Using RAW or JPEG, which Image format better?

Many times with latest camera people click pictures under ‘RAW’ mode instead of JEPG or JPG which are more viewable and does not need any specific software.

A ‘RAW’ image is a type of ‘uncompressed image file’ or you can say it is a digital negative so we can compare it with ‘negatives’ from traditional cameras with the use of camera rolls. Nowadays, almost everyone uses digital cameras and if anyone uses their phones avoid worry about the image type.

By default, a digital camera saves images as JPEG and its size is much smaller than RAW where one image can take up to 20MB space. However, almost each photographer use RAW as preferred mode because of various benefits;

1. It gives highest level of quality because all data recorded from sensor whereas under JEPG format; the camera does its own processing from RAW to JPEG.

2. It record higher level of brightness. In JPEG format we have 256 levels of brightness whereas RAW records between 4,096 to 16,384 levels. We can say that JPEG captures 8 bit whereas RAW between 12bit to 16bit. With these extra bit of brightness, you can make more adjustments (exposure, blacks, fill light, recovery, contrast, brightness) to image without reduction of quality.

3. The best part is even after changing RAW image, the original data remain same. You can anytime re-set the adjustments and reach the original data.

4. The prints of these images are better, with finer gradation of tones.

5. and, finally there are different color spaces that work best for different situations, and when you shoot RAW, you can export a single image in multiple spaces.

Above benefits are enough for any photo enthusiastic to show, print the same image or multiple images in similar or different tones.

Is JPEG is ok to use instead of RAW?

JPEG is a standard file format, and it is the same in any device. The important thing to note is that all digital cameras capture RAW data, and then their specialized hardware converts RAW data in to a JPEG. We can influence this change in data format in many high-end cameras using their menus.

Now the major difference is once the camera makes the JPEG, the image appearance completed and few data cleaned so it limits any further enhancement or changes in image quality. Whereas RAW contains entire data to enhance the image quality. This the important part for photographers where they would like to carry the original data, which gives them liberty to manage the image quality in various ways.

In the nutshell, if any of us is likely to “shoot and share” with no editing, then use JPEG, it will also not take too much of disk space. For panoramic and portrait images, use JPEGs and also if you are going to shoot thousands of pictures quickly then recommended format is JPEG being less space will make camera process data quickly. Sports or any moving object photography, it’s JPEGs.

Good luck to all of you, try above in your turf and comments your experiences, we all excited to share each other experience....