What is a raw image?

A raw image is an image that is not processed by a software and therefore is not ready to be printed, viewed or edited with a bitmap graphics editor.

It contains unprocessed raw photo data from the image sensor of either a digital camera, a motion picture film scanner, or other image scanners.

A raw image file has a specific file format that is used by the camera. The most common formats are ARI, ARW, BRAW, CRW, CR2, CR3, CAP, DATA, DCS, DCR, DNG, DRF, EIP, ERF, FFF, GFR, IIQ, K25, KDC, MDC, MEF, MOS, MRW, NEF, NRW, OBM, ORF, PEF, PTX, PXN, R3D, RAF, RAW, RWL, RWZ, SR2, SRF, SRW, TIF, X3F.