Two image formats that you will inevitably come across when dealing with digital photography are JPG and RAW . Which one should you use, which one is better and why?
Of course, there is no general answer to this question. Both image formats, JPG as well as RAW, have their justification and once again it depends on the photographer and the way in which he photographs.
JPG (JPEG)
This standard for saving digital images was defined in 1992. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is an association of research institutions and companies that have developed this format.
The biggest advantage of the JPG image format is its small size. Image files saved in JPG format are relatively small. This is due to the fact that image information is highly compressed depending on the compression (this can be set when saving). Depending on the subject, this works really well, but also has its weaknesses.
A motif with a lot of detail and hard contours is more difficult to compress than an image with large areas and color gradients. On closer inspection, you can see that this can lead to so-called fragments.
On closer inspection, you can see that the highly compressed JPG image contains fragments.
I saved the picture with the dog with a high degree of compression. This is significantly more than any camera would do – but it shows how the format summarizes image information, i.e. compresses it. On the other hand, the compressed image in its original resolution has a size of only 544 KB compared to the uncompressed JPG with 13.9 MB.
Another ‘disadvantage’ is that an image that has already been heavily compressed can no longer be edited well. Due to the compression, editing in a program such as Photoshop or Lightroom reaches its limits more quickly.
The biggest advantage of the JPG format is clearly its size. If the file is small, it takes up less storage space and the transfer to the computer is very quick.
RAW
The RAW format is a real monster compared to JPG. A modern full-format camera with high resolution can produce an image file of 50 MB, depending on the subject. This is due to the fact that all image information is written to the storage medium largely without processing. This raw data is comparable to a digital negative, but in order to turn it into a beautiful image, it still has to be processed with image software.
The great advantage of this raw data is that all image information is available unchanged. This applies to the colors as well as the brightness. A RAW file therefore has a much greater contrast range than a JPG. Greater even than current output media can display, which means that the photographer can edit his RAW negative almost at will.
What I also really appreciate about the RAW format is the ability to adjust the white balance afterwards. Regardless of whether I’m shooting in sunlight or artificial light, I only worry about the correct white balance when I’m editing the photos in Lightroom.
However, this flexibility comes at the price of a very high volume of data. Once in the camera and then when you download the images to the computer. It simply takes much longer to transfer all the RAW data from the camera to the computer than if I only use JPGs.
The RAW file with the dog has a size of 26.2 MB, which is twice the size of the uncompressed JPG file.
JPG vs. RAW
So which is the better choice, which data format is ideal? Here is my own personal comparison.
| JPG | RAW | |
|---|---|---|
| Picture quality | As long as the image is not too heavily edited, there is little to be said against a JPG. There are even some photo agencies that require their photographers to shoot exclusively in JPG to prevent image manipulation. However, the greater the JPG compression, the more likely it is that fragments will occur. |
All available information is available in a RAW file and can be edited later without loss. |
| Data size | small | extremely large |
| Speed | fast | slow due to data size |
| White balance | not possible without loss | can be set losslessly on the computer. |
Which data format should I choose now?
The answer is still not any easier. The question of which file format is better is not so easy to answer. If you have enough storage space and a fast computer, and above all if you enjoy editing your pictures, the RAW format is the best choice.
I myself shoot in RAW format most of the time, simply because I appreciate the flexibility the format offers me. However, there are also situations in which I save a JPG image as well as the RAW format. I do this mainly in situations where I need to send a picture by cell phone and I don’t have a laptop with me.
