Programs for working with photos in RAW format

Professional cameras transmit a raw image, which can later be adjusted at its discretion as if all settings were applied before the shooting, and not after it - this format is called RAW.

For all its many advantages, there are a number of disadvantages:

  • a large load on the memory;
  • restrictions on the speed of image transfer to the USB flash drive (up to 6 frames per second);
  • the file cannot be opened without special programs, printed out or sent by email - it is necessary to convert to a more familiar format.

In addition, such an extension is unnecessary for household, amateur photography, if artistic processing is not planned.

IMPORTANT. Please note that RAW is a generic name, differently indicated differently in different cameras, for example, Nicon may have the extension NEF, Sony - ARW, Canon - CRW, CR2, etc. Know that this is RAW.

How to open a photo in RAW format

There are a lot of programs for this, ranging from the usual graphic editors and ending with third-party software with many additional functions. Consider a few of the most simple and popular ways.

Photoshop

Working in Photoshop with RAW files is very easy due to the built-in Camera RAW plug-in (if you don’t have it, then you need to download it separately).

  1. Open Photoshop.
  2. Drag the photo into the working field (without creating a new file).
  3. The plugin works automatically, and we see the image, and we also have the opportunity to set the necessary parameters or convert it to another format.

Camera RAW plugin for Photoshop

Lightroom

Lightroom is also a very popular program for working with photos, including in RAW format. Here you can open all the files at once and view them in the Library. The procedure is as follows:

  1. Open Lightroom.
  2. Choose "Library", click "Import".
  3. Specify the desired folder (file).
  4. Now we see all the photos.

In addition, you can simply drag files to the program icon when it is closed - the result will be the same.

To pre-work with photos, go to the tab Develop - the interface is intuitive, the settings are applied to all images.

Lightroom window

Nikon Imaging and Nikon ViewNX

Suitable only if the photos are taken with the same camera. Software can be downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer. Light photo processing (and video) is possible here, but the result, of course, will be worse than after Photoshop and Lightroom. You can open and view images like this:

  1. Select the desired photos.
  2. Click the right mouse button.
  3. Select “Open with ...” - Nikon Imaging (or Nikon ViewNX).

Nikon ViewNX window

Applications are supported by Windows and Mac.

Canon Utilities RAW Image Converter

Utility for cameras Canon. As the name suggests, with the help of it you can open a photo and convert them from RAW to another format. If you want a high-quality correction, it is better to pay attention to graphic editors, since here the possibilities are severely limited.

This program is suitable for Windows and Mac.

Codecs for Microsoft Cameras

Windows add-on that can open any RAW format extension, whichever camera it belongs to. Here you can view photos and the most simple editing, but the interface is very user-friendly. Software can be downloaded from the official site.

Microsoft Camera Codec Package - Official Website

RAWTherapee

Free software for viewing, correction and conversion of files in RAW format. Batch photo processing is possible, the interface is Russified. Of course, this program can not be compared in quality of processing with Photoshop and Lightroom, but it is much easier to use and convenient for fans of photography.

RAWTherapee program window