How do RAW and JPEG differ in terms of editing flexibility?

• A. RAW is unprocessed sensor data with more latitude for adjustments; JPEG is processed and compressed; RAW allows more latitude for exposure, WB, and color adjustments, at the cost of processing time and file size.
• B. RAW files are smaller and easier to share.
• C. RAW files can only be edited for exposure, not WB.
• D. RAW files require no software to edit.

Answer: (A)

Raw files contain the unprocessed data straight from the sensor, with minimal in-camera processing. That means you can adjust exposure, white balance, and color much more freely without harming image quality, because more tonal information and color data are preserved. You can recover details in highlights and shadows and tweak subtle color shifts after the shot, often with non-destructive edits in raw-conversion software. Jpeg images, on the other hand, have been processed and compressed in-camera. The tonal curve, color, and sharpness have already been baked in, so changes to exposure or white balance are more limited and can degrade quality faster because less data is available to work with. Additionally, RAW files are larger and require a raw developer or editing workflow, whereas JPEGs are ready to edit with standard tools but offer far less flexibility.