Benefits of Shooting RAW: Why You Should Capture Your Images in RAW Format
Do you ever wonder when you should shoot RAW images instead of shooting in JPEG mode with your camera? I will share a useful guide on why you should shoot in RAW. Before diving into the topic, it’s important to understand the types of digital images.
What is a Digital Image?
A digital image is a picture that has been converted into a format that can be processed by a computer. It is made up of small elements called pixels, each representing a specific color or shade. These pixels are arranged in a grid to form the image. Digital images can be created by digital cameras, scanners, or other imaging devices, and they can be edited, stored, and shared using various digital tools and platforms.
Types of Digital Images:
- JPEG/JPG: Joint Photographic Experts Group
- RAW: Raw Image Formats
- PNG: Portable Network Graphics
- GIF: Graphics Interchange Format
- TIFF: Tagged Image File
- PSD: Photoshop Document
- PDF: Portable Document Format
- EPS: Encapsulated Postscript
- AI: Adobe Illustrator Document
- INDD: Adobe InDesign Document
What is a JPEG Image?
JPEG or JPG, standing for Joint Photographic Experts Group, has been widely used since the 1990s as a digital image format. When your camera shoots in JPEG format, it uses lossy compression to reduce unnecessary information from the image. The data from the camera sensor is processed and compressed before being saved to the memory card. Due to this compression, the image loses some of its original quality.
What is RAW?
In digital photography, RAW images contain all the information that the camera sensor captured during your shoot, similar to how all image information is retained in film photography negatives. RAW images consist of sets of data.
There is no universal format for RAW images; each camera manufacturer has its own proprietary RAW format. For instance, Nikon cameras use NEF and NRW, Canon offers CRW, CR2, and CR3, and Sony uses ARW and SRF. To process RAW images, you need to use specific RAW software. We’ll discuss this further later.
Benefits of Shooting RAW?
- Highest Quality: One of the key benefits of shooting in RAW mode is obtaining the highest quality images. RAW files contain image metadata such as exposure, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings, as well as camera sensor metadata including sensor characteristics, ICC profile, and color filter attributes.
- High Dynamic Range and Better Color: JPEG images are captured with 8-bit color depth, allowing them to display 16.8 million colors with 256 shades of red, green, and blue. While this seems like a lot initially, RAW images offer much higher color depth. RAW files typically start at 12-bit, capturing 4,096 shades per color channel, totaling 68.7 billion colors—over 4,000% more than JPEG. High-end cameras can record 16-bit RAW images with 65,536 shades per RGB channel, providing an extensive palette of 281.5 trillion colors for editing.
- Allows Correction: Shooting in RAW allows you to correct mistakes made during shooting, such as overexposure or underexposure. Similarly, you can adjust white balance during post-processing without worrying about damaging the image. RAW enables extensive adjustments during post-processing, offering flexibility in enhancing your photos.
- Greater Flexibility in Editing: RAW files avoid compression issues, allowing for extensive editing while preserving even the smallest details. Furthermore, RAW files provide ample data for effective denoising and sharpening processes, enhancing overall image quality.
- Future-Proof: You can keep RAW files as original proofs for future editing. They allow you to re-edit and adjust your photos anytime in the future, ensuring longevity and flexibility in your digital workflow.
- Professional Preference: Most professional photographers shoot in RAW mode regardless of the device they use, owing to its unmatched quality and flexibility in post-processing.
How To Set Up Your Camera To Shoot Raw
By default, every camera is set to JPEG. The first step is to change this to RAW in your camera settings.
SETTING UP NIKON TO SHOOT RAW:
- On your Nikon camera, press the Menu button.
- Navigate to Image Quality and select NEF (RAW).
- You can also choose to shoot in RAW + JPEG. Beginners may prefer this option until they become comfortable shooting in RAW alone.
You’ll see options like RAW + JPEG Fine, Normal, and Basic. These represent different levels of JPEG compression, with Fine offering the highest quality (and largest file size) and Basic the lowest quality (and smallest file size).
Note: Shooting in RAW + JPEG will consume more space on your memory card, so switching to RAW only can save space.
SETTING UP CANON TO SHOOT RAW:
Setting up your Canon camera to shoot in RAW is similar to Nikon. The RAW + JPEG option on Canon will display L, M, and S for JPEG, corresponding to Large, Medium, and Small file sizes—similar to Fine, Normal, and Basic on Nikon.
To shoot exclusively in RAW, ensure the red box surrounds RAW, and the straight line is selected for JPEG.
How to Edit RAW?
- Using Photoshop: When you import a RAW image into Photoshop, Adobe Camera RAW will automatically open, allowing you to edit the RAW file directly.
- Older Versions of Photoshop: You’ll need to install a plugin called “Camera RAW” to edit RAW files.
- Lightroom: Import your RAW images into the Library, and they will automatically appear in the Develop panel for editing.
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