If you are also one of those people who are curious about Apple’s ProRaw then you have landed at just the right place! To dive deep into the concept of this feature, Keep Reading!
What is ProRAW?
ProRAW is Apple’s application of the RAW picture format, accessible on the iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and will be available in coming iPhones. The RAW picture format is majorly found in high-end cameras, it lets photographers capture as much detail in a scene as possible. However formats like JPG and PNG will discard “needless” information when you compress the shutter, RAW formats clutch on to most of it.
These folders contain mostly raw data, as the name suggests. This data is given by picture editing apps such as Photoshop or Apple’s Photos app. By changing a certain framework, you can alter how the image is rendered after it’s taken. RAW folders are perfect for making edits like altering the exposure, where raw data keeps more information in shadows and highlights.
The app is not used for sharing images, but rather, for editing them before they are converted to more handy formats like JPG. That’s why the RAW files are mostly used by professional photographers and enthusiasts who are more concerned over their edits in applications like Photoshop and Lightroom.
Apple’s ProRAW uses the universal digital file format. DNG, which explains that you can open a ProRAW picture in any editing app that supports it. DNG format This is different from lens makers like Sony that still use proprietary formats, which can make editing pictures complicated in older applications. Apple endorses using editors that particularly support ProRAW, so if you notice any unexpected results, you have should try a different application.
You can use ProRAW photo format on iPhone 12. The format also works with features like Deep Fusion, Night mode and SmartHDR.
Why choose ProRAW?
There are a few examples in which you might want to choose ProRAW to see new possibilities in terms of photo editing. For beginners, you may not have a digital SLR camera or mirrorless that reinforce RAW shooting, so the iPhone 12 can help you into the universe of lossless picture editing.
By capturing with ProRAW photo format on the iPhone, you’ll decrease the amount of compression in the picture. There can be more shades of blue in the sky than if the picture had been compressed to the point of banding. You’ll also shoot a lot more details in terms of shadows and reflection detail.
This lets you reduce the brightness and make the sun a little less blinding while reflecting colour details. If anything in the picture is a bit dark, you can put more detail from the shadows without the picture quality taking a severe hit. You can be able to do more editing without the picture getting cluttered, as it will be heavily compressed JPEG.
You might need to do more details on the picture in the post to get it according to standards, since the iPhone 12 processes non-RAW pictures with noise reduction, sharpening, and more depending on the type. You’ll have more power over the finalized image, and a more nice image at the end of it than if you’d depend on PNG or JPG.
And since using RAW in the Camera application is only a finger away, you can always just open a few non-RAW photos for comparison.
How to enable ProRAW on your iPhone?
To use ProRAW application, first, you will have to enable Apple’s ProRAW feature in the setting of your iPhone.Open Settings > Camera > Formats and turn on Apple’s ProRAW feature.
Remember, at the end of 2020, this is the iPhone 12 feature that needs iOS 14.3. If you have any model of iPhone 12 and you don’t see the option, update your iPhone’s software. The iPhones which are going to be released in 2021 or later will likely have ProRAW as well—but the feature will only be available on Pro models of iPhones for the time being.
With ProRAW turned on in Settings, launch the Camera application either from the home screen, from Control Center, or by asking the assistant Siri. In all supported modes, you’ll notice a “RAW” button near the option Live Photos toggle. When not active, it will have a line along with it. Tap on it to activate it and capture it in RAW.
With RAW capturing enabled, you can now shoot photos as you normally take. Remember to switch RAW off again to preserve space.
Can’t use ProRAW? These apps also shoot RAW
While at the end of this year, ProRAW will only be available on the iPhone 12 Pro models. It won’t come in earlier iPhones, but it may become available in future iPhones.
If your iPhone doesn’t have ProRAW photo format, you can still capture in RAW using a supported iPhone app. There are many camera applications for the iPhone that can do the same, from free apps like Adobe Lightroom and VSCO to paid apps like Manual, and premium apps like Halide.
Woefully, you won’t get the best quality of RAW image file from these applications that you would from an iPhone using the default Camera application. CNET examined this and found that ProRAW app helps remove noise and improve colour quality compared with the same application. You will also lose access to characteristics like HDR and Night Mode.
ProRAW Is nice to have, but not essential
ProRAW is not very much handy for most users. It will be difficult for Apple to persuade the average iPhone user to update to the Pro tier construct on Apple’s ProRAW alone. It’s difficult to recommend the upgrade even to photographers and enthusiasts who likely already have cameras with bigger sensors that take good photos already. With that in mind, it’s a good feature to have ingress to if you already have a device that can do it.
Here we can hope that ProRAW drips down to layman users as iPhone’s systems-on-chip become more effective and efficient going further. Let’s not forget that aspects like face ID, Portrait Mode, and even Multiple cameras were once made for the most latest iPhones, and now, they’re available in every variant.
We believe we have provided all the information about ProRaw and how you can make the most of it!
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