The burning question new photographers have is, what is the difference between shooting in RAW versus JPEG?
Shooting with a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, you have the option to shoot in JPEG format or RAW, and as a new photographer, you’re trying to understand the difference between them and which one you should use to take your photos.
RAW format
RAW files are uncompressed and unprocessed data of an image. Photographers can capture every detail they see through their viewfinder. Capturing all that detail takes a lot of memory, so the files are large when uploaded to any editing software or computer.
Advantages and Disadvantages of shooting RAW
The advantage of shooting in RAW format is the dynamic range you have in post-production using software such as
Lightroom and Photoshop. You'll be able to manipulate shadows and highlights to help correct any overexposed or underexposed portions of your image. Be more creative with color hues to make sure colors are more prominent.
When shooting RAW, the file is enormous because of the images being unprocessed, and this means it could take up a lot of space. Making sure you have enough memory on your computer and memory card is essential because you'll run out of room quickly.
JPEG Format
JPEG format, the images are processed by the camera. When the image is processed, this means all of the shadows, highlights, color hue, sharpness, and exposure is already done for you by your camera.
Advantages and Disadvantages of shooting JPEG
Shooting JPEG is great for the person who wants to point and shoot and be on the go capturing images. Processed images so it does not slow down your camera because the pictures are much smaller than RAW formatted files. No extra needed editing software is required so that you can upload from your camera directly to social media.
The disadvantage to shooting JPEG is the limited ability to recover your photos if shot over and underexposed. Losing fine details in images is a disadvantage, especially when you have a detailed shot.
Conclusion
We talked about the difference between shooting RAW and shooting JPEG. Hopefully, the information provided helps you on your Photography journey because the little things count.
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