RAW file

RAW File: The uncompressed, unprocessed data captured straight from a camera’s image sensor at the moment of exposure. Often called a “digital negative,” a RAW file does not have permanent color, contrast, or sharpness settings baked into it by the camera. This gives you maximum flexibility in software like Darktable or digiKam to cleanly adjust exposure, pull detail out of shadows, and fine-tune white balance without degrading the underlying image quality.