Canon,Nikon RAW with embedded JPEG? When shooting RAW only,what image type do you see on your screen in the playback mode? Some say that you looking at an embedded jpeg,others say a...

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

When shooting RAW only,what image type do you see on your screen in the playback mode? Some say that you looking at an embedded jpeg,others say a separately generated jpeg and after checking several sources, I'm still confused.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

DaveO wrote:

When shooting RAW only,what image type do you see on your screen in the playback mode? Some say that you looking at an embedded jpeg,others say a separately generated jpeg and after checking several sources, I'm still confused.

It is a JPEG. Whether it is the embedded JPEG or a generated JPEG depends on the particular software used.

Note that if it is the embedded JPEG it was processed by the camera using camera settings and of course looks the same as the camera preview looked. But if it is generated on the fly it will only be the same if the software is from the camera manufacturer. A generated JPEG may use camera settings, software default settings, your preset default settings, or may just repeat whatever you set for the last image viewed. Lots of possibilities that could all be very different or all be virtually the same. And they are all "correct" too!

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

So I guess each camera has it's own software and precludes a general statement that a particular brand always does or does not contain an embedded JPEG. Moreover,if it does,am I looking at it or a generated Jpeg when I view it in review? The histogram would be a true display of the Raw,correct?

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

DaveO wrote:

So I guess each camera has it's own software and precludes a general statement that a particular brand always does or does not contain an embedded JPEG. Moreover,if it does,am I looking at it or a generated Jpeg when I view it in review? The histogram would be a true display of the Raw,correct?

All manufacturers embed a JPEG in the RAW file. That is necessary for providing an on camera preview. When reviewed on camera the embedded JPEG is the displayed image. Off camera it depends on the software and can be the embedded JPEG or a locally generated JPEG.

Histograms are derived data from the viewed image. On camera histograms are all showing data from the embedded JPEG. Off camera a histogram is commonly developed from the displayed image, but there are a few software packages that can show a RAW histogram too.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Thanks a bunch,curiosity satisfied!

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

So that you can view the image in the view after you have made it the camera's computer creates a JPEG - you do NOT have 2 files, just the RAW

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Thanks for responding. I've heard that regarding some brands.

pelha Loc: middlle of nowhere NY

I had recently been wondering about this & am very glad to see these answers!

So now i understand why Window 10 can post thumbnails of my raw files, but not of psd files. and tif files must also come with embedded jpg's, since they are viewable.

and when i get a reasonably well exposed rendition in my camera playback, that must be nikon's software version (which sometimes gives me a very "corrected" version!)

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

I'm still convinced that most manufacturers have an embedded jpeg. Some "experts" claim that they can actually extract these files from the raw image. Now is this generated by the camera or included in the imaging software that created the raw? Over my head!

rafael izakov

related to Canon T6i : Click on "info" on camera and you can read RAW.

rafael izakov

related to Canon T6i : Click on "info" on camera and you can read RAW.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

pelha wrote:

and tif files must also come with embedded jpg's, since they are viewable.

TIFF formated files can be viewed for the same reason JPEG files can. Each is an RGB image format that is understood by almost every display program.

RAW files do not contain image data! The data is sensor data and converting it to an image is different for every camera plus what is the "correct" conversion is different for every image. RAW file data has to be converted to an RGB format to be viewed. JPEG is better than TIFF for previews because it is a smaller file.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Good morning to those in Barrow!

pelha Loc: middlle of nowhere NY

Apaflo wrote:

TIFF formated files can be viewed for the same reason JPEG files can. Each is an RGB image format that is understood by almost every display program.

RAW files do not contain image data! The data is sensor data and converting it to an image is different for every camera plus what is the "correct" conversion is different for every image. RAW file data has to be converted to an RGB format to be viewed. JPEG is better than TIFF for previews because it is a smaller file.

ah, so the raw & tif are viewable because they are sRGB, and psd is not viewable because it is adobe format. ok. i was mixing apples & organges. thanks!

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

DaveO wrote:

I'm still convinced that most manufacturers have an embedded jpeg. Some "experts" claim that they can actually extract these files from the raw image. Now is this generated by the camera or included in the imaging software that created the raw? Over my head!

All RAW files from DSLR cameras have an embedded JPEG. It obviously has to be created by the camera at the time the picture is taken and the RAW file is created.

Extracting embedded data from RAW files is just a matter of using the right software. The JPEG of most interest can be extracted with DCRAW. Any embedded data (there is more than one JPEG and there are non-image files too) can be extracked with EXIFTOOL. Both DC RAW and EXIFTOOL are free programs that can be downloaded from the Internet