RAW vs. JPEG: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each

What if you had a powerful “undo” button for your photos? A way to fix a major exposure mistake or rescue the color when your lighting was all wrong? Tucked away in your camera’s menu is a setting that gives you this exact power. It’s the choice between shooting in RAW or JPEG.

Most cameras default to shooting in JPEG, but understanding what you gain by switching to RAW is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your photography. The decision comes down to a simple trade-off: convenience versus ultimate quality and flexibility. This is a crucial setting we introduce in our photography guide, and this guide will break down everything you need to know to make the right choice.

What is a RAW File?

If a JPEG is the baked cake, a RAW file is all the raw ingredients: the flour, eggs, sugar, and milk. A RAW file contains all of the unprocessed, uncompressed data captured directly from your camera’s sensor. It’s a digital negative. Nothing has been added, and nothing has been taken away. You get to be the chef, developing the image yourself in editing software.

Pros of Shooting in RAW

  • Maximum Image Quality: Since no data is compressed or discarded, a RAW file holds the highest possible level of detail, color information, and dynamic range that your camera is capable of capturing.
  • Incredible Editing Flexibility: This is the superpower of RAW. You have complete control to adjust exposure, recover seemingly lost details from the brightest highlights and darkest shadows, and perfect your colors.
  • “Non-Destructive” Editing: When you edit a RAW file, the software saves your changes as a separate set of instructions. Your original RAW file remains untouched and pristine, so you can always go back and try a different edit later.

Cons of Shooting in RAW

  • Large File Size: RAW files are uncompressed, so they are typically 3-5 times larger than JPEGs. Because RAW files are large, managing large photo collections becomes an important part of a photographer’s workflow.
  • Requires Processing: RAW files must be opened and edited in specialized software before they can be shared. Straight out of the camera, they often look flat, less colorful, and less sharp than their JPEG counterparts. You can explore our rundown of the 10 best photo editing software, all of which are powerful RAW processors that allow you to enhance your images.

What is a JPEG?

Think of a JPEG file as a fully baked cake. Your camera’s internal computer takes all the raw data from the sensor, acts like a chef, and processes it for you. It adds contrast, boosts color saturation, applies sharpening, and then compresses everything into a neat, finished file. The result is a delicious-looking image that’s ready to be served (or shared online).

Pros of Shooting in JPEG

  • Small File Size: JPEGs are highly compressed, so they take up much less space on your memory card and hard drive. You can shoot more photos before running out of room.
  • Universal Compatibility: Every phone, computer, and social media platform can open a JPEG. They are the universal standard for images.
  • Ready to Share: Because the camera has already done the processing, you can take a photo and immediately upload it or send it to a friend with no extra work required.

Cons of Shooting in JPEG

  • “Lossy” Compression: To achieve that small file size, the camera permanently discards a significant amount of image data. Once that data is gone, you can never get it back.
  • Limited Editing Flexibility: Because so much data has been thrown away, JPEGs don’t hold up well to heavy editing. Trying to drastically brighten a dark photo or change the color can quickly lead to strange artifacts, banding, and poor-quality results.

Visual Demonstration: The Power of RAW Recovery

The best way to understand the difference is to see it. Imagine you took a photo on a bright day and accidentally overexposed the sky.

  • On the left, the JPEG: The sky is a flat, pure white area with no detail. When you try to lower the exposure in editing software, the sky just turns grey. The cloud details were permanently discarded by the camera and are gone forever.
  • On the right, the RAW file: The sky also looks pure white at first. But because all the original sensor data is still there, when you lower the exposure in your editor, the blue color and the fluffy cloud details magically reappear as if they were there all along. This recovery is simply impossible with a JPEG.

So, Which Format Should You Use?

The right format depends entirely on your needs for a specific situation.

You should shoot in JPEG when:

  • You are running low on memory card space.
  • You need to share the photos immediately (e.g., at a live event).
  • You are shooting a casual get-together where technical perfection isn’t the main goal.

You should shoot in RAW when:

  • You are serious about learning photography and want the highest quality.
  • You are shooting in tricky, high-contrast lighting (like a sunset with a dark foreground).
  • You are shooting important subjects like portraits or landscapes that you plan to edit and possibly print.

Shooting in RAW gives you complete freedom to fix mistakes, which is especially useful when you’re just learning how to understand white balance and might not get it perfect in-camera. To work with RAW files, you’ll need the right tools.

The Best of Both Worlds: RAW + JPEG

Many modern cameras offer a setting that saves both a RAW file and a JPEG file every time you press the shutter. This gives you a convenient JPEG for quick sharing and a high-quality RAW file as a digital negative in case you want to create a more polished edit later. The main downside is that it uses even more memory card space. Because RAW files are large, managing them is important.

Why RAW is the Smart Choice for Better Photos

While JPEG offers convenience, shooting in RAW is one of the most impactful changes a new photographer can make. It provides a crucial safety net for mistakes and unlocks the full creative potential of your camera and your editing skills. If you are committed to growing as a photographer, the extra file size is a small price to pay for the immense flexibility you gain.

For your next photoshoot, go into your camera’s menu and switch your image quality setting to RAW or RAW+JPEG. You will be giving your future self the gift of better pixels and more creative freedom.