Have ever been out of memory on your phone but wondered why? If your device’s about capacity, it’s not always about that, because often it is about managing your files. Using the wrong file format (RAW) for your photos (particularly RAW pictures) is one of the biggest culprits behind storage woes.
What is RAW and Why Does it take so much space?
RAW images are unprocessed files, which is all the information that your camera’s sensor captures. Which means they’re perfect for professional editing, preserving every detail about color, light and shadows. Although, this also leads to very bulky file sizes. Though huge – RAW files store a large amount of data per pixel, which makes them much larger than JPEGs, which are compressed.
The extra data isn’t necessary for most people. Large file sizes of RAW photos are overkill if you’re mainly taking photos to share on social media.
JPEG vs. RAW: Which One is Right for You?
On most phones you can choose between file formats in camera settings. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide:
- JPEG: In balanced quality with small file size. Great for social media and day to day photography.
- RAW: They can be uncompressed and large, perfect for professionals or photography afficianados who need to hard edit their images.
- HEIF: Something better than JPEG at smaller sizes, and newer than JPEG invented by Apple. Not every editing software supports it, but it’s a good middle ground.
Changing Your Camera Settings
To avoid filling up your storage unnecessarily, check your camera settings:
- Open your camera app.
- Look for a Settings icon in a menu.
- Go to the section called Format or File Type.
- If you don’t need high fidelity RAW files then choose JPEG or HEIF.
Why It Is Worth Sticking to the JPEG (Most of the Time)
JPEG gives good trade off between image quality and size for the average user. If you sort of edit your photos invariably then JPEG files more than enough for your daily photography, and they will not fill your phone’s memory.
That said, if your phone runs out of storage, next time it might not be about storage limits, but your camera settings!