Canon® EOS Rebel T2i/550D Digital Field Guide

Appendix A. Exploring RAW Capture

If you want to get the highest quality images from the EOS T2i/550D, then choosing to capture RAW images is the way to get them. In addition, you have the opportunity to determine how the image data from the camera is interpreted as you convert, or process, the RAW images. While RAW capture offers significant advantages, it isn't for everyone. If you prefer images that are ready to print straight out of the camera, then JPEG capture is the best option. However, if you enjoy working with images on the computer and having creative control over the quality and appearance of the image, then RAW is the best option.

This appendix provides an overview of RAW capture, as well as a brief walk-through on converting RAW image data into a final image.

Learning about RAW Capture

One way to understand RAW capture is by comparing it to JPEG capture, which most photographers are familiar with already. When you shoot JPEG images, the camera edits or processes the images before storing them on the media card. This processing includes converting images from 14-bit files to 8-bit files, setting the color, saturation, and contrast, and generally giving you a file that is finished. Very often, JPEG images can be printed with no editing. But in other cases, you may encounter images where you want more control over how the image is rendered — for example, you may want to recover blown highlights, to tone down high-contrast images, or to correct the color of an image.

Of course, ...