After all, the information for the images you captured wasn’t stored on a sensor, it was saved in your film negative! JPEGs and TIFFs work a bit differently with film. Same info, different way of storing it.īut if speed and storage space are your primary concerns, store your final images as high quality JPEGs! We converted files from RAW to both high quality JPEG and TIFF, and typically the TIFFs were six or seven times the size of the JPEGs. It’s kinda like a math equation: if RAW = 2+2+2+2+2+3, then TIFF = 5(2)+3. One of the cool things about TIFF files is that lossless compression allows them to have all the same data as a RAW file but still be smaller (saving you precious storage space). But you still must decide if you want to store the RAW files long term or only keep JPEGs or TIFFs.Īgain, if you are planning on manipulating your images in the future, RAW or TIFF files are best. If you decide to shoot RAW, you will have to convert your files to use them. But you won’t get the same latitude for editing in post-production, or the same range of colors for digital display. They’ll save you time both during shooting and after by eliminating the need to convert large files for viewing. Shooting directly to JPEG will give you more shots on your memory card. Your in-camera settings can actually be readjusted after shooting within the RAW file format (see below). Shoot RAW files if you aren’t confident in your exposure & white balance and/or you know you will be doing heavy editing. RAW files have all of the unprocessed data from your camera, and they have to be converted to another file format (like JPEG or TIFF) on your computer to use. When you are shooting, you can typically choose to shoot your digital photos as RAW files or JPEGS. It all depends on the type of photographer you are, what you are doing with the files, and what your needs are! WHAT IF I’M A DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER? Whoa now, slow your roll… After reading the above, you’re probably thinking “Why would I ever NOT want a TIFF?” But there’s more to the story than that. Tech companies and camera manufacturers didn’t want to update their products to be compatible with the JPEG 2000 format until it was widely used, but consumers didn’t want to use it until the format was widely supported. But this file format got stuck in a vicious cycle after it was released. It’s actually a superior version of the JPEG because it compresses with less degradation to the image while still producing a small file size. WHAT ABOUT JPEG 2000?Īww, poor JPEG 2000. Any existing file degradation will be carried into the TIFF, it just won’t continue to lose data as you edit and save. Note: a JPEG that is converted into a TIFF will not have a lossless image quality. This results in very high quality images and, subsequently, very large file sizes. TIFFs are typically uncompressed files or use lossless compression. This compression is heavier in color than clarity.Ībove image courtesy of Steven Larson WHAT IS A TIFF?Ī TIFF (or Tagged Image File Format) is also a raster image file format, in that it’s composed of a grid of pixels. You can select different levels of compression, and every time the image is edited and saved it will be compressed to some degree. Then, when the JPEG is opened again, the program opening it will use the information remaining in the file to “guesstimate” a reconstruction of the missing data. JPEGs use a super-smart compression system that deletes data in a file to make the file size smaller.
It’s a question every photographer, both film and digital, has asked themselves: do I need a JPEG or a TIFF?Īre you going to use the image online? Will you be using it for photo printing? Each file format has its place among your favorite photos, so join Richard Photo Lab as we explore their special characteristics and when you should use each one! WHAT IS A JPEG?Ī JPEG (or Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a raster image file format, meaning that it’s composed of a grid of pixels.
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