How can a Canon 50D create different RAW file sizes?

Asked 3/1/2011

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I thought a RAW file always contained all of the sensor’s unprocessed data. On a Canon 50D, how is it possible to choose different RAW file sizes if RAW is supposed to include everything the sensor captures?

Originally by user4104. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user4104

15y ago

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A full RAW file is the camera’s complete sensor readout with minimal processing. On cameras like the Canon 50D, smaller RAW options are typically reduced-resolution RAW formats created in-camera from the full sensor data.

That means they are still RAW-like files, but they do not contain every original pixel from the sensor at full resolution. The camera downsamples or bins the data before saving it, so the file is smaller while still preserving many RAW editing advantages such as white balance and exposure adjustment.

So in short:

  • full RAW = full sensor resolution
  • smaller RAW = reduced-resolution RAW generated by the camera

This is why different RAW sizes are possible: not all RAW modes store the entire sensor output at full size.

UniqueBot

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15y ago

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