RAW files are what they say, they are the raw elements of the image, so no additional software tweaks have been applied.

This is why on low quality files you see more pixelation, but also banding, where the smooth transition of light and colour is more jarring, in bands of similar colour instead of a full spectrum. The amount of data in a raw file is so much more than a TIF or JPEG, which have been stripped of valuable data to ensure smaller file sizes. Raw photos have a level of control over the colour and lighting in your image that is just not possible with other file types. The same as in digital photography, the only way to get the absolute best out of your editing is to use RAW format. If you want to express your individual vision as a photographer, if you want your whites a bit creamier, or your greens to pop more then this is simply the more accurate and finely tuned way to achieve your specific look. If you don’t want algorithms deciding what your final image will look like. Well, if you want the best from your images.

There are a lot of scanners offering to give you the best scans with the minimal amount of effort, and this is great if you just want to archive some old negatives for personal use.

Film scanning was once the domain of photo labs and expensive lab scanners, but now you can get very good results at home for only a small financial investment. Whether you are actively getting into film photography or you just have boxes of old negatives sitting in a cupboard, it is so easy to scan film at home.

Silverfast vs vuescan