Formats
The formats used by digital cameras to store images are JPEG and TIFF .
Many cameras, especially professional or DSLR cameras, the format used raw (uncooked). A raw image is formed by all the raw pixels obtained directly from the camera sensor. They often use proprietary formats for each manufacturer, such as NEF for Nikon, CRW or CR2 for Canon, and MRW for Minolta. The firm Adobe Systems released the DNG format, a format of duty free raw image that has been adopted by some manufacturers.
Raw files should be processed in image editing programs but eventually specialized commonly used programs such as Google’s Picasa, added support for editing. Editing raw format images allows more flexibility in settings such as changing the white balance, exposure compensation and change the color temperature. Essentially, the raw format allows the photographer make major adjustments without losing image quality that otherwise would involve re-shooting.
The video formats are AVI, DV, MPEG, MOV (often with the motion JPEG), WMV, and ASF (basically the same as WMV). Recent formats include MP4, which is based on the QuickTime format and uses new compression algorithms to allow a period of longer recording times in the same space.
Other formats that are used in cameras but not in the photos are the DCF, an ISO specification for the structure and file naming internal camera, DPOF indicating how many copies will be printed and in what order and Exif format, which uses metadata tags to document the camera settings and the date and time that the photographs were obtained.