GettyImagesSHOOT IN RAW!RAW FILE TYPES
DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, some compacts
and even some smartphones have the ability
to shoot in raw. Each camera maker has its
own proprietary file format, although each
can be treated in the same way while editing.MANUFACTURER RAW FORMAT
Canon CR2, CR3
Fujifilm RAF
Leica RWL, DNG
Nikon NEF
Olympus ORF
Panasonic RAW
Pentax PEF
Sony ARW2 Highlights
and shadows
Raws hold more detail in
the highlights and shadows,
which is good for shooting
landscapes, as it can often
be a challenge to record
detail in the brightest and
darkest parts of the frame.1 Graduated tones
Heavy editing of JPEGs will
lead to an unsightly banding effect
in areas of gradation, where light
tones transition to darker tones.
This is unlikely to happen with raw.4 Detail control
You can pull greater detail
out of raw files as there’s more
headroom for editing. Unlike
JPEGs processed in-camera,
you have ultimate control over
the strength of sharpening.
CASE STUDY #1: Landscapes
Raw’s expanded dynamic range
boosts outdoor photography
3 White balance
With raws, you can set the
white balance after the fact, so you
don’t need to worry about getting
it absolutely perfect in-camera:
you’re free to fine-tune it later on.