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If you've just picked up your first mirrorless camera or DSLR, one of the first questions you'll face in your camera's settings menu is deceptively simple: RAW or JPEG? It sounds like a technical detail you can deal with later — but this single decision shapes how much creative control you have over every photo you take. Whether you're shooting the golden hour over Sydney Harbour, the wildflowers in Kings Park, or a family birthday party, understanding the difference between RAW and JPEG is foundational to growing as a photographer. Let's break it all down so you can make the right call for your shooting style.
What Is a JPEG File?
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is the format most people are already familiar with. When your camera captures a shot in JPEG, it processes the image internally — applying sharpening, noise reduction, contrast, and colour adjustments — then compresses the file and discards data it deems unnecessary. The result is a smaller, ready-to-share image file that looks great straight out of the camera.
JPEG files are convenient and universally compatible. You can share them directly to social media, email them to family, or upload them to an online print service without touching an editing app. For casual shooters or those who need fast delivery — think event photographers shooting hundreds of frames — JPEG is a perfectly legitimate choice.
Pros of JPEG:
- Smaller file sizes — you'll fit far more shots on your memory card
- Ready to use straight away with no editing required
- Faster continuous shooting speeds on most cameras
- Compatible with virtually every device and platform
Cons of JPEG:
- Compressed and processed in-camera, so data is permanently lost
- Limited headroom for fixing exposure, white balance, or colour in post
- Quality degrades slightly each time you re-save the file
What Is a RAW File?
A RAW file is essentially the unprocessed data captured directly by your camera's sensor — think of it as a digital negative. Unlike JPEG, the camera applies no sharpening, no colour grading, and minimal compression. Every detail the sensor captured is preserved, giving you the maximum possible information to work with when you edit.
Different manufacturers use their own RAW formats: Canon uses .CR3, Nikon uses .NEF, Sony uses .ARW, and so on. To view and edit RAW files, you'll need software such as Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, or the free Adobe Lightroom Mobile app. This is the industry-standard workflow for serious photographers.
Pros of RAW:
- Maximum image quality and detail from your sensor
- Huge latitude to correct exposure — often up to 3–5 stops of recovery
- Easily fix white balance and colour casts without quality loss
- Full control over sharpening, noise reduction, and tone curves
- Future-proof — you can re-edit originals as software improves
Cons of RAW:
- Much larger file sizes — you'll need bigger memory cards and hard drives
- Requires editing software and time to process images
- Not immediately shareable without export
- Slower buffer speeds on some entry-level cameras
Canon RAW vs C-RAW: What's the Difference?
If you shoot with a Canon camera, you may have noticed a second RAW option in your settings: C-RAW (Compressed RAW). Standard Canon RAW (.CR3) files preserve the full uncompressed sensor data, typically landing between 20–40MB per image. C-RAW applies lossless-style compression to reduce file sizes by roughly 40%, while retaining almost all of the editing headroom you'd expect from a full RAW file — including the same exposure recovery and white balance flexibility. For most shooting situations, including landscapes and portraits, C-RAW is an excellent compromise: you get far more shots on your memory card without meaningfully sacrificing image quality. Where standard RAW pulls ahead is in very demanding post-processing — heavy shadow recovery or extreme highlight restoration — where the additional data can make a subtle difference. If storage is a concern, C-RAW is well worth enabling on supported Canon bodies like the EOS R6 Mark II or R8.
The Key Difference Between RAW and JPEG
The core difference between RAW and JPEG comes down to data and control. A JPEG hands the processing decisions to your camera. A RAW file hands them to you. If you expose a JPEG incorrectly or capture it under an odd light source — say, the mixed tungsten lighting at an indoor venue — fixing it in post is genuinely difficult, and you may never fully recover that shot. Shoot the same scene in RAW, and you can correct white balance precisely, pull back blown highlights, lift crushed shadows, and still produce a stunning image.
For Australian landscape photographers chasing the harsh midday sun in the Outback or the high-contrast light on a Bondi beach shoot, RAW's recovery headroom is invaluable. Light in Australia is notoriously intense, and having that extra latitude can be the difference between a keeper and a throwaway.
RAW vs JPEG Explained for Beginner Photographers
If you're just starting out, here's the simplest way to think about it: a JPEG is a finished photo, and a RAW file is the ingredients. When you shoot JPEG, your camera makes all the creative decisions for you — colour, contrast, sharpening — then locks them in permanently. When you shoot RAW, none of those decisions are made yet. You get the full picture from the sensor, and you choose what to do with it later in editing software like Lightroom.
For a beginner, this matters most when something goes wrong. Shoot a portrait slightly too dark in JPEG and it's very hard to fix. Shoot the same portrait in RAW and you can brighten it in seconds without any loss in quality. RAW is forgiving in a way that JPEG simply isn't — and that forgiveness is enormously valuable while you're still learning.
Should You Shoot RAW or JPEG?
Here's the honest answer: it depends on your goals.
Shoot JPEG if you:
- Are sharing images quickly to social media or clients on the same day
- Prefer a point-and-shoot workflow with minimal editing
- Are a sports or wildlife photographer needing maximum burst speed
- Have limited storage or budget for memory cards right now
Shoot RAW if you:
- Want to learn and grow your editing and post-processing skills
- Shoot landscapes, portraits, or any situation where image quality is paramount
- Often shoot in tricky lighting conditions (golden hour, indoor events, mixed light)
- Plan to print your photos at large sizes
A brilliant middle-ground that many cameras offer is RAW + JPEG simultaneously. Your camera saves both files at once — the JPEG for quick sharing, the RAW for when you want to edit properly. It doubles your storage usage, but it's a great option for photographers transitioning into RAW workflows.
