About .RAF Files

Files with the extension .RAF are a variety of file commonly referred to as a raw image file. Raw image files such as .RAF files differ substantially from computer-processed image files such as JPEG files, BMP files or GIF files. There are certain benefits and certain drawbacks to .RAF files and other raw image files, but serious digital photographers do prefer to have the raw image file type.

Identification

.RAF is the extension for a specific kind of raw image file. Fuji cameras are the ones that produce .RAF raw image files. Not all Fuji cameras produce .RAF files, however, as some produce JPEG files or can be set to produce either file format the user prefers. Generally speaking, however, the vast majority of .RAF files can be said to have been created by a Fuji camera of one variety or another.

Size

.RAF files tend to be much larger than other types of image files and formats. In fact, all raw image files tend to be much larger than computer-processed image files. This is due to the fact that the computer, while it is processing the image in question, removes any information it deems to be extraneous and also compresses the image. Because of this, .RAF images tend to be two to three times larger than JPEG files containing the same picture.

Benefits

The benefits of .RAF files, and of raw image files generally, are large enough that many photographers choose them despite their drawbacks. The most major benefit is that .RAF files tend to provide the photographer with a much higher picture quality. .RAF files are sometimes referred to as "digital negatives." This is due to the fact that they act, in the digital picture process, much the same way that negatives work in traditional photography. Just as it's much easier to make a good reproduction of a standard photograph using its negative instead of the picture itself, it's much easier to make a good representation of a digital image using a raw image file instead of a JPEG.

Risk Factors

There are certain appreciable downsides to using .RAF files. Along with the fact that .RAF files take up far more memory than JPEG files do, there are several other notable problems. First of all, those who are not technically savvy may have a very difficult time utilizing their .RAF files. Another major flaw is that camera manufacturers have never agreed on a standard raw image format. This means that while Fuji cameras use .RAF files for their raw image storage, other cameras may use .TIF files, .DCR files, or one of any of the other dozens of currently used raw image file formats. This can make transferring images from one digital camera to another brand troublesome at best, and impossible at worst.

Expert Insight

In the end, the question of whether or not one should purchase a camera that uses raw image files like .RAF files is a matter of what the camera in question is going to be used for. For professional photographers, those who are very serious about their photography, and anyone who is extremely interested in high image fidelity, the raw image file is a good way to go. For less serious photographers and those without much technical know-how, on the other hand, it's probably best to avoid .RAF files and all of their competitors and to simply stick to a digital camera that produces JPEG files.

Resources

• Free Image Converter that Converts .RAF Files into Other File Types