Frequent Question: Are Raw Files Better Than Jpeg?

A RAW image contains wider dynamic range and color gamut compared to a JPEG image. For highlight and shadow recovery when an image or parts of an image are underexposed or overexposed, a RAW image provides far better recovery potential compared to JPEG.

Should I shoot in RAW or JPEG or both?

So why does nearly everyone recommend shooting RAW then? Because they are simply superior files. Whereas JPEGs discard data in order to create a smaller file size, RAW files preserve all of that data. That means you keep all the color data, and you preserve everything you can in the way of highlight and shadow detail.

Are raw files sharper than JPEG?

JPEGs from the camera have sharpening applied to them, so they will always appear sharper than the unprocessed, demosaiced RAW image. If you save your RAW image as a JPEG, the resulting JPEG will always look exactly like the RAW image.