RAW
Unprocessed sensor data from a digital camera. Enables full post-capture control over exposure and white balance.
RAW is a collective term for file formats that store the unprocessed output of a digital camera's image sensor before the camera's internal processing engine applies color correction, noise reduction, or compression. While JPEG completes all processing in-camera, RAW preserves the sensor's output in its near-original state.
Each camera manufacturer uses proprietary RAW formats (Canon's .CR3, Nikon's .NEF, Sony's .ARW, etc.). Adobe's DNG (Digital Negative) provides a vendor-neutral open RAW format.
- Dynamic range: Tonal information of, for example, 12 or 14 bits is preserved, leaving room to recover detail from blown highlights and crushed shadows
- White balance: Color temperature can be freely adjusted after capture
- Non-destructive editing: Development software like Lightroom and Capture One stores edit parameters separately without modifying the original data
RAW files are large. For web display or print submission, they are exported (developed) to JPEG, TIFF, or PNG. Simultaneous RAW + JPEG recording is another option, combining immediate-review JPEGs with RAW files for post-processing flexibility.