In the world of photography, there are two formats in your camera that you can use: RAW and JPEG. Both formats have their own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to know about them before deciding on which format is best for you. In this article, we will compare RAW vs JPEG and discuss the differences between the two as well as what they offer to photographers. The goal of this article is to give you the information on both formats and help you to decide whether RAW or JPEG is the better format to use.
What is a RAW File?
A RAW file is lossless, meaning it captures uncompressed data from your camera sensor. So, in other words, it is a digital negative of the photo, capturing all the data from your camera sensor. A RAW image contains unprocessed or minimally processed data that you can edit later in post-processing.
RAW files come in three parts: the raw sensor data, a full-size JPEG preview that the camera processes (as well as thumbnails), and all relevant metadata.
To understand this better, think of RAW files as the ingredients. For example, if you were making a pizza the RAW files would represent the ingredients such as the crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings. In the editing process, you can arrange the ingredients in the manor you choose. Then cook and consume.
What is a JPEG File?
A JPEG file is a compressed image that contains an EXIF metadata header. It’s often used for storing digital photographs and other types of images, like screenshots from the web or video clips.
The JPG format compresses files in order to reduce their size without sacrificing quality too much which makes it suitable for use on websites where bandwidth and storage space are at premium as well as when sending photos via email attachments.
The Benefits of Shooting JPEG over RAW
Smaller file size:
A JPEG will be significantly smaller than a RAW photo, so it’s the perfect size for emailing and uploading to the internet.
You can also use less space on your phone when taking photos with an app like Instagram or Dropbox if you save them as JPGs.
Fast storage and streaming:
The massively compressed nature of JPEG means that you can quickly transfer the file from one device to another without any noticeable delay. Files are ready almost instantly when you upload them online.
If your goal is just capturing memories, then shooting only in JPEG might make sense because these files will be smaller and easier to upload or share online.
The Drawbacks of Shooting With JPEG
When an image is compressed in your camera, it can really eliminate some of the fine details. Lossy quality commonly occurs with JPEGs resulting in grains, flat or pixelated photos.
If you are shooting a subject close up that has a lot of details, the loss of those details as well as other distracting artifacts will appear in the image.
Once a photo is formatted as a JPEG, you will not be able to improve the quality in post processing.
With a JPEG image, there is no guarantee that it will have the proper white balance or natural colors.
However, if shot correctly, then shooting in jpeg can save time when editing because all the data is available.
There are fewer color options with JPEGs than with RAW files. JPEGs have a range of 8 bit. The camera can capture billions of colors. But when it converts to jpeg it discards some colors so they will not show up in your photo.
For example, if you are shooting a colorful subject in jpeg, the resulting colors in the image may turn out dull.
Also, JPEG files lose quality every time you open them, make adjustments, and save them again.
The Top Reasons to Shoot RAW Format
Shooting RAW files have far more advantages than shooting JPEG. Here are some reasons why you might want to shoot in RAW format.
- You can capture more light and color information with RAW
Photographers can adjust for these things by adding brightness and saturation later on during post processing – Gives us access to all of the photo’s original detail instead of compressing into one final resolution like JPEGs do.
If you are shooting RAW, then you should have little to no worries about how well your photos capture light or colors because they preserve those details very well. You can edit these things better later on after processing them out of the image using Photoshop or other programs like Lightroom.
- A RAW file captures colors better because it has less compression
The RAW file will preserve color as closely as possible to how we see them when looking at the object that created those colors. A RAW image also contains 16 bits per channel vs an eight-bit (or fewer) channels found in JPEGs which means there are four times as many shades per pixel.
- RAW files allow you to choose color space and output.
By shooting in RAW format, you are able to choose from a number of color spaces for exporting or printing.
For example, if you are posting photos to the Web or social networks, it’s best to use sRGB color space for compatibility with most browsers. If you want a larger range of colors, such as for an advertising piece or photo restoration project, select Pro Photo RGB.
- You can Easily Correct Dramatically Over/Under Exposed Images
With a RAW file you can adjust the exposure levels without drastically reducing the quality of the image. For example, if your photos are underexposed, you can easily increase the exposure of your image. If it is overexposed, you can reduce the exposure and recover the details in blown out highlights.
