of all, welcome back!!!
Second, I always shoot in RAW. There was once a big argument about doing so here, so don't be surprised if there are some heated opinions. Here are (in my opinion) the benefits of using RAW, and the drawbacks:
1) It gives you more opportunity to fix any errors in choosing an exposure when you took the shot. You will have a lot more latitude doing this in RAW than in JPG. For those who aren't professional photographers, or for those pros who aren't perfect, this is nice.
2) The space is no longer an issue with the falling prices of memory cards and external hard drives. If you have the money to buy a camera that can shoot in RAW, you have the money to buy some bigger memory cards and an external hard drive. Seriously, with the way mail in rebates and sales on these things are nowadays, space is a pretty lame excuse. I've never paid more than $10 for the 4GB Extreme III SDHC cards I use, and a 500GB hard drive is around $50.
3) For SpectroMagic and dark rides, shooting in RAW is the functional equivalent of having a lens that can go two stops lower (without anyone noticing). I have been amazed at some of the shots that I've recovered from dark rides by shooting in RAW. I'll be taking a f/1.4 lens on our next trip, and I still plan on making up some ground with RAW.
4) It gives you more latitude in performing 'artistic' post processing. With a single RAW file, you can make a pseudo HDR image. You simply cannot do this with a single JPG file (if you want it to look decent).
Now the cons:
1) It's not for the lazy. I spend an average of 5 minutes MORE per image that I process from RAW. However, there is the option to batch process, if you're lazy.
2) It's not for the perfect. If you're ungodly awesome, you can just shoot it right the in the first place. So for the rest of us...
I'm sure there are more pros/cons for the RAW debate. My opinion--shoot in RAW for any shot that is important to get right, unless you're perfect, or are willing to burst off a ton of shots with multiple exposures.
As for a tripod, I always use one for night shots. Unless you have a camera capable of quality high ISOs so you can do handheld shots, I think it's a must. Setting your camera on random objects may be an option, but if you have a DSLR, you spent a lot of money on a camera, are you really going to trust balancing it on a trash can? Plus, you are then limited to the compositions that your "fixed" tripod allows. Get a compact tripod and throw it in a bag or locker. It's really not that much to lug around each day.
Additionally, I use a remote release for additional sharpness. For the D40, you can get the
ML-L3 remote from a third party on Amazon for about $14 shipped. Definitely a great deal. You can also use the self timer on the camera, but that's a pain, and you're well worth spending the $14. Otherwise, the camera moves a little when you hit the shutter release.
So I can't wait to read everyones tips.
