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RAW

RAW

Camera Raw Image

RAW is an umbrella term for the unprocessed sensor data captured directly by a digital camera before any in-camera JPEG conversion. Each manufacturer uses a proprietary variant: Canon uses CR2/CR3, Nikon uses NEF, Sony uses ARW. Adobe's DNG (Digital Negative) is a standardized open alternative that many cameras and applications support. Because RAW files hold the full dynamic range from the sensor, they give photographers maximum flexibility in post-processing at the cost of much larger file sizes than JPEG.

File extensions .raw, .cr2, .cr3, .nef, .arw, .dng
MIME type image/x-raw
Developer Various camera manufacturers / Adobe (DNG)
First released 1990
Category Images
Open standard No (proprietary)

What opens RAW files

  • Adobe Lightroom / Camera Raw
  • Capture One
  • RawTherapee
  • Apple Photos (macOS)

Browse File Formats

Reference details for 53 file formats — extensions, MIME types, what opens each one, and how they convert.