Sustainability of Digital Formats
 Planning for Library of Congress Collections

Collective description of a group of proprietary formats employed by digital cameras that use a color filter array or Fovean sensor to capture image data. Several examples are listed in File type signifiers below.

Raw files contain data captured by the sensors in the array. The data generally receives a very modest amount of processing before being output by the camera. The production of usable images requires additional processing after the data files have been transferred to a computer. Some information about this pre- and post-processing is provided in the Notes below.

Raw files permit the creator-editor to interpret the image as the various post-processing steps are applied, tailoring an outcome that suits the subject matter and intended use. This outcome may be contrasted to the production of "finished" images in a camera—typically formatted as TIFF_UNC_EXIF or JPEG_EXIF—for which algorithms built into the camera make the post-processing decisions for the photographer.

The proprietary nature of raw formats, however, means that there is a risk that any given format will not be supported for the long term, especially if the manufacturer goes out of business. In at least one instance, data elements have been encrypted within a raw format, forcing the use of the manufacturer's own software for post-processing. The proprietary and undocumented nature of raw formats has been the subject of complaint by professionals; one outlet for their ideas is the OpenRAW organization. Meanwhile, formats that normalize camera raw data, like Adobe's DNG_1_1, are intended to mitigate this risk. (DNG may also contain a copy of the raw file as created.)

Regarding processing of raw files in the camera prior to export: The Wikipedia article "Raw Image Format" (as of August 17, 2006) reports, "In general, this processing is limited to algorithms that require direct access to the camera's hardware. This includes 'long exposure noise reduction' (aka 'dark frame subtraction') and the mapping out of 'hot' (too bright) or 'dead' (too dim) pixels. It also often includes rudimentary noise reduction." For a discussion of dead pixels, see http://web.archive.org/web/20070513082749/http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~jduffy/699/.

Regarding post-processing: Most digital camera color filter arrays employ the Bayer pattern (an array with twice the number of green elements than red or blue, to produce sufficient green information to satisfy the needs of human perception). The conversion of this data to the familiar red, blue, and green channels of an RGB image is called demosaicing. Bruce Fraser's excellent white paper "Understanding Digital Raw Capture" names the other post-processing actions typically entailed in the conversion of a raw file:

• White balance
• Colorimetric interpretation
• Gamma correction
• Noise reduction, anti-aliasing, and sharpening

It is worth noting that the Fovean sensor used in Sigma, Polaroid, and HanVision cameras employs a structure that is drastically different from the Bayer array and produces raw images comprised of RGB data. Fovean raw files from Sigma cameras can be processed using Adobe software.

Regarding accurate rendering: From a paper by the professional photographer Richard Anderson for a 2006 symposium at the I3A:

"In color management theory, completely accurate rendering from scene through camera to computer to finished print requires profiling of all devices. There is some debate as to whether cameras can and should be profiled, and how those profiles should be used by a RAW processing software. I use the solution provided by the Adobe Camera RAW calibrate tab, where a MacBeth 24 color checker can be photographed, and a script can be run that essentially creates a camera profile unique to each camera body. Others prefer treating the camera as essentially a scanner, where they shoot a color target, measure it and create a camera profile. Whether this profile works under all lighting conditions, or just the specific condition under which the target was shot is the subject of some debate. There is the issue of how the profile should be applied—before or after rendering for instance. Also, not all software has the ability to apply profiles in the rendering process."