See also: [[JPEG]]. Most decent cameras can save your photos as RAW files, either instead of, or as well as, Jpeg files. But the Jpeg files are smaller, and much easier to share, so why would you bother with RAW files? The simplest way to think of it is that RAW files are like the original negative, while the Jpeg is a print. The Jpeg is the file you can stick on [[Instagram]], or email to your mum. The RAW file is a heap of data that Instagram wouldn't know how to interpret, and your mum might not have software to open it. The RAW file contains data that's lost in a Jpeg - it captures more of the highlights and shadows (bigger dynamic range), and it has the detail as the camera's sensor recorded it, before any sharpening algorithms got to it. The same way you'll find a lot of photographers who think anyone using automatic exposure is a bit of an amateur, and not a 'real photographer', you'll find even more sneering at the unwashed masses with their dirty Jpeg files, idiots who don't even know how to use RAW files. Gatekeeping assholes, tbh. Have you noticed how there's a long waiting list for many Fujifilm cameras? That's because they're generally known for making really nice Jpeg files. And it's not just filthy amateurs buying them. Not every photographer wants to spend lots of time editing their RAW files when the camera can output a perfectly good JPEG itself. That said, I *do* have my camera set to save RAW files, in addition to the Jpeg files. 99% of the time, I use the Jpeg files. But on the odd occasion I want to get a bit more detail out of the shadows, say, the RAW file is there to switch to. Personally, I think that's a pretty good compromise. If you enjoy editing, you might want to always use the RAW files. And if you can't be bothered with it at all, just use the Jpegs, it's fine. Just wander past the gate, leave the gatekeepers to their fun. ## Camera Speed and Jpeg/RAW One other consideration that may or may not be important to you is that some cameras will be quite a bit faster when using Jpeg files. The RAW files are bigger and take longer to write to the card. Back when I was using my Sony A7, using RAW files meant the buffer filled up quickly, and I could be stuck waiting around, so I often used it with just the Jpeg files. On my A7iii, the difference is much smaller, so I pretty much always capture both files. If you find your camera is too slow when using RAW files, you might want to try just the Jpegs, it might mean you get shots you'd otherwise miss.