OpenRAW

Chapter 1. Who responded to the survey?

• A total of 19,207 photographers, digital imaging specialists, and others interested in RAW imaging technology completed the 2006 RAW Survey questionnaire.

• Over 11,200 responses were recorded within three days after the survey was launched. Within one week, nearly 15,000 individuals had participated in the survey. Over 4,200 additional respondents shared their experiences, beliefs, and preferences by the closing date.

• The quality of the response data is exceptionally high. Between 95% and 99% of the respondents answered each question in the survey, which included 25 numbered questions that asked for nearly 100 separate responses.

• A total of 32% of respondents identified themselves as professional photographers (14% full-time and 18% part-time).

• 50% of all respondents classified themselves as dedicated amateurs, and another 10% indicated they were hobbyists.

• 6% of respondents reported they were professionals in the graphic arts – not professional photographers. 2% indicated they used digital imaging for a non-photography profession.

• On average, survey respondents reported:
  • 19.4 years experience with film photography
  • 4.5 years experience with digital photography
  • 3.7 years experience using a professional-level digital camera, and
  • 2.3 years experience shooting primarily RAW images.

• Professional photographers reported more years of experience in each of these four activities, but the differences between professionals and dedicated amateurs averaged only about 1 year for each type of activity.

• On average, full-time professional photographers captured about 2,500 digital images per month. Part-time professional photographers averaged over 1,100, while graphic arts professionals and technical users shot over 900 digital images per month. Dedicated amateurs typically captured over 500 digital frames, while hobbyists averaged over 300.

• Most respondents reported doing most of their photography in North America (46%) and Europe (43%). Remaining respondents were from Asia (5%), Australia (4%), Africa (1%), and South America (1%).
• Respondents reported that they photographed a wide range of subject matter, including:
  • landscapes or nature (82% of respondents),
  • portraits (66%),
  • architecture (47%),
  • wildlife (47%),
  • weddings or events (38%),
  • fine art (29%),
  • sports-related (25%),
  • documentary or preservation (21%),
  • products (21%),
  • commercial or advertising (17%),
  • corporate or industrial (14%),
  • news-related (13%),
  • fashion or glamour (12%), and
  • medical or scientific material (7%).

• The type of subject matter "photographed most often" differed significantly across categories of photographers and other users of photography.

• 8 out of 10 respondents (81%) reported using either Canon (47%) or Nikon (34%) professional-level digital cameras. Other brands were reported by far smaller percentages, including Konica-Minolta (6%), Olympus (4%), Pentax (3%), and Fuji (2%).

• Most survey respondents indicated that they captured digital images in RAW format most of the time. 55% of survey respondents reported that they shot in RAW mode all the time. An additional 22% said they used RAW mode most of the time.

• 83% of professional photographers and 78% of dedicated amateurs said they shot in RAW mode all or most of the time. Only 42% of hobbyists indicated that they used RAW mode all or most of the time.

• Over 80% of respondents who shoot more than 500 images per month, and over 75% of those who shoot between 100 and 500 images per month reported using in RAW mode all or most of the time. Thus, respondents to the 2006 RAW Survey have a great deal of experience with RAW imaging technology.