What is the difference between RAW and RAW+L, and which is better for commercial photography?

RAW records one RAW file per shot. RAW+L records two files for each shot: a RAW file plus a full-size JPEG.

Which is better depends on your workflow. RAW gives you maximum editing flexibility and uses less card space than saving both formats together. RAW+L can be useful if you want an immediate JPEG for quick review, sharing, or delivery while still keeping the RAW for full post-processing.

The trade-off with RAW+L is that it takes more storage and can reduce burst depth or slow continuous shooting because the camera has to write two files instead of one.

For commercial photography, RAW is often the safer default when image quality and editing latitude matter most. Choose RAW+L if having ready-to-use JPEGs alongside your RAW files is worth the extra storage and possible performance hit.