We asked camera companies why their RAW formats are all different and confusing

When you acceptable up a caller camera, oregon adjacent spell to instrumentality a representation connected immoderate smartphones, you’re presented with a cardinal choice: JPG oregon RAW?

JPGs are acceptable to station conscionable astir anywhere, portion RAWs output an unfinished record filled with other information that allows for overmuch richer post-processing. That enactment for a RAW record (and adjacent the generic name, RAW) has been standardized crossed the camera manufacture — but contempt that, the camera satellite has ne'er really settled connected 1 standardized RAW format.

Most cameras seizure RAW files successful proprietary formats, similar Canon’s CR3, Nikon’s NEF, and Sony’s ARW. The effect is simply a satellite of compatibility issues. Photo editing bundle needs to specifically enactment not conscionable each manufacturer’s record benignant but besides marque changes for each caller camera that shoots it. That creates symptom for app developers and aboriginal camera adopters who privation to cognize that their preferred bundle volition conscionable work.

Adobe tried to lick this occupation years agone with a cosmopolitan RAW format, DNG (Digital Negative), which it open-sourced for anyone to use. A fistful of camera manufacturers person since adopted DNG arsenic their RAW format. But the largest names successful the abstraction inactive usage their ain proprie …

Read the afloat communicative astatine The Verge.