Why do Panasonic Lumix G7 RAW files appear as only 1920×1440 while JPEGs are full resolution?
Asked 9/2/2019
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I bought a used Panasonic Lumix G7. JPEG images are 4592×3448, but RAW files appear as only 1920×1440. If I switch the camera to RAW only, the image size/resolution option in the menu is grayed out.
Is there another setting that limits RAW resolution, or could this indicate modified/buggy firmware? Or is this normal behavior on the G7?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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Don't worry — the RAW files are the full resolution. They contain all of the data recorded by the camera. The option to change resolution is grayed out because there's no in-camera way to reduce it, not because it is stuck on small.
However, for that data to be viewed, it need to be interpreted. See What does an unprocessed RAW file look like? for more on this. Because of this, RAW files also include an embedded JPEG preview. This lets you quickly see the camera's rendering of the image on an image viewer or operating system file preview window.
My guess is that on your camera, this embedded preview is lower resolution. Open your RAW file in a RAW processing program like Rawtherapee, Darktable, or Lightroom, and you'll get full resolution.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is normal. The G7 records RAW at the camera’s full sensor resolution; RAW is not limited to 1920×1440.
What you’re probably seeing is the embedded JPEG preview/thumbnail inside the RAW file. Many image viewers and operating systems display that preview instead of actually decoding the RAW data, and that preview can be much smaller than the full image.
The image size setting is grayed out in RAW mode because the camera doesn’t offer reduced-size RAW output in that menu. It does not mean the RAW is being captured at low resolution.
To verify, open the files in a proper RAW converter/editor such as Silkypix, Lightroom, RawTherapee, or Darktable. Those programs should show the full-resolution RAW data.
So based on the symptoms described, this does not point to bad firmware; it’s most likely just how your current software is previewing the RAW files.
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