I am not exactly a lord... but a RAW image is exactly how the sensor see's it, its RAW as the word says. There's absolutely no post processing done at all on the image unlike the jpeg's which are post processed images straight out of the camera. The post processing of images can be done on a RAW editing software or photshop to your preference and taste. The post processing on an image "in camera" includes noise reduction, sharpness and many other details of an image. Some camera's have good in camera post processing, so good infact that its difficult to edit the same image in RAW and get the same results. Even then say if you find the "in camera" noise reduction to be excessive and robbing the pics of finer details, you can always click the image in RAW and decide everything yourself. Most of the images that you see on various photography forums are post processed images, especially the DSLR one's. DSLR's give you an option of clicking the same image in RAW as well as jpeg's at the same time, so for that memorable shot even if the "in camera" processing" screws it all, you always have the RAW image with you and you can do whatever you want to with that. |