>> |
ac
Raw format is, like the name implies, the raw sensor data from the imaging sensor. I.e., this is before the camera's processor has manipulated it to make it into a JPEG. So: 1. Zero compression artifacts, because there's no lossy compression. 2. The sensor has a wider range. This is how you can adjust the exposure after the fact--you're actually capturing more image data than the JPEG can store, so the processor decides what to clip. With raw, you decide. (It's not a lot more, but it's often enough) 3. White balance is something that's done after the capture, too. With a JPEG, the tonality is locked in. With a raw, you can change the white balance however you want it.
(It's very similar to film vs. paper in the film photography world, if you're familiar with that. The raw is like a negative, the JPEG is like a print.)
The downside, of course, is that the raw files are XBOX HUEG and slow to write and work with. I've never been able to run down the buffer in my Rebel XTi shooting JPEG, but I often hit the limit if I shoot quickly in raw mode.
|