Raw files store unprocessed sensor data instead of a finished image

A raw file is the unedited data your camera's sensor captures when you take a photo. Unlike a JPEG, which your camera processes and compresses into a finished image, a raw file contains the original information exactly as the sensor recorded it — before any color correction, sharpening, or compression happens.

When you shoot in raw format, your camera writes everything the sensor saw: the exact brightness values for each pixel, the color information, the exposure data. You then open that raw file on your computer and decide how to process it. You control the white balance, the contrast, the shadows, the highlights — all the decisions your camera normally makes for you automatically.

Raw files are larger than JPEGs because they hold more information. A typical raw file might be 30 to 50 megabytes, while the same photo as a JPEG might be 5 to 10 megabytes. That extra size is the reason: raw files keep data that JPEG throws away.

Key Takeaways

  • Raw files contain unprocessed sensor data, giving you control over white balance, exposure, shadows, and highlights during editing instead of letting your camera decide.
  • Common raw formats include Canon's CR2, Nikon's NEF, Sony's ARW, and the universal DNG format that works across different software.
  • You need dedicated software like Lightroom, Capture One, or your camera manufacturer's free editor to open and process raw files — they do not open in standard photo viewers.
  • Raw files are much larger than JPEGs and require more storage space and computer processing power, but they preserve detail you cannot recover from a JPEG.
  • Shooting raw makes sense if you edit your photos regularly; if you only share photos straight from the camera, JPEG is simpler and faster.

Why photographers choose raw over JPEG

The main reason to shoot raw is recovery. If your JPEG is underexposed — too dark — you can brighten it in editing, but you are working with data your camera already threw away. The shadows stay muddy because the camera compressed them. With a raw file, the sensor captured detail in those shadows. You can pull it out during editing.

The same applies to blown-out highlights — areas so bright they turn white. A JPEG has lost that information. A raw file often still holds it. You can bring back detail in a bright sky that looked completely white in the JPEG preview on your camera's screen.

Raw also gives you control over white balance after the shot. If you shot under tungsten lights and the JPEG came out orange, you are stuck with that color cast. With raw, you adjust the white balance in software and the image corrects. This matters most when you are shooting in mixed lighting or unfamiliar conditions where your camera's automatic white balance guesses wrong.

For color grading — the artistic choices about how an image should look — raw files give you more room to work. You can push colors further without the image falling apart because you are working with the original sensor data, not a compressed version.

Raw file formats and which ones your software opens

Different camera manufacturers use different raw formats. Canon cameras save CR2 files. Nikon uses NEF. Sony uses ARW. Fujifilm uses RAF. Panasonic uses RW2. Each manufacturer's format is slightly different because each sensor records data differently.

This creates a problem: software written for Canon raw files may not open Nikon raw files. If you switch camera brands, your old editing software might not recognize the new format.

The solution is DNG, which stands for Digital Negative. Adobe created DNG as a universal raw format that any software can read. Some cameras let you save in DNG directly. Others require you to convert your manufacturer's raw file to DNG using software like Adobe Lightroom or a free converter.

Most editing software opens the major formats — Lightroom opens Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and dozens of others. Capture One, a professional editing tool, also supports most formats. Your camera manufacturer usually provides free software that opens your own raw files: Canon's Digital Photo Professional, Nikon's ViewNX-i, Sony's Imaging Edge. These are basic but functional if you only need to process your own camera's files.

What you need to open and edit raw files

You cannot open a raw file in Windows Photos, Preview on Mac, or most standard image viewers. Raw files need software designed to read that specific format and let you adjust the data.

Lightroom is the most common choice because it handles raw files from almost any camera, organizes your photo library, and lets you edit non-destructively — meaning your edits do not change the original raw file. Lightroom costs $10 per month or $120 per year as part of Adobe's Creative Cloud.

Capture One is a professional alternative that many photographers prefer for color accuracy. It costs $20 per month or $299 for a perpetual license. Affinity Photo is a one-time purchase ($70) that opens raw files and offers powerful editing tools, though it is less focused on library organization than Lightroom.

If you want to spend nothing, your camera manufacturer's software is free. Canon's Digital Photo Professional, Nikon's ViewNX-i, and Sony's Imaging Edge all open raw files and let you make basic adjustments. They are slower and less intuitive than Lightroom, but they work.

Raw versus JPEG: when each makes sense

Shoot raw if you edit your photos. If you spend time in Lightroom or Photoshop adjusting exposure, color, and contrast, raw files give you more information to work with and more freedom to make changes without degrading the image.

Shoot JPEG if you share photos straight from your camera or only make minor edits. JPEGs are smaller, faster to transfer, and open anywhere. If your camera's automatic settings produce images you are happy with, JPEG is simpler and does not require editing software.

Many photographers shoot both: raw plus JPEG simultaneously. Your camera writes a raw file and a JPEG at the same time. You can share the JPEG when ready while keeping the raw file as a backup in case you want to re-edit it later with different choices.

Raw also makes sense for important shots — portraits, events, anything you might want to revisit. For casual snapshots or photos you know you will not edit, JPEG saves storage space and processing time.

Storage and computer requirements for raw files

Raw files are large. A full day of shooting — 500 photos — might be 15 to 25 gigabytes in raw format. The same shoot in JPEG might be 3 to 5 gigabytes. If you shoot raw regularly, you need external hard drives or cloud storage to keep your files.

Processing raw files also demands more from your computer. Opening a raw file in Lightroom and making adjustments requires more processing power than viewing a JPEG. On older computers, this can feel slow. On modern machines with solid-state drives, it is usually not noticeable.

Backing up raw files is important because they are irreplaceable — if you delete a raw file, you cannot recover the original sensor data. Many photographers keep raw files on an external hard drive and a second backup drive, or use cloud storage like Backblaze or Dropbox as a second copy.

How raw files preserve detail you lose in JPEG

A JPEG compresses your image to make the file smaller. During compression, the camera discards data it thinks you will not notice — usually detail in very dark shadows or very bright highlights, and subtle color gradations.

A raw file does not compress. It stores the sensor's full output. This means if you underexpose a shot by accident, you have more shadow detail to recover. If you overexpose slightly, you have more highlight detail to pull back. You cannot recover information that was never captured, but you can recover information the camera threw away during JPEG processing.

This is most visible in skies, skin tones, and areas of subtle color. A JPEG sky might look like a flat blue. The same raw file might hold gradations of color you can bring out during editing. A JPEG portrait might have skin tones that look slightly banded or posterized. The raw file holds smoother transitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert a JPEG back to raw if I only shot JPEG?

No. Once your camera processes a photo into JPEG, the original sensor data is gone. You cannot recover it. This is why photographers who think they might edit later choose to shoot raw from the start.

Do I have to shoot raw, or can I shoot JPEG and edit it?

You can edit JPEG files. You will have less information to work with and less freedom to make big changes without the image falling apart, but basic edits like brightness and contrast work fine. Raw just gives you more room to work.

What is the difference between raw and TIFF?

Raw is unprocessed sensor data. TIFF is a processed image format that does not compress. You can save a TIFF from Lightroom after editing a raw file, but TIFF files are also very large and do not hold the original sensor data the way raw does.

Will my phone camera save raw files?

Most phones do not save raw by default. Some newer phones like iPhones running iOS 14 and later and many Android phones can save raw, but you need to enable it in the camera settings and use compatible editing software.

How long should I keep raw files after I finish editing?

Keep them as long as you might want to re-edit the photo. If you change your editing style or want to try a different look, the raw file lets you start over without losing quality. Many photographers keep raw files indefinitely, especially for important photos.