Sep 05

Digital Camera File Formats

11947485_10101450412947865_238763632262395855_nFile formats are simply the ways a digital camera stores information captured by a photo sensor. Digital cameras utilize sensors to store information on wavelengths of light that reach the sensor. Two primary formats used by digital cameras are JPEG and RAW.

JPEG is a compressed format (technically a compression more than a format). This means that it removes redundant data to make a file size smaller. The image is reconstructed when it is opened. The quality depends on the amount of compression. In a JPEG file, “areas of the same color will compress much better (and with equal quality) compared to another scene with lots of small detail” (Sheppard, 44).

RAW is “a file of unconstructed image data with minimal processing, and must be put into a special image converter to put it together as a photo” (Sheppard, 43).

Shooting in RAW and JPEG both have advantages.

JPEG Reasons:
1) Smaller file size allows you to take more pictures and store more pictures with few drives/cards.
2) “Camera manufacturers worked hard to create internal processing of JPEG files so it looks good” (Sheppard, 45).
3) 8-bit JPEG (common) allow for 256 tones in each color channel
4) Automatic processing of each picture after you shoot

RAW Reasons
1) Minimal processing of picture (is your ghost an artifact of compression and color guessing?)
2) More possibilities for adjusting picture
3) Easier to fix over-exposure & white balance issues
4) 12-bit 4000 tones per color channel 16-bit files allow for 65,000 tones per color channel
5) RAW gives more details for very dark and very light areas (since there is less compression / pixel approximation)

Ultimately, the choice for formats will be left up to the teams based on needs, economics, and personal preferences.

Works Cited

Sheppard, R. (2008). Kodak guide to digital photography. New York: Lark Books.

Samuel Sanfratello

Samuel Sanfratello

My name is Samuel Sanfratello (Sam). I am a NY state dual-certified Mathematics and Special Education teacher and a nationally certified Consulting Hypnotist. I am also the proud owner and operator of two companies: Monroe Hypnosis and Rochester Analytics. I am a 2nd generation Spiritualist (American Spiritualism) and a certified Medium with the Plymouth Spiritualist Church (the mother church of modern spiritualism). I am an organizer of the Rochester Paranormal Researchers, founded in 2007 and a lead investigator for the Paranormal Science Institute’s F.R.I.N.G.E team. In my spare time, I give back to my community by doing volunteer work for my church and for my local chamber of commerce. I became interested in the paranormal when I spoke with a spirit in my grandmother’s house in the early 1980s. I enjoy reading publications and scientific articles about the fringe sciences and I enjoy sharing these understandings with others.
Samuel Sanfratello

Latest posts by Samuel Sanfratello (see all)

Samuel Sanfratello

My name is Samuel Sanfratello (Sam). I am a NY state dual-certified Mathematics and Special Education teacher and a nationally certified Consulting Hypnotist. I am also the proud owner and operator of two companies: Monroe Hypnosis and Rochester Analytics. I am a 2nd generation Spiritualist (American Spiritualism) and a certified Medium with the Plymouth Spiritualist Church (the mother church of modern spiritualism). I am an organizer of the Rochester Paranormal Researchers, founded in 2007 and a lead investigator for the Paranormal Science Institute’s F.R.I.N.G.E team. In my spare time, I give back to my community by doing volunteer work for my church and for my local chamber of commerce. I became interested in the paranormal when I spoke with a spirit in my grandmother’s house in the early 1980s. I enjoy reading publications and scientific articles about the fringe sciences and I enjoy sharing these understandings with others.