RAW and BMP explained
A camera RAW file is the sensor's unprocessed readout, plus the camera's settings as metadata. It is not really an image yet: it has to be developed, which is why the same RAW can produce very different-looking photos.
BMP stores pixels essentially raw, with little or no compression. A 1920×1080 BMP is around 6 MB regardless of what the picture contains, because every pixel takes the same space whether it is part of a gradient or a flat colour.
- Where RAW files come from
- Interchangeable-lens cameras and phones shooting in professional mode.
- Where BMP is used
- Legacy Windows software, some scientific and industrial imaging tools.