RAW Photo Editing: What Does the Workflow Look Like?
Getting started with RAW photo editing is easier than you might think. The most popular tool among Australian photographers is Adobe Lightroom, which allows you to import your RAW files, make non-destructive edits (your original file is never changed), and export polished JPEGs to share or print. If you're new to it, our guide on why photographers choose Lightroom for editing is a great place to start. And when you're ready to move your images across, our guide on getting photos from your camera onto your computer or phone walks you through the process. Free alternatives include RawTherapee and darktable. Many camera brands also bundle their own free RAW editing software — Canon's Digital Photo Professional and Nikon's NX Studio are both capable options to start with.
The learning curve is gentle. Within a few hours of practice, you'll be adjusting exposure, pulling back highlights, boosting shadows, and correcting white balance — transforming a flat RAW file into something stunning. It genuinely transforms how you see photography.
Which Cameras Support RAW Shooting?
Almost all interchangeable lens cameras — including entry-level options — support RAW capture. If you're shopping for a new camera, check out our range of mirrorless cameras and DSLR cameras, all of which support RAW shooting. Many advanced compact cameras do too. Paired with a fast, high-capacity memory card (we recommend at least a UHS-I U3 or UHS-II rated card for RAW), you'll be set up for a proper RAW workflow from day one. Not sure which card to pick? Our beginner's guide to choosing the right memory card breaks it all down.
How to Start Shooting in RAW Format
Once you have a camera that supports RAW, enabling it takes less than a minute. The setting is almost always found under your camera's Image Quality or Image Recording menu. On a Canon EOS R-series body, look for Shooting Menu → Image Quality and select RAW or C-RAW. On a Nikon Z-series, head to Photo Shooting Menu → Image quality and choose NEF (RAW). Sony Alpha users will find the option under Shooting → Image Quality/Size → File Format, where you select RAW or RAW + JPEG. If you want the best of both worlds while you're learning, choose the RAW + JPEG option — your camera writes both files simultaneously so you always have a share-ready JPEG on hand. Once you've changed the setting, it stays saved until you change it back.
Our Recommendation
If you're serious about improving your photography — even as a beginner — start shooting RAW. Yes, it requires a little more effort. But the creative control, image quality, and learning opportunities it unlocks are worth every minute. You'll understand light, exposure, and colour far more deeply when you're actively making those decisions in post-processing rather than leaving them to your camera. Building on that, understanding your camera's core settings — such as how ISO works and affects your images — will help you get better results straight out of the camera too.
Ready to upgrade your kit and start shooting in RAW? Visit the Ted's Cameras online store to explore our full range of cameras, or pop into your nearest Ted's store across Australia for personalised advice from our team of photography experts. We'd love to help you find the right setup for your shooting style and budget.
RAW vs JPEG: Quick Comparison
| Feature | RAW | JPEG |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Large (20–50MB+) | Small (2–10MB) |
| In-camera processing | None — raw sensor data | Yes — sharpening, colour, compression applied |
| Editing flexibility | Maximum — up to 3–5 stops of recovery | Limited — data is permanently discarded |
| White balance correction | Fully adjustable in post | Difficult to correct without quality loss |
| Ready to share? | No — requires editing and export | Yes — straight out of camera |
| Software required | Yes — Lightroom, Capture One, etc. | No — opens on any device |
| Continuous shooting speed | Slower buffer on some cameras | Faster — smaller files clear buffer quickly |
| Image quality ceiling | Highest possible from your sensor | Good, but limited by compression |
| Re-saving quality loss | None — edits are non-destructive | Yes — quality degrades with each re-save |
| Best for | Landscapes, portraits, tricky lighting, large prints | Events, social media, fast delivery, casual shooting |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is RAW better than JPEG for beginners?
RAW gives you more flexibility to fix mistakes and learn from them, making it genuinely beneficial for beginners who are still mastering exposure and white balance. The trade-off is you'll need to spend some time editing — but that's part of the learning journey.
Do professional photographers shoot RAW or JPEG?
Most professional photographers shoot RAW, or RAW + JPEG simultaneously. The exception is often sports and press photographers who need to transmit images instantly — many of these professionals rely on JPEG or in-camera JPEG conversion for speed.
Does shooting RAW slow down my camera?
RAW files are larger, so they can fill your camera's buffer faster during continuous shooting. Modern cameras handle this well, but it's worth pairing your camera with a fast memory card to minimise any slowdown. Check out our range of memory cards & storage for options suited to RAW shooting.
Can I convert JPEG to RAW after shooting?
No. Once your camera processes and compresses a JPEG, that data is permanently discarded. You cannot retroactively convert a JPEG into a true RAW file — which is exactly why setting your camera to RAW before you shoot is so important.
How much storage do I need to shoot RAW?
RAW files typically range from 20MB to 50MB+ depending on your camera's resolution. A 128GB memory card gives you roughly 2,500–5,000 RAW files, which is plenty for most sessions. For extended shoots, consider carrying multiple cards or a portable SSD drive.
What software do I need to open RAW files?
Popular options include Adobe Lightroom (subscription-based), Capture One, and free tools like RawTherapee or your camera manufacturer's own software (e.g., Canon Digital Photo Professional, Nikon NX Studio, Sony Imaging Edge). If you're weighing up Adobe's offerings, our breakdown of Photoshop vs Lightroom can help you decide which suits your RAW editing needs. Most modern operating systems like Windows 11 and macOS can also preview many RAW formats natively.
