RAW vs JPG: Which Should You Shoot?
A RAW file (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, RAF…) is the unprocessed data from your camera's sensor. A JPG is a finished image the camera has already processed and compressed.
RAW vs JPG
Short answer
Shoot RAW when you plan to edit and want maximum quality. Shoot JPG (or RAW + JPG) when you need ready-to-share photos and small files.
RAW vs JPG at a glance
| Property | RAW | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Unprocessed sensor data | Lossy (small files, some detail discarded) |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Opens in | None (needs a RAW editor) | All browsers and devices |
| Best for | Straight-from-camera photos for editing | Photos, sharing, email, social media |
| Typical file size | 20–60 MB per photo | 3–10 MB per photo |
| Color depth | 12–14 bits per channel | 8 bits per channel |
Use RAW for
- Serious editing: exposure, white balance, shadows
- High-contrast and low-light scenes
- Professional and commercial work
Use JPG for
- Sharing straight from the camera
- Events and sports with many shots
- Saving card and disk space
Key differences
Editing latitude
RAW keeps far more tonal information, so you can recover highlights and shadows and change white balance without damage.
Workflow
RAW files must be developed in an editor before sharing. JPGs are ready immediately.
Compatibility
Each camera brand has its own RAW format that needs a RAW-capable app. JPG opens everywhere.
RAW
What is a RAW file?
The RAW file extension refers to a minimally processed image file format used primarily by older Panasonic and Leica digital cameras, or as a generic descriptor for binary raw data streams. In the context of photography, these files contain the direct readout from the CCD or CMOS image sensor, preserved at high bit depths (typically 12-bit or 14-bit) without lossy compression or in-camera processing like sharpening or white balance application. This 'digital negative' format retains the maximum dynamic range captured by the hardware.
How to open a RAW file
Opening RAW files necessitates image processing software equipped with the specific demosaicing algorithms for the camera model used. Adobe Photoshop (via Camera Raw), Adobe Lightroom, and Corel PaintShop Pro are standard professional tools. For open-source alternatives, Darktable and UFRaw utilize the libraw library to decode these files. Native OS support on Windows and macOS is generally robust for recognized camera models, provided the OS is updated with the latest raw compatibility drivers.
- Full Name
- Raw Image Data File
- Developed By
- Panasonic / Leica (Primary Users)
- Initial Release
- N/A
- MIME Type
- image/x-panasonic-raw
JPG
What is a JPG file?
JPG is functionally identical to the JPEG format, differing only in the file extension length, a legacy constraint from the MS-DOS 8.3 filename limit (which allowed only three characters for extensions). It implements the same ISO/IEC 10918 standard, using lossy compression based on Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and Huffman coding to store photorealistic images. The file structure contains markers such as Start of Image (SOI) and End of Image (EOI) and supports color spaces like sRGB and CMYK, making it interchangeable with .jpeg files in all software contexts.
How to open a JPG file
As one of the most ubiquitous file types in computing, JPG files open natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux without external software. Default viewers like Microsoft Photos, Apple Preview, and Linux image viewers handle the format automatically. For editing or conversion, industry-standard tools including Adobe Photoshop, Paint.NET, and XnView provide extensive support. Web browsers universally render JPGs without plugins.
- Full Name
- Joint Photographic Experts Group
- Developed By
- Joint Photographic Experts Group
- Initial Release
- 1992
- MIME Type
- image/jpeg
RAW vs JPG