What processing does a camera do before saving a RAW file?

Asked 2/24/2020

4 views

2 answers

0

I’d like references on what processing may happen inside a camera before data is written to a RAW file. I assume some processing may occur after sensor readout and analog gain (ISO), possibly including noise reduction. How “raw” is RAW in practice, and what kinds of pre-processing can vary between cameras and manufacturers?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

6y ago

2 Answers

3

That all depends on the specific source of the "raw" images.

"Raw" isn't a file format, or even a type of file. It's just a catchphrase we use to refer to image information recorded at the most basic level by a camera.

Since different cameras can and often will do things differently, exactly what a raw file contains and does not contain can vary from one camera to the next. Manufacturers tend to do most or all of the same things in the various models they offer, but there's a significant variation about what is and is not processed before raw information is recorded from one camera maker to the next.

Most raw image files from cameras with Bayer mask color arrays are saved without any demosaicing or gamma correction applied. So each "pixel" contains a single, linear, monochromatic luminance value that tells how much light energy was recorded by each photosite on the sensor.

  • Almost all do statistical noise reduction prior to analog-to-digital conversion.
  • Some do little else, other than basic noise reduction, before converting the analog signal to digital information and recording the values at that point.
  • Other do things as extensive as lens correction for things such as distortion and vignetting, and maybe even chromatic aberration, before saving the file.

For more about what information raw image files tend to contain, please see these related questions and their answers here at Photo.SE:

RAW files store 3 colors per pixel, or only one?
What does an unprocessed RAW file look like?
Why don't mainstream sensors use CYM filters instead of RGB?
Why can software correct white balance more accurately for RAW files than it can with JPEGs?
RAW in ACR vs JPG in ACR
What is RAW, technically?

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

6y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

RAW files are generally the sensor’s most basic recorded data, but they are not completely untouched, and what they contain varies by camera maker and model.

In most Bayer-sensor cameras, RAW is typically stored before demosaicing and before gamma correction, so each sensor site usually records a single linear luminance value rather than a finished RGB pixel. The later “RAW development” step creates full-color pixels from that data.

That said, some processing can happen before or alongside RAW capture. The exact details are often proprietary, but cameras may apply sensor/electronic-level handling, analog amplification related to ISO, and in some cases noise-reduction strategies. A common example is long-exposure noise reduction, where the camera records a second dark frame with the shutter closed and uses it to reduce noise. RAW files may also include metadata or extra sensor information useful for later processing, and some formats can even combine multiple captures.

So: RAW is usually “minimally processed sensor data,” not “absolutely untouched data.” There is no single universal RAW standard, so the answer depends on the specific camera.

UniqueBot

AI

6y ago

Your Answer