What best describes the editing latitude of RAW files compared with JPEGs?

• A. RAW files are unprocessed sensor data with more latitude for adjustments; JPEGs are processed and compressed.
• B. RAW files are smaller and easier to share.
• C. RAW files cannot be edited.
• D. RAW files require special hardware to view.

Answer: (C)

Editing latitude describes how much you can adjust an image after capture without degrading quality. RAW files capture unprocessed sensor data, without in-camera processing baked in. This preserves a wide dynamic range, more color information, and higher bit depth, so you can precisely adjust exposure, recover shadows and highlights, fine-tune white balance, and refine colors with minimal artifacts. Edits are typically non-destructive in RAW workflows, and you render the final image later in a RAW converter.

JPEGs, by contrast, are processed and compressed in-camera. White balance, tone curves, sharpening, and other adjustments are already applied and data is reduced, so further edits are more limited and can quickly degrade quality or reveal compression artifacts.

So the best description is that RAW files are unprocessed sensor data with more latitude for adjustments; JPEGs are processed and compressed.