Nokia added RAW format support to Lumia 1520; Lumia 1020 will follow

The camera in smartphones has improved over the years to the point where you can purchase a Windows Phone with a 41MP shooter. As well as the megapixels, Nokia also includes numerous features that come together to create a superb experience when snapping those special moments. The company is now looking to bring in RAW image format support.

This will be a first for smartphones, according to a blog post over on Nokia Conversations. The Lumia 1520 (and Lumia 1020 in time) will be able to save photos in lossless DNG (Digital Negative) format. But how does this affect the average consumer and enthusiast? What's the difference between DNG and JPEG?

RAW format essentially enables you to work with the images and develop them post-capture. When saving in JPEG format, the smartphone carries out the processing to enable you to save and share the end results on social media and more. With the RAW files, Nokia will allow you to define the likes of noise filtering, tone mapping and sharpening on a PC.

This is quite the advancement as not even point-and-shoot cameras support the format.

What's more is you'll be able to fine tune settings and achieve some interesting effects. There's also some future proofing with RAW. Algorithms may alter in the future, enabling you to revisit photos captured with the Lumia Windows Phones to work with advanced technology. The Lumia 1520, Lumia 1020 (with an update to the Nokia Camera app - coming soon) will have the setting turned off by default, just in case you're not wanting it.

Good news is that you are not bound to use this feature. Simply continue with saving JPEGs and you will be able capture those awesome images with your Lumia 1020/1520. However, should you wish to go advance, the RAW DNG format comes alongside a 5MP oversampled image. You have the high quality JPEG for sharing and RAW image files for USB transfer and PC processing.

via wpcentral