Difference Between JPEG and RAW

A RAW file is a file containing all of the information recorded by your camera's sensor during exposure. ... In contrast, a JPEG file is a file that has been compressed by your camera, and does not contain all of the information recorded by your camera's sensor during exposure.

1. Which is better RAW or JPEG?
2. Should I shoot in RAW or JPEG or both?
3. Why does JPEG look better than RAW?
4. Is raw sharper than JPEG?
5. Do professional photographers shoot in RAW or JPEG?
6. Does converting RAW to JPEG lose quality?
7. Should you always shoot in RAW?
8. Should I shoot in RAW only?
9. Should you film in raw?
10. Should I shoot a wedding in JPEG or raw?
11. Which JPEG format is best?
12. Why do RAW photos look darker?

Which is better RAW or JPEG?

A RAW image contains wider dynamic range and color gamut compared to a JPEG image. For highlight and shadow recovery when an image or parts of an image are underexposed or overexposed, a RAW image provides far better recovery potential compared to JPEG. Finer control and adjustment potential.

Should I shoot in RAW or JPEG or both?

So why does nearly everyone recommend shooting RAW then? Because they are simply superior files. Whereas JPEGs discard data in order to create a smaller file size, RAW files preserve all of that data. That means you keep all the color data, and you preserve everything you can in the way of highlight and shadow detail.

Why does JPEG look better than RAW?

Notice how the JPEG image comes out just a bit sharper than the RAW. ... While this additional sharpening makes the JPEG image look better, that sharpening cannot be removed from the original file (if needed) as it is built into the JPEG after being processed in camera.

Is raw sharper than JPEG?

JPEGs from the camera have sharpening applied to them, so they will always appear sharper than the unprocessed, demosaiced RAW image. If you save your RAW image as a JPEG, the resulting JPEG will always look exactly like the RAW image.

Do professional photographers shoot in RAW or JPEG?

Many professional photographers do shoot in RAW because their work requires post processing high quality images for print, commercials or publications. Another thing to note is that JPEG is not often used for print work since it is too lossy. Printers output lossless file (TIFF, etc.) formats with the best results.

Does converting RAW to JPEG lose quality?

JPEGs have a narrower range of features than RAW files, so you can expect that your generated JPEGs will be no better than your original RAW files. Depending on what features and format were used to record your original RAW data, you may notice significantly reduced quality.

Should you always shoot in RAW?

You should always shoot raw if you're taking photos in a situation where it is difficult to control highlight exposure. In a raw file, you can often restore detail to highlights that have overexposed to complete white and salvage otherwise unusable shots.

Should I shoot in RAW only?

The RAW format is ideal if you are shooting with the intent of editing the images later. Shots where you are trying to capture a lot of detail or color, and images where you want to tweak light and shadow, should be shot in RAW.

Should you film in raw?

Now, the biggest reason for setting the camera to record in RAW format is when you have lots to edit in post-processing. For instance, you need to shoot videos both indoor and outdoor where you cannot control the lighting. Shooting videos in RAW allows you to tweak the final video to look however you wish.

Should I shoot a wedding in JPEG or raw?

RAW files take a lot longer to write to the card than JPEGs do (and RAW+JPEG takes longer still), so in the genres of photography where you need to take a lot of pictures quickly, a given camera will almost always perform better when shooting JPEGs.

Which JPEG format is best?

JPEG files come in different quality levels like low, medium and high. Low quality JPEGs are more compressed than high quality versions. So, if you need a high quality image, you'll need to choose a less compressed JPEG option. Most commonly, JPEG images are great for sharing on social media, via email and on websites.

Why do RAW photos look darker?

Re: Why do my RAW images look darker than the JPEG? The jpeg engine in the camera can be configured for contrast, saturation and sharpness (at least on my Pentax cameras those are the options). Those settings don't apply to the RAW file. That is what makes them look different.