RAW

Most digital cameras use the JPEG file format, one that most PC users will have encountered before; a compressed image file enabling more images to be stored in memory, but at a loss of quality. RAW is the raw data from the image sensor before any processing is applied. In essence, it's a true representation of what the image sensor has seem. It is lossless and can capture data up to 12 bits, which is better than typical JPEG and TIFF formats. On the downside, a raw file takes a great deal longer to process. Top-end cameras such as Nikon's D3, D300 can output RAW images. RAW has also started to filter down into some bridge cameras.