RAW File Format

The RAW file format is one of the most important format types in photography. It is used by both photography beginners and professionals. The format is not essential for use, but it is very useful, as it is crucial in photograph processing. Whilst writing the diploma thesis, he learnt about the true comparison between formats. To achieve the correct result, a great deal of time and assistance with lighting from assistants is required. During the diploma thesis work, he produced a number of photographs, most of them himself and some in collaboration with other photographers.

Problem

The RAW file format is one of the most important format types in photography.

Solution and Method

It is used by both photography beginners and professionals. The format is not essential for use, but it is very useful, as it is crucial in photograph processing. Whilst writing the diploma thesis, he learnt about the true comparison between formats. Until the beginning of the research, he had frequently encountered this format recording, but had never understood how it works and what the advantages and disadvantages are compared to other formats. During the writing process, he delved into the comparison, during which he also produced more than 1,000 photographs.

During photography, he learnt that we are very fortunate to live in a time when space on a memory card does not present problems, as with limited space he would have thought more than once about whether to take each photograph in RAW format. He also had assistance during photography.

Results

To achieve the correct result, a great deal of time and assistance with lighting from assistants is required. During the diploma thesis work, he produced a number of photographs, most of them himself and some in collaboration with other photographers. The resulting photographs are, of course, processed in photograph editing programmes, in which he appropriately corrected and precisely processed the photographs.

Because he also wanted to learn more from experienced photographers, he created a survey which he sent to photographers he knew. Twenty-five respondents participated in the survey. Based on the survey, he established that 90 per cent of respondents were male, aged between 21 and 40 years, who photograph regularly.

One hundred per cent of them use the RAW file format. Sixty per cent use only RAW format, whilst the remaining 40 per cent use a combination of RAW+JPEG. In response to the question concerning processing, they unanimously agreed that they use RAW format.

To the question he posed in his diploma thesis, he received various answers, namely. Before beginning to write the diploma thesis, he posed the following hypotheses. H1: The RAW file format is frequently used in photography. He came to the conclusion that we increasingly use the RAW file format for retouching and corrections on photographs; it also enables us a wider spectrum of corrections and greater quality. A major advantage is also that RAW recording preserves original data, which means that we can always return to the original again and again.

The hypothesis which he posed at the beginning of the diploma thesis is only partially valid, as he came to the conclusion that not all photographers use RAW recording, but rather a combination of RAW and JPEG is mostly used. H2: The Bayer pattern and other colour capture methods influence photography. He established that there are very many different cells on the market that capture light. He has experience only with the CMOS sensor, which has been installed in all the cameras he has used until now. However, he came to the realisation that there is another type of sensor, namely the Foveon sensor, in which different wavelengths penetrate to different depths.

Therefore, the answer to the hypothesis which he posed at the beginning of the diploma thesis is that the commonly used Bayer pattern in particular influences photography and all photographers very positively, who may not be aware of what the sensor is or how it is constructed. H3: In the comparison between RAW and JPEG, RAW recording is a more useful format. In the comparison, it was very difficult for the author to find differences between the RAW file format and JPEG, as the quality of the JPEG format is already so good that the real difference is only in compression and is visible with large magnification of detail.

This means that for everyday use, the JPEG format is far more useful than RAW recording. With this statement, I refute my hypothesis which I posed at the beginning.