Camera RAW

What is a RAW file?

Updated Jul 2026

Definition

A RAW file is the unprocessed image data straight off a camera's sensor, before the camera applies sharpening, color, or compression. It keeps far more detail and editing flexibility than a JPG, but it's much larger, varies by camera brand, and needs software that understands it before you can view or share it normally.

RAWGeneric camera RAW

Extension: .raw
Type: Camera RAW
Typically: Various cameras
Metadata: Carries EXIF

Why RAW exists

Every digital camera sensor captures raw light data before anything is done to it. A JPG is what you get after the camera processes that data: it sharpens the image, adjusts color, and compresses the file so it's small and ready to view anywhere. RAW skips all of that. It saves the sensor's original readout, so nothing is decided or thrown away yet.

That's useful for editing. Because a RAW file hasn't been compressed or color-corrected, you can pull back blown-out highlights, recover shadow detail, and adjust white balance after the fact in ways a JPG won't allow. Photographers shoot RAW specifically for that headroom.

The cost is size and compatibility. RAW files run several times larger than a JPG of the same photo, and there's no single RAW format: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and others each use their own variant, with their own file extension. Most photo viewers, messaging apps, and websites don't recognize any of them, so people end up converting to JPG or another common format just to open or share a photo.

People also run into RAW files by accident. Plenty of cameras and phone apps default to saving both a RAW and a JPG for every shot, which quietly eats up storage until someone notices.

The trade-offs

Strengths

Keeps the full detail and dynamic range the sensor captured
Much more room to fix exposure, color, and white balance later
Nothing is thrown away by in-camera processing

Watch-outs

Files are several times larger than JPG for the same photo
Format varies by camera brand, so one RAW viewer doesn't work for all
Most apps, websites, and messaging tools can't open it directly
Needs converting or dedicated software before you can share or print it

A note on privacy

RAW files carry the same EXIF metadata as any camera photo, including the date, camera settings, and often the GPS location where it was shot. Uploading a RAW file to an online converter to get a usable JPG sends that whole history to someone else's server. Converting it on your own machine keeps the photo and its metadata local, and you still end up with a JPG you can actually share.

Convert a RAW file

Questions

How do I open a RAW file?

You'll need software that supports your camera's specific RAW format, since Canon, Nikon, and Sony all use different ones. Converting the file to JPG or TIFF is usually the simplest way to view or share it anywhere.

Is RAW better than JPG?

For editing, yes: RAW keeps more detail and gives you more room to adjust exposure and color afterward. For everyday viewing and sharing, JPG is far more practical since almost everything can open it without conversion.

Why does my camera save RAW files?

Many cameras and camera apps default to RAW, or to shooting RAW plus JPG together, so you get maximum editing flexibility if you want it. If you don't plan to edit heavily, switching to JPG-only saves considerable storage space.

Can I convert RAW without uploading it?

Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts RAW files to JPG or PNG on your own computer, so the photo and its metadata never leave your machine.

Why is my RAW file so much bigger than a JPG?

JPG throws away data the camera decides you won't need and compresses what's left. RAW keeps everything the sensor recorded, uncompressed, which is why it can run five to ten times larger for the same shot.

Morphjet opens and converts RAW and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.