Re: A question about RAW

[Mark Cassino]

The more technically minded here can probably answer your question better, 
but AFIAK, the RAW format captures the data as it comes off the sensor. 
That's not a straight B&W shot, since the individual pixels are each behind 
either a red, green, or blue filter. What you have is the light level 
corresponding to those three colors in a pattern that is then interpolated 
to determine what color goes where, what the overall color gamut is (color 
space) where edges are, etc. The RAW converter does that interpolation - 
when you shoot in RAW mode non of that interpolation is done in camera, so 
it can be done with third party converters.

The only in camera setting that affects the RAW capture is the sensitivity 
(ISO) setting, which is an actual change in the voltage level of the sensor.

- MCC
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Mark Cassino Photography
Kalamazoo, MI
www.markcassino.com
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shel Belinkoff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <pentax-discuss@pdml.net>
Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2005 9:55 AM
Subject: A question about RAW


I just read this statement:   "Raw formats ... allow you to retrieve images
before any in-camera processing has been performed."
OK, that seems to be the general consensus, but isn't the original image
captured in B&W and then converted to color, and then moved along for
further processing?  If that's the case, then isn't the RAW image and
information is already manipulated.
Shel