Everything You Need to Know about ProRes RAW

The cinematography industry has seen tremendous improvements over the last two decades. As a result, keeping up with the latest developments, from technological improvements to $50,000 cameras to various new video file formats, can be tricky.

However, there is one term that constantly gets thrown around and that you’re likely interested in learning more about – Apple ProRes RAW.

That’s precisely what today’s article will focus on. Whether you’re an amateur cinematographer or a pro content creator trying to up their game, this guide is for you. It’ll help you understand the ProRes RAW format, its benefits, and compatible devices, so let’s dig in.

What Is ProRes RAW?

To understand Apple’s ProRes RAW format, we must first explain both Apple ProRes and RAW separately.

The story of Apple’s ProRes started in 2007 when the tech giant created a new video file format for high-quality and high-performance editing. This intra-frame, 10-bit codec changed the editing game forever, allowing Final Cut Pro editors to access four times the standard range of colors and shades compared to the 8-bit file formats they were previously used to.

And then there’s RAW footage, also known as source footage, which refers to crude and unprocessed camera output. Using the RAW video codec means the camera sensor records complete data, and debayering happens in a video editing program instead of on the device.

In 2018, Apple introduced ProRes RAW, which combines the Apple ProRes codec’s high performance, quality, and ease of use with the abovementioned RAW videos. That creates a format with remarkable editing flexibility, making it ideal for high-end productions and HDR content.

Different ProRes RAW Formats

Apple ProRes RAW video file format has two distinct versions: ProRes RAW and ProRes RAW HQ.

These versions differ in compression levels, file sizes, and data rates, with the last quality being the most critical aspect of these formats. For example, ProRes RAW’s data rates can range between 150 and 220 Mbps, while ProRes RAW HQ’s data ranges between 220 and 330 Mbps.

The reason behind the wide data ranges is the codec design, as both formats were made to maintain constant quality for all frames. However, while both formats provide excellent compression levels and image preservation, ProRes RAW HQ does offer additional quality at a higher data rate.

Benefits of Using Apple ProRes RAW

While online content, except for a few YouTubers, doesn’t involve Apple ProRes RAW, the video file format plays a pivotal role in high-end productions. Most clients will likely request that the footage be shot in RAW mode, where Apple ProRes RAW is among the most used formats, thanks to its advantages:

• High-Quality Footage – The combination of Apple ProRes and RAW footage works like a charm, creating incredible video quality that will blow the audience away.
• Flexible Editing – Generally, RAW footage is much better for video editing and post-production workloads, allowing Final Cut Pro users to handle every frame of footage carefully.
• Software Debayering – Allowing the conversion of sensor data into a video you can watch to happen in editing software instead of on the camera itself will always bring better results than debayering on the device. Furthermore, that can only improve in the future as editing software gets better debayering algorithms.

It’s worth noting that, even with all the benefits of the Apple ProRes RAW files, many clients and production sets will still prefer the older Apple ProRes format due to its smaller file size, easier distribution, and more manageable editing workflow.

Devices Compatible With ProRes RAW Formats

As a relatively new video file format, Apple ProRes RAW isn’t supported by that many cameras. After all, it requires special camera sensors that can capture footage without converting every pixel into its prevalent color (red, green, or blue).

Currently, Atomos is the leading manufacturer of recorders that connect to cameras and give them the ability to output ProRes RAW media. These recorders include devices like Neon, Ninja V, Shogun, and Sumo, which also require a Final Cut Pro plug-in from a specific camera vendor they attach to.

The list of camera vendors that support Apple ProRes RAW isn’t too extensive. It includes Canon, DJI, Fujifilm, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, Sony, and Z CAM, with a few camera models from each that you can view here.

Tools That View Apple ProRes RAW

Since ProRes RAW is Apple’s format, many users believe these video files can only be accessed on macOS and Final Cut Pro editing software. However, that’s not the case, as Apple ProRes RAW is compatible with multiple hardware and software products and other operating systems like Windows and Linux.

The software includes Adobe’s editing tools, such as After Effects and Premiere Pro, Avid’s Media Composer, Calibrated Software’s Tin Man video player and exporter, and more. The complete list is available here.

Bonus: Data Recovery Tool for ProRes RAW

While undoubtedly a tremendous asset in the cinematography industry, working with Apple ProRes RAW files means constantly handling enormous video files you’ll need to import, export, and send to the others on your team, as you’re most likely part of a larger post-production unit.

The high-quality advantages of ProRes RAW videos come with the downside of massive file sizes, which means losing them is incredibly common, whether that’s due to accidental deletion, interrupted file transfers, which can take a long time, or corruption due to constant imports and exports.

Fortunately, there’s a solution here: Wondershare Recoverit, a professional data recovery tool that’s existed longer than Apple’s older ProRes format. With over 20 years of data recovery experience, Wondershare Recoverit has industry-leading capabilities and works excellently with ProRes RAW format 4.1K videos.

Using this app to retrieve lost, deleted, and corrupted ProRes RAW files is a breeze, and here’s how you can do that:

1. Launch the app on your computer, tap Hard Drives and Locations, and select a disk drive where you usually store these files.

   

2. The data recovery tool will immediately launch an all-around scan of the selected disk.

   

3. You can then adjust the app’s file filters to look for videos and enormous items like ProRes RAW files usually are.

   

4. You can also add keywords to look for specific ProRes RAW files.

   

5. Once the app finds Apple ProRes RAW files, you can tap Preview to verify its integrity and ensure it’s the item you’re searching for.

   

6. Finally, select the ProRes RAW files you want to restore and hit Recover to save them onto your computer. Then, choose a save location different from the disk drive from which the files are being recovered.

   

With over 20 years in the recovery industry, Wondershare Recoverit has more experience than the entire lifespans of both ProRes and ProRes RAW formats combined. The tool uses 35 patented recovery technologies, has a 98% data recovery success rate, and is reliable and trustworthy, making it the right tool for data security and privacy protection.

Conclusion

The tech giant’s 2018 video file format, Apple ProRes RAW, combines the power of the older Apple ProRes codec with the details and quality of RAW footage, making a powerful combo widely used in high-end productions like movies and TV shows.

As it’s only been out for a few years, few devices support ProRes RAW. It works with only a handful of manufacturers and less than 60 cameras, which rely on Atomos recorders and software plug-ins for Adobe’s Premiere Pro and After Effects, Final Cut Pro, and video players like Tin Man.

The video format’s enormous file size, constant sharing between production members, and frequent imports and exports also make it prone to data loss, where users must rely on solutions like Recoverit. The data recovery app makes restoring Apple ProRes RAW files a breeze, as it’s backed by 35 data recovery patents and over 20 years of experience in the industry.