RAW vs JPEG
RAW is the camera's unprocessed sensor data: big files, maximum editing latitude. JPEG is compressed and processed: smaller, ready to use, less flexible.
A RAW file (Canon CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fujifilm RAF) records everything the sensor captured, so you can recover highlights and shadows and adjust white balance freely — at the cost of large files that need processing. A JPEG is baked and compressed in-camera: smaller and instantly usable, but with less room to push in editing.
Many cameras shoot RAW+JPEG, writing both. When delivering camera-to-cloud, you can choose to upload the RAW, the JPEG, or both — JPEGs for instant client previews and RAWs for the edit.
RAW (CR3 · NEF · ARW · RAF)
- Often 25–60 MB a frame
- 12–14 bits per channel
- White balance and look set later
- Best for: the edit
JPEG
- Roughly a fifth of the size
- 8 bits per channel
- Finished in the camera
- Best for: live delivery
How they differ
A RAW file stores the sensor's readings with only light processing, plus a small embedded preview. White balance, sharpening, noise reduction and the picture style are applied later in software, so they can be changed without loss. A JPEG is the camera's finished interpretation: those choices are baked in, the image is compressed, and it holds 8 bits per channel against the 12 or 14 bits most RAW files keep. That's where the extra latitude comes from — and the size gap. A RAW from a modern body is often 25–60 MB; the JPEG of the same frame might be a fifth of that.
An example: portraits and sneak peeks at a wedding
A wedding photographer shoots the couple's portraits RAW+JPEG. The RAWs give the editor room to rescue a bright veil or warm a cold church later. The JPEGs are what reach the family the same afternoon, because they look finished straight out of the camera and are small enough to send over mobile data in seconds — see wedding sneak peeks during the day.
RAW and JPEG in CloudTether
CloudTether copies RAW, JPEG and HEIF files at full resolution. Shooting RAW+JPEG, “JPEG only — leave RAW files on the camera” sends just the JPEGs and leaves the RAWs on the card; or keep both and set “Send RAW files later” to Wi-Fi only, so each JPEG goes now and its RAW waits for a Wi-Fi network. Gallery destinations receive the JPEGs; storage destinations can take everything. Details in JPEG-only and resized delivery and transferring RAW photos to an iPhone.
Which should you shoot?
If you edit every frame and nobody needs to see photos until you're done, RAW alone is fine. If anyone needs images during or straight after the shoot — a client, an editor, a social team — shoot RAW+JPEG: the JPEG is the delivery file, the RAW is the insurance. JPEG alone suits high-volume jobs with controlled light, such as school portraits or sports, where file size and speed matter more than latitude.
Tips and common mistakes
- Shoot RAW+JPEG when you need both a fast delivery and a safe edit, and set JPEG quality to Fine so clients get a good file.
- Set white balance properly anyway: the JPEG your client sees has it baked in.
- Each maker has its own RAW format, and a brand-new body may need a software update before your editor opens its files.
Put it into practice
CloudTether tethers your camera to your phone and delivers every shot to the cloud, live as you shoot — no laptop.