… for Codecs & Media

Tip #849: 8 Reasons Why You Should Shoot Raw

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

RAW files are bigger and require processing, but the advantages are worth it.

This article, written by Rob Lim, first appeared in PhotographyConcentrate.com. This is an excerpt.

NOTE: This article was originally written for shooting still images in JPEG. However, these comments also apply to shooting video using AVCHD or H.264 codecs.

Raw is a file format that captures all image data recorded by the sensor when you take a photo. When shooting in a format like JPEG image information is compressed and lost. Because no information is compressed with raw you’re able to produce higher quality images, as well as correct problem images that would be unrecoverable if shot in the JPEG format.

NOTE: Raw is not an acronym. So, unless you are discussing ProRes RAW, it’s spelled lower case.

Here’s a list of the key benefits to shooting raw:

1. Get the Highest Level of Quality
2. Record Greater Levels of Brightness
3. Easily Correct Dramatically Over/Under Exposed Images
4. Easily Adjust White Balance
5. Get Better Detail
6. Enjoy Non-Destructive Editing
7. Have an Efficient Workflow
8. It’s the Pro Option

EXTRA CREDIT

The article linked at the top has more details on each of these points.