RAW vs JPEG: Which Should You Shoot In?

When you take a photo with a camera or phone, you often have two format options: RAW or JPEG. But what’s the difference, and which should you choose?

WHAT IS RAW?
RAW is like a digital negative — it captures all the data from your camera’s sensor with no compression.
- Pros: Maximum quality, flexible for editing, best for professionals.
- Cons: Very large files, requires special software to view and edit.

WHAT IS JPEG?
JPEG is a compressed format designed for sharing and saving space.
- Pros: Small file sizes, universally supported, quick to share.
- Cons: Less detail, reduced flexibility for editing, some quality loss.

WHEN TO USE RAW
- Shooting landscapes or portraits where editing is important.
- Professional work where quality matters more than storage space.

WHEN TO USE JPEG
- Everyday snapshots.
- Events where you’ll take hundreds of photos and need quick sharing.