RAW vs JPEG: Digital Camera Sensor Data vs Compressed Web Images
A technical comparison between camera RAW / DNG sensor files and standard JPEG (.jpg) images. Understand bit depth, dynamic range latitude, demosaicing, and web delivery.
Camera RAW formats (including Adobe DNG, Canon CR2, Nikon NEF, and Sony ARW) store minimally processed 12-bit to 16-bit linear sensor samples directly from digital camera sensors alongside high-fidelity embedded preview streams. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is the universal 8-bit lossy image standard using Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) compression for compact storage and instant display.
| FEATURE | RAW | JPEG |
|---|---|---|
| Bit Depth | 12-bit, 14-bit, or 16-bit per channel | 8-bit per channel (24-bit RGB) |
| Processing State | Unprocessed Bayer CFA sensor samples | Demosaiced, color-corrected, sharpened |
| Compression Type | Lossless / Uncompressed | Lossy Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) |
| Typical File Size | 20 MB – 80 MB per photo | 2 MB – 10 MB per photo |
| Browser Compatibility | Unsupported natively (requires conversion) | Universal native support (>99.9%) |
- Captures maximum sensor dynamic range with 12-bit to 16-bit color depth per channel
- Preserves complete exposure latitude for recovering blown highlights and deep shadow details
- Non-destructive workflow where white balance and color grading are applied post-capture
- Professional photography standard for studio shoots, landscapes, and archival preservation
- Universal viewing support across every smartphone, computer, browser, and smart display
- Extremely compact file sizes (typically 10-20x smaller than uncompressed RAW sensor files)
- Standard sRGB color encoding ready for instant social sharing and web publishing
- Fast hardware-accelerated decoding supported natively by modern GPU and CPU architectures
RAW delivers supreme photographic flexibility, but JPEG and PNG are essential for universal viewing. convrtr extracts camera RAW and DNG files into crisp 32-bit RGBA PNG images directly in your browser with zero data leakage.
Converting files between RAW and JPEG frequently? The convrtr Chrome Extension lets you right-click any image on any webpage or open the Side Panel to convert assets instantly using local WebAssembly with zero server uploads.