.raw — Camera Raw Image
Image image/x-raw
What a .raw file is
Unprocessed sensor data straight from a camera, before demosaicing, white balance and tone curves are applied. Manufacturer-specific: .CR2/.CR3 (Canon), .NEF (Nikon), .ARW (Sony), .DNG (open standard).
How to open it
Lightroom, Capture One, darktable, RawTherapee, or the operating system's photo app.
Worth knowing
Raw holds far more highlight and shadow detail than JPEG, which is why it is worth the file size when the exposure might need rescuing.
Other image formats
- .heic — High Efficiency Image Container
- .webp — WebP Image
- .avif — AV1 Image File Format
- .svg — Scalable Vector Graphics
- .psd — Photoshop Document
- .ai — Adobe Illustrator Artwork