.RAW File extension

A RAW file is an image generated by digital cameras such as Panasonic, Leica, and Casio cameras. It contains uncompressed, raw image data that can be adjusted for exposure and white balance using software that supports the format. RAW files are used for storing unaltered image data as captured by a digital camera's CCD.

RAW files are used to produce higher quality images since the format stores data captured from a camera's sensor in an uncompressed format. RAW files do not lose data like JPEG files do when they are compressed. However, RAW files can be very large in size because they are not compressed. This is the tradeoff between lower-quality, smaller images and higher-quality, larger images. NOTE: RAW files may also be created by image generation software, although this is not as common.