RAWlähenemine

RAWlähenemine, often shortened to RAW, is a term used in photography and digital imaging. It refers to a file format that contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of a digital camera or scanner. Unlike standard image formats like JPEG, which are processed and compressed by the camera's internal software, RAW files retain much of the original sensor data. This allows for a greater degree of flexibility and control during post-processing.

The primary advantage of shooting in RAW is the preservation of image information. This includes a wider dynamic range, meaning more detail in both the highlights and shadows, and a greater bit depth, which translates to smoother color gradients and more subtle tonal variations. Photographers can adjust white balance, exposure, and color settings in RAW files with less degradation of image quality compared to editing JPEGs. This makes RAW files ideal for professional photographers and enthusiasts who intend to perform extensive editing on their images.

However, RAW files are also larger in size than JPEGs, requiring more storage space. They are not directly viewable or usable by most standard image viewing software without specific RAW converter programs. These converters, often provided by camera manufacturers or available as third-party applications, are necessary to interpret and process the RAW data into a viewable format like TIFF or JPEG. The specific format of a RAW file can vary between camera manufacturers, with common extensions including .CR2, .NEF, and .ARW.