Why do RAW values differ by manufacturer?

• A. They measure different things.
• B. Vendors interpret/scale attributes differently.
• C. They are encoded incorrectly.
• D. They use different units of time.

Answer: (B)

RAW values differ by manufacturer because vendors interpret and scale attributes differently. Each camera maker defines how sensor data is read, stored, and tagged—black level, sensor gain (ISO), white balance, and the overall tonal and color pipeline—before the data is saved as a RAW file. Because there is no universal standard for exactly how these numbers are mapped from the sensor to the stored data, one brand’s RAW pixel value can look different from another’s even when the same scene and exposure were captured. This also includes how they pack bit depth and apply their own color science, white point, and metadata, all of which shape the numeric values you see in the RAW file.