RAW vs. JPEG

April 10, 2008

When you take a picture with your digital camera it saves the file as a computerized image. That file is usually a RAW file or a JPEG file, depending on what your camera can do and the settings you choose.

So which do you choose? What do they mean? What is best for me? That is why I am here to help answer those questions you might have about those mysterious file formats.

Let’s start with a basic definition of both:

RAW-An image format on some digital cameras. The images are large, usually uncompressed files.

JPEG-Joint Pictures Expert Group. The committee which set standards for a file format for graphics. The JPEG file format is a compressed format, with some loss of quality during compression. A popular web format do to the generally small size of pictures. File formats of .jpg, .jpeg.

In other words a RAW file is straight from the sensor of the camera…it is what the camera sees, the raw data. Where a JPEG is compressed by the camera, which means the camera throws away data in the image it thinks is useless to get the file size down. JPEG also processes the images for you, not giving you a lot of control over the look of the image.

So what does all that mean to me… the beginner photographer? Well for starters I guess you need to ask yourself some questions.

1. Do I want the best possible image I can get?
2. Do I want complete control over my images?

If you answered Yes to those questions then you should consider shooting your images in RAW. Now I will say that by shooting in RAW you are setting yourself up for a little extra work but it is worth it in the long run. What kind of extra work? You will be getting the RAW data from the camera you will need to process it into the final image. To do that you will need software like Adobe Lightroom, Nikon Capture, Photoshop (Photoshop Elements too), Apple Aperture. These are the most popular.

If you answered No to those questions then JPEG is the route you want to go. When you shoot JPEG it is all automatically processed for you and doesn’t require any extra work on your part (unless you want to make changes to the image). The camera handles it for you. If you just want to take snapshots and make prints then JPEG is for you.

Just about all professional photographers shoot in RAW. RAW is a little more lenient then JPEG. In JPEG the settings (white balance, exposure) are set in stone, but with RAW you can adjust those settings after the photos have been taken.

So to sum up it is truly the choice of the user on which format you want to use. Only you can say which one is best for you and your use. The important thing is that you enjoy your photography.

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Posted in Digital Photography Tutorials