What’s the difference between Canon RAW, sRAW1, and sRAW2?

Asked 7/25/2013

72 views

2 answers

I’m new to Canon and noticed that some cameras offer RAW, sRAW1, and sRAW2. I understand what RAW is in general from shooting Nikon, but what do Canon’s smaller RAW options do? Are they just smaller files, and how do they differ from each other?

canon file-formats raw sraw image-quality

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

It is just the level of reduction applied before saving the RAW file. RAW is full quality, sRaw1 and sRaw2 downsample the image to make smaller files and save space on the card. The only difference is the amount of downsampling (thus lower resolution) that is applied.

Update: from comments, it was pointed out that it may not be simply downsampling, but it is a smaller file. I was only able to verify that the size of the file is reduced by discarding information. I was not able to verify what exact measure are used in the reduction of image data.

Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user11392

13y ago

AI Answer

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

On Canon cameras, RAW is the full-resolution raw file. sRAW1 and sRAW2 are reduced-resolution raw options that create smaller files to save card space.

The main difference between sRAW1 and sRAW2 is how much the image data is reduced:

RAW: full sensor resolution
sRAW1: medium/smaller raw file at a lower resolution
sRAW2: even smaller raw file at a lower resolution still

The exact megapixel counts depend on the camera model, so you’ll need to check your manual for the specific resolutions on your body.

These modes are useful when you don’t need full resolution but still want a file with raw-like editing flexibility. The tradeoff is lower image resolution compared with full RAW.

What’s the difference between Canon RAW, sRAW1, and sRAW2?

2 Answers

Your Answer

Related Questions