Camera Internal RAW Recording for Video – Hype or Important for Your Workflow?

Poll

by Johnnie BehiriOctober 14^th, 2025

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Camera internal RAW recording for video — is it just hype, or something you’ve embraced and incorporated into your workflow? This is the question we’re asking in today’s CineD poll.

The debate about the importance of internal RAW recording for filmmakers has started to take an interesting shape, especially after Blackmagic Design introduced this option with their Pocket Cinema Camera (2013, cinemaDNG format). To the best of our knowledge, it was one of the first video dedicated mirrorless cameras to offer this feature, which, until then, was only available in higher-end devices or when using external recorders via HDMI. Since then, alongside Blackmagic Design, companies like Panasonic, SIGMA, Canon, Nikon, and RED, of course, have acknowledged the importance of giving independent filmmakers maximum flexibility when choosing internal recording formats, also in cost-effective camera bodies.

Now, for some, internal RAW video recording might feel like “overkill,” while for others it can be a production “life saver.” Speaking of which, where do you find yourself on this topic?

For me, especially after working with recent cameras like the Canon EOS C50 and Nikon ZR, I’m now completely convinced that internal RAW video recording should be offered by every camera manufacturer. Here’s why: without getting “too technical,” think about internal RAW recording as a “safety net.” Indeed, we all try to expose our video properly and set the correct white balance, but as an independent filmmaker who also edits his own material, internal RAW recording allows much greater flexibility in manipulating or treating the footage to achieve satisfying results without sacrificing image quality.

In other words, the importance of internal RAW video recording is greater in “lower-end” productions—where one might find themselves doing it all (or working with a limited crew)—than in higher-end productions, where dedicated personnel can be assigned to specific tasks like color grading in large post-production houses.

And yes, I’m fully aware that the downside of using internal RAW codecs when filming is increased card capacity requirements (and at times beefed-up computers), but I want to believe that the investment and extra expense are worth the outcome of using such formats for your workflow.

So, what about you? Do you think internal RAW recording is just hype and a marketing tool, or a genuinely useful feature when shooting your productions? Please take a moment to participate in our poll, and if you have time, leave a comment too!

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