Why do my RAW files show more lens distortion than the JPEG, and how should I correct it?

Question

When I shoot RAW+JPEG, the JPEG looks corrected but the RAW version shows more visible lens distortion. Is this normal? Does it happen because the camera applies lens corrections to JPEGs but leaves RAW data uncorrected?

What’s the best way to handle this in post-processing? Should I manually adjust distortion in Lightroom, or is there usually a lens profile for this? Also, is distortion consistent for a given camera-and-lens combination, or does it vary with things like focal length or other settings?

My setup is a Nikon D5600 with the AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR. I convert NEF files to DNG and edit them in Lightroom.

user9161 · Answer

Is this normal for RAW images?

Yes, it is normal.

Based on my experience with Canon cameras with different lenses, the RAW image remains uncorrected w.r.t. to the corresponding JPEG.
This means that the following corrections set in camera are not applied (and can be applied separately in a RAW conversion program):

Colour corrections with picture profiles.
White balance corrections.
Noise "corrections", i.e. denoising.
Lens corrections

Sometimes RAW conversion programs of camera manufacturers (e.g. Nikon ViewNX or Canon Digital Photo Professional) read from the RAW photo file what corrections were set in the camera and apply these corrections (non-destructively) on the RAW file. This often results in an image that matches, or closely approximates, the camera JPEG.

Note that you never see the RAW image, it's always an interpretation of the RAW image by the conversion software (Lightroom in your case). Here is an excellent question about unprocessed RAW photos.

How to best deal with the lack of correction in RAW images?

Use the Lightroom Lens Corrections panel.

You don't need to eyeball it if you used a lens that is supported by Lightroom's lens correction module.

Assuming the lens is supported, you can select all photos taken with that lens and apply the appropriate lens correction profile:

In the Lens Corrections panel of the Develop module, click Profile and select Enable Profile Corrections.

To change the profile, select a different Make, Model, or Profile.

There are additional steps to the process for more advanced tweaking, you can view them on the linked Lightroom help page.

Is the required correction the same for all RAW images of a camera + lens combo?

No, they required correction also depends on the used focal length, the aperture, focus distance and your personal taste.

Lightroom uses the correction profile to derive from the lens settings (aperture, focal length) what kind of correction it needs to apply. The correction is therefore not exactly the same for every RAW image, but is exactly the same for the same lens, aperture and focal length.

Of course, you have the (artistic) freedom to apply another amount of lens correction than LR suggest, depending on the scene or the look you're going for. However, I find the default setting great to apply on all the photos (per lens) as a starting point and then tweak it from there.