RAW can be defined as the type of digital image file format that contains all of its data. In other words, the camera does not perform any kind of interpretation or understanding of the image. Files in RAW format collect more information so they take up more memory space.
The difference between RAW and JPEG is that the latter contains normal images that the camera has processed, RAW only contains data. This raw data is a recognition of signals emitted by the sensor chip that have to be processed before being transformed into an image. Therefore when we speak of RAW we are referring to raw data.
Advantages of the RAW format
- One of the main advantages is that we can make important edits with this type of file without losing quality in the process.
- With RAW we can save a photo that at first glance we would have to eliminate because it was not well done (light, contrast, brightness …) to later process it improving it.
- It is designed to suppress quality differences between analog film and digital printing by allowing it to compensate for the deficiencies of the digital sensor.
- Gives the ability to correct the noise formed by using high sensitivity or wrong color cast.
Disadvantages of the format
In the same way that it has advantages, we must know that it also has disadvantages. Among them we can highlight:
- It requires a lot of space to be able to store the data since this type of file usually has a weight of between 17 and 28 Mbytes.
- RAW formats are not compatible with each other and can only be opened with a dedicated program or professional image editing program.
- Working with the RAW format on a camera can cause the camera to hang due to the amount of information it has to save.