Camera File Formats: By Anya Knoth
If you have been using your camera for a while, you may have
noticed a menu option called image quality.
The options for this feature are JPEG fine, JPEG normal,
JPEG basic and NEF(RAW)
Whoever invented those phrases obviously was not thinking
about the fact that they make little sense, but that’s irrelevant. Hopefully,
this guide will teach you what each option is and why you would want to ever
use it.
Most of you probably know about JPEG, which is the standard
file format for photos and is what we are all used to dealing with. JPEG files
are pre-compressed by the camera, which basically means it takes the original
photo and makes it slightly smaller and less detailed. Pretty much, no one will
ever notice that. Because the JPEG is compressed, it is not the completely
original file. This means that whenever you edit it, it loses a little bit of
data and the more it is manipulated the worse it looks. That is basically the
main problem.
The options for JPEG are basic, normal and fine. Basically,
basic is the smallest, normal is the middle and fine is the most detailed. I
always shoot in JPEG fine because it doesn’t really matter but it will get me
good quality and that way I don’t have to worry about blowing images up super
large.
Now RAW. RAW is essentially the original file, the complete
data from the camera’s sensor. This file format is super big- because it is
uncompressed, it is usually about 4x a large as a JPEG is. Also, RAW isn’t
really a photo because it can’t be opened by most software. In order to use
RAW, you have to get special software like photoshop, bridge or other free
options that will allow you to edit it and convert it. Basically the only good
thing about this file format is the fact that it is super big. Also, when you
edit it, it has a much wider range in that the file is a lot less likely to
look really bad after editing it for a while, so it can be manipulated at much
greater lengths.
Essentially, RAW is a much bigger pain in the ass to use,
and isn’t that useful most of the time. However, there are times when it is
appropriate to use RAW. But at least shoot in JPEG fine.
