Advantages of Image Capture in RAW Format
Newcomers to photography can be daunted by the thought of shooting photos and writing them to memory cards in RAW format.RAW is the data as seen by the camera sensor, during the moment of exposure, without any processing applied by the camera. Capturing and saving RAW format digital photos has a number of advantages for the newcomer and professional photographer alike. This format is the preferred choice of professional wedding photographers, and many pro wedding shooters have created their own unique post-capture workflow, to harness the power that can only come from camera RAW files.
RAW format files are really text files- they tell the processing software how to process the data for output as an image file, which is then used for viewing on a computer or tablet, or sent off for printing. The overwhelming advantage in having the image data recorded as text, is that any time edits or adjustment do not alter the original data, which means that any modifications made are non-destructive to the original data.
The text file with the output instructions changes, but the original data does not.
This means anytime the image is to be reprocessed for a different effect, all the data from the original capture is still intact.
RAW files are captured in the highest bit depth the camera offers, and saved that way. If we look at the descendant of the RAW file- the JPG file- there is a marked difference in the bit (information) depth between the two files. RAW is typically 12 or 16 bits per channel, and JPG is 8 bits per channel. With the bonus of more bits per channel, "rescue edits" can be made with more confidence and greater success.
The image doesn't fall apart at the seams when there is more original data to work with.
Remember, the original camera sensor data is still intact- so you can always come back to the file as your creative direction changes, and output the same image completely differently.
Often images need white balance, gamma, contrast or sharpness adjustments made after capture. Post-capture software- whether it is the camera manufacturer's proprietary software, or a third party editor- has sliders to control all the things you could possibly want to modify to change the image, without making those changes permanent.
An important point to note, in your commitment to using RAW format is that these files are between 4 and 8 times the size of a JPG file from the camera. In practical terms, this means that you will need larger memory cards for any given quantity of images, and your hard drive storage space will increase exponentially. These are small prices to pay, for the luxury of such a flexible file with so much creative scope.
In real-time shooting, your camera buffer will fill sooner. What this means is that if you shoot high speed action sequences, like sporting events, or candid sequences at weddings, the point where your camera memory fills up will come sooner. You won't be able to take more pictures until those images sitting in the buffer get written to the memory card by the camera. This would be the one single disadvantage, but it's only fleeting. With practice, your skills improve, your ability to anticipate "the moment" improves, and if you don't own them already- you'll soon upgrade to high speed memory cards, especially for wedding photography!
As you think of "tomorrow", and plan for the storage of all your captured images, especially if you are shooting weddings which create directories of hundreds of images at a time- consider re-writing your RAW files into an archival file format which has been created to enable future support.
There is a format called DNG which is "digital negative", and this format converts your RAW files into a future-accessible file format with ongoing support. DNG files still retain the original format and flexibility of the RAW files, and provide you with peace of mind for the future. Wedding clients in particular may not embrace the latest changes in technology the way an enthusiastic photographer might- so outputting RAW to DNG format would be a safe, sensible alternative.
RAW format files are really text files- they tell the processing software how to process the data for output as an image file, which is then used for viewing on a computer or tablet, or sent off for printing. The overwhelming advantage in having the image data recorded as text, is that any time edits or adjustment do not alter the original data, which means that any modifications made are non-destructive to the original data.
The text file with the output instructions changes, but the original data does not.
This means anytime the image is to be reprocessed for a different effect, all the data from the original capture is still intact.
RAW files are captured in the highest bit depth the camera offers, and saved that way. If we look at the descendant of the RAW file- the JPG file- there is a marked difference in the bit (information) depth between the two files. RAW is typically 12 or 16 bits per channel, and JPG is 8 bits per channel. With the bonus of more bits per channel, "rescue edits" can be made with more confidence and greater success.
The image doesn't fall apart at the seams when there is more original data to work with.
Remember, the original camera sensor data is still intact- so you can always come back to the file as your creative direction changes, and output the same image completely differently.
Often images need white balance, gamma, contrast or sharpness adjustments made after capture. Post-capture software- whether it is the camera manufacturer's proprietary software, or a third party editor- has sliders to control all the things you could possibly want to modify to change the image, without making those changes permanent.
An important point to note, in your commitment to using RAW format is that these files are between 4 and 8 times the size of a JPG file from the camera. In practical terms, this means that you will need larger memory cards for any given quantity of images, and your hard drive storage space will increase exponentially. These are small prices to pay, for the luxury of such a flexible file with so much creative scope.
In real-time shooting, your camera buffer will fill sooner. What this means is that if you shoot high speed action sequences, like sporting events, or candid sequences at weddings, the point where your camera memory fills up will come sooner. You won't be able to take more pictures until those images sitting in the buffer get written to the memory card by the camera. This would be the one single disadvantage, but it's only fleeting. With practice, your skills improve, your ability to anticipate "the moment" improves, and if you don't own them already- you'll soon upgrade to high speed memory cards, especially for wedding photography!
As you think of "tomorrow", and plan for the storage of all your captured images, especially if you are shooting weddings which create directories of hundreds of images at a time- consider re-writing your RAW files into an archival file format which has been created to enable future support.
There is a format called DNG which is "digital negative", and this format converts your RAW files into a future-accessible file format with ongoing support. DNG files still retain the original format and flexibility of the RAW files, and provide you with peace of mind for the future. Wedding clients in particular may not embrace the latest changes in technology the way an enthusiastic photographer might- so outputting RAW to DNG format would be a safe, sensible alternative.
Source...