Best Cameras For Raw Photography: Unlocking The Power

Shooting in RAW gives you a lot of flexibility and control over the final look of your image or video. RAW format captures the image or video as unprocessed data from the camera's image sensor, which can then be processed on a computer. This means you can adjust elements like brightness, contrast, and white balance post-capture.

However, shooting in RAW also means managing large file sizes and intense editing, which may not be for everyone.

- Canon EOS R5

- Canon EOS R5 C

- Nikon Z6III

- Nikon Z7II

- Fujifilm GFX100S II

- Sony Alpha 7 IV

- Sony Alpha 6600

- Panasonic Lumix S5

- Sigma fp

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

RAW video is the unprocessed data from a camera's image sensor

RAW video gives filmmakers greater control and flexibility over the final look and feel of their work. However, shooting in RAW requires more storage space and comes with the added step of processing the files on a computer.

Several camera manufacturers, including Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, and Sony, offer models that support RAW video recording. These include mirrorless cameras, such as the Canon R5, Nikon Z6, and Panasonic S5, as well as cinema cameras.

When choosing a camera that shoots RAW video, it is important to consider the large file sizes and the intensive editing process required. While managing RAW video may not be for everyone, it offers a powerful tool for those seeking to capture professional-looking footage with a high degree of control.

RAW video gives you more control over the look and feel of your final film

The ability to make these adjustments means you have a lot of control over the final look and feel of your film. You can emphasise the rich details within a scene, adjust the lighting, and make other creative decisions in post-production.

Shooting in RAW is particularly useful if you're filming in mixed lighting conditions or moving between different light sources. It's also helpful if you want to combine footage shot in different locations or at different times of day.

That said, RAW video files are large and can be difficult to work with. You'll need professional editing software and plenty of storage space to handle them.

Cameras that shoot RAW video include the Canon EOS R5, the Panasonic Lumix S1H, and the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

RAW video is the unprocessed, uncompressed footage that a camera's image sensor captures. Shooting in RAW gives you the flexibility to adjust elements like brightness, contrast, and white balance post-capture. While shooting in RAW gives you a lot of control over the final look of your film, it also means managing large file sizes and intense editing.

The Canon EOS R5 is the latest mirrorless camera from Canon and the spiritual successor to the excellent D5 DSLR. It shoots RAW video and brings 8K along with impressive autofocus and image stabilization systems. The R5 is the first commercial-grade camera that can shoot 8K video at 30fps, delivering stunningly detailed footage. The camera has a huge image buffer and produces some of the highest-quality video footage around.

The Panasonic Lumix S1H bridges the gap between cinema-grade video cameras that can cost tens of thousands of dollars and more accessible but less capable options. It's the smallest camera to have received the go-ahead from Netflix, which opens up endless possibilities for filmmakers and documentary-makers. The S1H uses dual ISO to boost its low-light performance, and its effective and silent cooling system allows you to shoot 6K footage without having to schedule cool-off periods. The S1H offers lots of resolution and framerate options, and Panasonic made it easier to select the right settings by incorporating a filter that displays only relevant options.

The Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K has a Micro Four Thirds sensor and still manages to blow comparably-priced competitors out of the water with its RAW video quality. The camera has a giant touchscreen and can connect to loads of external devices. Continuous autofocus isn't part of the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K's design, but it does well when tasked to focus on a point by tapping, making it a good choice for documentary-style content. The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K's video quality is a class above the competition in its price bracket, and switching to RAW brings out the camera's peak performance.

RAW video files are much larger than JPEGs

When it comes to the size of the files, RAW and JPEG are very different. RAW files are much larger than JPEGs. This is because RAW files are not compressed, whereas JPEGs are. This means that RAW files need more space than JPEGs – both on your memory card and your hard drive.

The impact of larger file sizes

The larger file size of RAW video files has several implications for filmmakers and photographers. Firstly, it means that your memory cards will fill up faster. It will also usually take longer to get these images onto your memory card. Additionally, you will need more or larger hard drives to store all of this information, which will ultimately cost you more.

When JPEGs might be a better option

For casual snapshots, you might not need to use the RAW format. Not only will you not process every image you take, but you’re also unlikely to view them all at the kinds of sizes where small differences in sharpness and noise reduction make much difference. In these cases, it might be better to shoot in JPEG.

JPEGs also offer instant compatibility and use. As soon as you capture a JPEG, it’s ready for use and supported by a wide range of devices. If you need to quickly send it to someone or upload it to a social networking site, or alternatively print it out, copy it or simply view it on a computer or another display, you can do so. RAW files, on the other hand, need specific software programs that have been updated to support that particular camera.

The benefits of RAW

Despite the larger file size, there are many benefits to shooting in RAW. RAW gives you more control. When you shoot a JPEG, you're letting your camera apply a white balance, sharpening, colour saturation and contrast to your image. These filters are not editable layers on top of a file, they are a permanent part of the file. When you shoot RAW, you're choosing how each of these filters is applied and you're applying them with a program that is (in theory) more powerful and "smart" than the program your camera uses.

RAW video files can be adjusted post-capture, including the brightness, contrast, and white balance

The ability to record RAW video gives a lot of control and flexibility over the look and feel of the final film. Managing the large file sizes and intense editing that comes with shooting RAW video isn't for everyone. But for those who want to shoot professional-looking footage, the option to have that power and control in a portable camera body is a huge benefit.

Shooting in RAW format allows for more data to be contained in a file, meaning more extreme tonal adjustments can be made before a penalty in image quality is seen. RAW files can also be adjusted for white balance easily, and as many JPEG copies as desired can be saved without fear of degrading the original file.

Shooting in RAW also allows for more detail to be extracted from a file compared to an in-camera JPEG. Using the sharpening and noise-reduction options in third-party or bundled raw conversion software can help to get much more detail out of a RAW file compared to an in-camera JPEG.

When shooting in RAW, the white balance can be adjusted in post-production by modifying the gain of the red and blue channels. However, it is always best to adjust the white balance at the time of recording to get the best image quality.

Frequently asked questions