A raw photo is the unprocessed data from a camera’s sensor, saved before the camera turns it into a finished picture. “Raw” isn’t an abbreviation; it simply means raw, as in uncooked. Each camera brand has its own raw format, such as Canon’s CR2 and CR3, Nikon’s NEF, Sony’s ARW and Fujifilm’s RAF, plus Adobe’s open DNG format used by phones and some cameras.
RAW versus JPG
When you shoot JPG, the camera develops the image itself: it sets white balance, adds contrast and sharpening, reduces noise, and throws away data it doesn’t need. A raw file keeps everything the sensor captured, and you develop it later on a computer.
| RAW | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour depth | 12–14 bits per channel | 8 bits per channel |
| White balance | Changeable later without loss | Fixed |
| Highlight and shadow recovery | Strong | Limited |
| File size | Large | Small |
| Opens everywhere | No | Yes |
| Ready to share | No, needs developing | Yes |
What “shooting in RAW” means
Photographers say they “shoot RAW” when they set their camera to save raw files. It’s popular for weddings, landscapes, low light and any shot where getting the exposure or colour exactly right matters. Many people choose RAW + JPEG, so they have a ready-to-share JPG and a raw file for editing the best shots.
How to shoot in RAW
- Dedicated cameras: open the menu, find Image quality or File format (often in the first shooting menu tab) and choose RAW or RAW + JPEG.
- iPhone (Pro models from iPhone 12 Pro): go to Settings › Camera › Formats and turn on Apple ProRAW (called ProRAW & Resolution Control on newer models). A RAW button then appears in the Camera app. Photos are saved as DNG.
- Android: many phones offer RAW in the camera’s Pro or Expert mode, or in apps such as Samsung’s Expert RAW. Files are saved as DNG.
How to open raw files
- Windows: install Microsoft’s free Raw Image Extension so the Photos app can open most raw formats.
- Mac: Preview and Photos open most raw formats.
- Editors: Lightroom, Capture One, darktable, RawTherapee and the camera maker’s free software.
- Anywhere else: convert the raw file to JPG.
Raw formats by brand
Canon uses CR3 (CR2 on older cameras), Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fujifilm RAF, Olympus and OM System ORF, Panasonic RW2, Pentax PEF or DNG, and Leica DNG. Phones save raw photos as DNG.