- You can adjust the white balance with a raw file in post processing, even if the color temperature is off
If you are shooting RAW, you have far more control over the white balance in post processing. This is one of the biggest advantages that a RAW file has over a JPEG. A JPEG will automatically set the white balance in camera, and it will permanently bake it into the photo.
- You can have a wider dynamic range with a RAW file than with a JPEG photo file
The advantage of RAW is that the extra bits of precision are available during post-processing for the photographer to play with. So, it’s possible to bring out extra detail by increasing exposure in shadows and decreasing exposure in the highlights.
- Allows the photographer to use HDR
RAW files have a higher dynamic range than JPEGs, so it is the perfect choice for those that shoot HDR. RAWs allow you to tone map without worrying about artifacts or banding.
- A RAW file makes post-processing non-destructive
When you make adjustments to a raw file, it is like adjusting the color settings on your TV – you are making no changes to the picture itself.
The awesomeness of shooting photos in RAW is that you never have to worry about an image being ruined. If you are not pleased with a particular edit, you can go back to the original RAW file and make changes without ruining the quality of the image.
There are Some Cons with Shooting RAW as Well
Shooting in RAW format requires extra storage space on your memory card or hard drive. It takes up much more storage space on your camera or SD card. RAW files can take up 20 MB per file.
Also, RAW files require post-processing software to edit. Most of these software programs have slight learning curves to them. Editing RAW files with these programs can also be time consuming.
Why does a JPEG photo sometimes look better than a RAW photo?
The first thing you will notice when opening your RAW file is that it doesn’t look very good. It may not be as sharp or colorful as the jpeg version of the picture.
This is because the camera does a lot of in-camera processing, according to the camera settings.
Since RAW photos are the digital negatives, they will appear somewhat flat sometimes coming straight from the camera. JPEGs however are fixed in camera right before the image is added to the memory card.
Remember, after the camera compresses the JPEG the ‘edits’ that the camera makes to the files are final. You will not be able to fix or change them in post-processing.
Does converting RAW to jpeg cause a loss in quality?
Some people argue that when you convert RAW to jpeg, there is a loss in quality. When you shoot photos, your camera stores the photograph as an uncompressed file.
This does not mean that they are suitable for printing or displaying on websites without losing important amounts of detail. Sometimes, the image has more information than can be printed. Because of this the photographs might be blurry when blown up.
The image needs to be converted into another format before it can be used anywhere else other than straight from the camera.
But what exactly is compression?
Compression basically compacts data so it takes up less space. This causes some data to be lost in the process.
So, the question is does the loss of information after compression make a difference to your photographs?
Depending on what you are using it for, maybe not. Most prints do not have enough pixels to really show a difference between jpeg and RAW images.
Those who are doing professional work such as product shots might want to do some more research into this subject. But for most people, there will be no noticeable differences when you convert from RAW to jpeg format.
Unless you are zooming in at 1000x, then you will not notice a difference between RAW and JPEG format.
What are the Best Situations for Shooting with RAW or JPEG?
Before choosing a file format, ask yourself which is more important for the shoot. Is convenience more important, or image quality.
When to shoot in JPEG
JPEG will be your best option if you are in a hurry or need to post a photo online.
If you are taking photos of an event, or a vacation and you are not necessarily concerned with quality or post-processing, then it would make better sense to just use JPEG.
JPEG is a great choice if you hate post-processing. However, it will be important to get your settings on-point during the shoot.
When to shoot in RAW
If you are doing shots where quality is of the upmost importance for fine art or for printing, then it will be important to choose RAW.
If you are shooting landscapes with HDR or dramatic and moody fine art photos, then RAW is best.
When you are shooting in an area with lots of details or high contrast between highlights and shadows, choose RAW.
Shooting in low-light situations, such as golden hour, blue hour or at night are other good times to shoot in RAW.
Conclusion
There are a lot of factors that go into determining the quality and file type you should use. But one aspect remains constant: You want your images to be as high-quality in order to show them off with pride.
RAW is better than JPEG for those who care about getting every detail from their photo. For anyone shooting digital art where they don’t need pinpoint accuracy, JPEG might be best suited for them. No matter what format you choose, make sure that you choose the one that will produce an image you are happy with.