What is Camera RAW?
What does this mean?
While it may seem like it means that it is simplyan uncompressed file format, you would be wrong.
Any color space (aka color gamut) will be.
Keep reading, as it can be hard to explain the reasoning behind RAW in a single section.
Raw as a Digital Negative
RAW is a minimally processed format.
RAW is based on a similar idea.
Each camera has its own method for capturing Camera RAW, and so create their own proprietary filetypes.
What is White Balance?
But RAW files do not have the option of picking specific white balance parameters.
Standard RGB files are 24 bit, with 8 bits (or 256 colors) per channel.
RAW files are 12 bits for each color channel, creating a 36 bit RGB file.
Photoshop tools like Levels can provide some of this functionality, but are a poor in comparison.
Image Credit: Steak byDSCF-Photographer, available underCreative Commons.
Negative byollycoffey, available underCreative Commons.
All other images either by the author Eric Z Goodnight or Brad Goodnight, protected underCreative Commons.
