RAWVSJPG

Should you shoot in RAW? Or is JPG good enough? We analyze the editing flexibility vs the storage cost.

The Verdict

**For Editing: RAW wins.** It keeps all the sensor data. **For Sharing: JPG wins.** You can't upload a RAW file to Instagram. Pros shoot RAW+

Dynamic Range

Winner: RAW

If you overexpose the sky in a JPG, it is pure white forever. In a RAW file, you can slide a bar and 'recover' the blue sky. It's like magic.

Convenience

Winner: JPG

RAW files look ugly/flat until you edit them. JPGs look punchy and sharp right out of the camera. If you hate editing, stick to JPG.

File Size

Winner: JPG

RAW files are 30MB-100MB per photo. JPGs are 3MB-5MB. Shooting RAW fills up your SD card 10x faster.

Ready to switch formats?