The photographic dilemma: JPEG or RAW photos on iPhone 15 Pro?

Jpeg or RAW on iPhone 15 Pro

Apple came up big in the last generations of the iPhone, allowing us to use more than one photographic format and creating a new doubt among users, who already had it quite clear before: what type of format do we use in the photos, JPEG or RAW in the iPhone 15 Pro.

What is the most suitable format for your needs? What significant differences exist between the two? These are fundamental questions that every photographer should consider when facing the challenge of choosing the most suitable format for their photographs taken with your iPhone 15 Pro and that we will answer throughout this post.

What is the JPEG format that iPhones use by default?

jpeg format

El JPEG format was developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group, known as JPEG, a committee created in 1986 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) that sought to develop standards for the compression of digital images, especially for photography and telecommunications applications.

The idea behind the committee work was to develop efficient compression algorithms that could reduce image file sizes without compromising too much on visual quality and in the year of our Lord Jobs 1992, as a result of the efforts of this council of wise men, the JPEG standard was born, which specified a method of digital image compression using lossy compression.

This standard became one of the most influential technologies in the field of digital imaging and photography, paving the way for digital image sharing on the web and in multimedia applications.

Adoption and popularity

The widespread adoption of the JPEG format occurred as digital technology advanced and digital cameras became more accessible to consumers, and also largely thanks to the Internet, because even with a telephone pulse, we were already beginning to collect photos taken from the network and given the capacity of our 56K bandwidth, a highly compressed format like JPEG was ideal for these purposes.

With that, JPEG became the dominant format for storing digital images due to its ability to compress high-quality images into more manageable file sizes, which made it ideal for distribution and sharing of images online and through sophisticated storage media such as a Floppy Disk.

Continuous Evolution

But don't think that things are left as they were in 1992. Over the years, the JPEG standard has evolved to include improvements in compression and image quality, as well as extensions to support additional features such as color profiles, metadata and progressive compression options.

Specific variants of JPEG have been developed for specialized applications, such as JPEG 2000 for medical and archival images, and JPEG XR (also known as HD Photo) for high-quality images, but all using the same .JPEG extension used until today's days.

What is RAW format on iPhone?

RAW format on iPhone

Although the RAW format has existed in different forms since the early days of digital photography, its widespread adoption beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The term "RAW" is not a file extension as is the case with JPEG, but rather By it we refer to the “raw data” or unprocessed data captured by the image sensor of a digital camera. As a simile, we could say that RAW would be the equivalent of what each of us human beings process with our eyes, without treatments or filters.

And just as not all eyes are created equal, each camera sensor and RAW implementation is different from manufacturer to manufacturer, so each has its own proprietary RAW format, such as NEF (Nikon), CR2 (Canon ), ARW (Sony) or DNG (Adobe).

The concept behind the RAW format is to provide photographers with maximum flexibility and control over the captured image, allowing them to make detailed adjustments during post-production without losing quality, and if they want to compress the image, it is up to them.

How do you work with RAW files?

To work with RAW files, Photographers typically use image editing software such as Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, or proprietary software provided by camera manufacturers, some of which we have already tried through these places another time.

These programs allow you to adjust a wide range of parameters, such as exposure, white balance, tonal curves, noise reduction and sharpness, among others, with precise control over the image.

Which is better, JPEG or RAW on iPhone?

JPEG vs RAW on iPhone

I think that to compare and give weight to our conclusion, the best thing would be to directly compare the formats to know which is better, JPEG or PRO RAW photos on iPhone 15 Pro:

What features are key in JPEG?

Lossy compression: when compressing, we sacrifice quality

JPEG files use a lossy compression algorithm that reduces file size by removing some redundant information and less important details. This can result in a loss of quality if repeated editing or extreme adjustments are applied.

In-camera processing: a JPEG photo is already processed

The cameras apply adjustments such as white balance, sharpness, saturation and contrast when converting the image to JPEG. These settings are applied irreversibly and may limit subsequent editing flexibility.

File size: ideal for transferring information

JPEG files take up less storage space than RAW files, making them more convenient for quick shooting and situations where storage space is limited.

What features are key in RAW?

No compression or processing: the photo is as you see it

As we said before, RAW files contain uncompressed raw data directly from the camera sensor, which provides maximum quality and flexibility for editing.

No in-camera processing settings are applied, meaning the photographer has complete control over image interpretation.

Editing flexibility: edit the parameters you want

By preserving all the information captured by the sensor, RAW files allow more precise and advanced adjustments in post-production, such as exposure, white balance, tone curves, noise reduction, and detail recovery in highlights and shadows.

Larger file size: not very useful for sharing photos

Due to the lack of compression and storing all raw data, RAW files They take up more space on the storage media that we have compared to JPEG files, so they are not advisable formats to send by email (I would not give the attached size), or use on social networks.

Our conclusion on taking JPEG or PRO RAW photos on IPhone 15 Pro

our conclusions

Now that we have all the information, I think the natural answer to what is better, whether to take JPEG or RAW photos on iPhone 15 Pro, comes practically naturally.

JPEG files are convenient for casual photography and situations where a quick and efficient workflow is needed, and for our daily lives, they are more than acceptable.

So that RAW files, for a novice or casual user, would make no sense. But in the case of photographers looking for maximum image quality and editing flexibility, willing to invest time in post-capture processing, we do see a lot of sense in its use.

So if you are worried about the quality of your photos... don't worry, JPEG will give you more than attractive results without you having to do anything else as a user.


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