The problem with ".Raw" files

[danscool]

Despite ".Raw" files being so big, i can't find an easy way to view a preview

of the file in my file browser, have i got the settings on my PC set wrong or

are they just not visable as pre-views?

Or is there anything i can download that will enable me to view them as

previews,

 

any help with this much appriciated, cheers, Dan

[JosvanEekelen]

It would be a bit easier if you mentioned your camera make + model, computer + OS. AFAIK there are plugins for Canon, don't know about the rest. Perhaps do a Google search.

[davyjo]

Shoot RAW plus small JPEG. Or do what I do and shoot RAW and Best quality Jpeg. If the JPEG is good I trash the RAW. If it needs tweaking I adjust the raw and trash the JPEG.

[beauh44]

Hi Daniel, You may find <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D48E808E-B10D-4CE4-A141-5866FD4A3286&displaylang=en">this link helpful</a> if you use XP. Good luck!

[Ed_Ingold]

In general, RAW files cannot be previewed in a file browser. You need proprietary software such as Nikonview or Adobe Bridge. If you did not get a viewer with your camera, you should be able to obtain or download one from the manufacturer (which you do not mention, oddly).

[Brad_]

>>> In general, RAW files cannot be previewed in a file browser.

 

They can on any Mac. Pretty neat...

[geoffs1]

"They can on any Mac. Pretty neat..."

 

They can also on any machine running XP, with the free MS widget Beau Hooker mentioned above.

[Spearhead]

<i>In general, RAW files cannot be previewed in a file browser. You need proprietary software such as Nikonview or Adobe Bridge. </i><p>

 

This is incorrect. They can be previewed in a file browser on Windows and Mac systems. It may not be possible on Linux systems.

[stuart_byrne]

I have just bought my first DSLR and started shooting in RAW, which i find incredibly useful because i am still not competeant enough to get what i want pefectley in one unaltered shot. My camera, the Nikon D80, comes with a raw viewer but it is slow and cumbersome. There is a plug in for Nikon that enables Photoshop to open the Nikon RAW files and has a 1st step editor before it fully opens - again, something i find very useful.

[dangoldman]

i dont know what was in the link above, but windows has a file viewer that works the same as the default viewer for jpg's, bmp's etc, it just so happens that this download they have can open various raw files as well. Just type in a few searches in google and it will pop up.

[Ed_Ingold]

I see now Microsoft has a set of downloads related to digital imaging, including a RAW viewer, which I have not installed. Nor do I use the original Microsoft viewer for other file types, like TIFF and JPEG, finding it very slow and of limited use. Basically, I have no need to pursue "freeware" when I have a color managed work flow through Adobe and Gretag-MacBeth.

 

Microsoft is chafing at the lead Adobe has taken in this area and in document management (Acrobat), which makes me suspicious. Is there a downside to subscribing to the Microft versions? Does it step on or otherwise interfere with other programs? One has only to recall the sabotage of Sun's Java. Like Persephone, are we doomed to stay in Microsoft Hell if we nibble at this table?