Mostly yes: RAW files are much larger than JPEGs, so they take longer to save. The main factors are file size and the camera’s write speed to the card; file compression time is usually a smaller part of the delay.

On an older camera like the Sony DSC-F828, the camera’s processor and memory-card interface are major bottlenecks. That’s why large-file formats such as RAW—and often TIFF as well—can take a long time to finish writing.

Connecting the camera to a PC will not make capture-to-storage faster. In most cases it will be no faster than writing to the card, and may be slower if the USB connection is the limiting factor.

A buffer can help only by letting the camera temporarily hold images before writing them out, but it does not increase the actual write speed to the card. Once the buffer fills, you still have to wait.

A faster memory card might help, but only if the F828 can take advantage of it. With older cameras, the camera itself is often the limiting factor rather than the card.