RAW vs. JPEG

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outdoor photographer community





There is a lot of discussion in our forums regarding RAW vs. JPEG. A JPEG file is a format that uses compression to minimize its overall size, whereas RAW is completely uncompressed data, and just like the name implies, it’s all the raw image information captured by the lens and image sensor.

With JPEG, you get a smaller file size and universal compatibility with all computing platforms but at the cost of lossy compression that can bring up unwanted artifacts and a format that prizes image size over quality. With RAW you get lossless, uncompressed image data that hasn’t been processed, giving you unparalleled control over editing, but a much larger file size that has to be converted into a workable format through software.

While there are benefits and disadvantages to both, your choice of either formats should depend solely on your workflow and how much time you want to spend in the digital darkroom. Processing RAW images takes quite a bit of time and effort, while JPEGs can be taken straight off your memory card and placed right into your image-editing software in a few seconds. But there is an even better way of shooting that can be found in most digital SLRs today. In many cameras you can simultaneously capture both RAW and JPEG, in a mode aptly titled RAW+JPEG, so you don’t have to make a choice (beware: it can eat up a lot of space on your memory card).

To get more info on the topic of RAW vs. JPEG, take a look at some articles from Outdoor Photographer and Digital Photo Pro:

Getting The Most From RAW

The Craft of RAW

Think Different About RAW

Exposing For RAW