These are the three main image file formats. Different uses require different file formats. The web, for example, requires a JPEG. If you have a point and shoot, likely, your only choice is JPEG.
Jpeg is a compressed image file. The camera decides which pixels are important in an image and compresses the image to a smaller size file as it’s being processed.
In other words, the camera processes the image, making it look as good as it can, and throws away lots of pixels it doesn’t need. It does a great job in figuring out what’s important but it does throw away information forever.
Another disadvantage of jpegs is that if you work on a jpeg and make changes to it, say brightening it or giving it more contrast of saturation or putting it through a filter, each time you save it, more pixels are thrown away. An advantage, is that pretty much any imaging software can work with jpegs and they don’t take up much storage space.
TIFF is an uncompressed format. It’s a great format to use when making changes to an image after processing because all the information is saved. You can also set many cameras to capture in TIFF. Again, most software can work with TIFFs.
RAW is the most flexible format to capture in. Every bit of the information is contained in a RAW file. All professional cameras and most prosumer cameras can shoot in RAW. To complicate things, every manufacturer has their own propriatory RAW format; .nef for Nikon, .crd for Canon, .ref for Fuji, etc.. The camera doesn’t process the RAW image at all. You’ve gotta process it yourself. You do this in one of the many cataloging programs out there, either a manufactorer’s propriatary program like Nikon’s Capture NX or something like Apple’s Aperture, Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw.
If you’re serious about your photography, then you’ll shoot in RAW, period! It’s got every pixel of information you can use in the image file. Why would I shoot in JPEG and let the camera decide what’s important when I can shoot in RAW? And, I’ve got to process the image no matter which format I use.
Plus, a RAW file has much more exposure latitude than the severly limited JPEG.
In other words, you can increase or decrease the exposure, (lighten or darken the image), during processing to a far greater extent with a RAW file without stretching the pixels beyond their breaking point. Yes, it’s possible to break pixels, especially if they’ve been thrown away and aren’t even there!
Another thing, you don’t actually make changes to the RAW file. Through what’s called Metadata, you tell the software how to manipulate the file so it looks the way you want it to look. This is called non-destructive processing. If your artistic tastes change later, you can always go back and make more changes to the original file without a single pixel being damaged in the process.
And, you can save different versions of the photograph, say a really saturated version or a black and white version. These, you would save as a tiff for maximum quality. When I use some of my software plugin filters, I save the result as a TIFF.
I can convert both RAW and TIFF files easily into JPEGs for use on the web or for emailing or to send to a lab that requires JPEGs for printing without effecting the original file. I also export files as JPEGs for slide shows, video or Powerpoint presentations because the high resolution and size of RAW and TIFF files is pointless in these relatively low rez products and can gum up the works.
So, what format should you use?
If all you're doing is posting online, emailing your photos to friends, sharing them with family, or making small prints for albums, jpegs will do just fine. But...if you’re serious about your photography, shoot only RAW.
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