I learned about RAW way back when, but - to my surprise - I’ve discovered new and unexpected information, thanks to this great article on RAW for beginners.
Here is what surprised me:
“RAW files literally capture a larger range of color (...). Standard RGB files are 24 bit, with 8 bits (or 256 colors) per channel. They are more limited than the full spectrum of colors your eye can see. Any color space (aka color gamut) will be. RAW files are 12 bits for each color channel, creating a 36 bit RGB file.”
It fascinates me every time I learn that some digital format is in fact poorer than You could think. First I learn about this phenomenon regarding audio files (some people prefer to use .wav even as the default way to store their music). I find it very interesting that picture we observe on a computer screen is not as real (color-wise) as those derived out of reality around us, by our own eyes.
Another intriguing thing is that some people are able to sense the difference between common and so-called lossless formats, while the other don’t have a clue. And it takes place totally regardless of theory on how much information humans are able to consciously receive. However intriguing it may sound, there are special file formats for audiophiles, for example. It is interesting to know how RAW fits this big picture.
“RAW (...) provide minimal in-camera processing (...).”
I thought it only records the light traveling through the lens - it intrigues me what this “minimal processing” is about?
“As there is no single digital camera, there is no single Camera RAW. Each camera has its own method for capturing Camera RAW, and so create their own proprietary filetypes.”
So far I thought that there is only one RAW, like in case of other standardized formats. Now it’s easier to understand why one often have to possess the newest software in order to handle RAWs made by late models of DSLR.
Filed in: blog /55/ | photography /1/ | RAW /1/
