But is Microsoft giving us a RAW deal?
Microsoft today released its camera RAW file add-on for Windows. It's the best part of a 50MB
download but it's free. Unfortunately for some, support in the first release only extends to selected Canon and Nikon camera models, though the hint is that other brands and models will be added over time.
It really works: Windows XP browsing a Canon Pro 1 RAW file, but you'll be disappointed if your camera isn't a Canon or a Nikon
RAW files are the so-called negatives of digital photography. A RAW file contains the maximum level of image information that the camera is capable of saving and with skilled processing can produce superior final images compared to the standard JPEG images most digital cameras produce by themselves. Not all cameras are capable of saving RAW image files and those that do tend to be up-market professional or enthusiast models. With the continuing boom in digital photography, especially in the digital SLR sector, there has been a lot of interest in supporting the many proprietary RAW formats. Adobe is promoting a standardised RAW format it calls Digital NeGative (DNG) and another group that has drawn some attention recently is called OpenRaw.
Microsoft's RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer enables Windows file management tools to show RAW file thumbnails and to view images in a modified version of the basic Windows Picture and Fax viewer application. In the initial release of the software, the following cameras are supported:
• Canon EOS 1D
• Canon EOS 1Ds
• Canon EOS 1D Mark II
• Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
• Canon EOS D30
• Canon EOS D60
• Canon EOS 10D
• Canon EOS 20D
• Canon EOS Digital Rebel (300D)
• Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
• Canon PowerShot G2
• Canon PowerShot G3
• Canon PowerShot G5
• Canon PowerShot G6
• Canon PowerShot Pro1
• Canon PowerShot s30
• Canon PowerShot s50
• Canon PowerShot s70
• Nikon D1
• Nikon D1x
• Nikon D2H
• Nikon D2x
• Nikon D70
• Nikon D100
• Nikon Coolpix 8800
• Nikon Coolpix 5700
This leaves out users of certain Konica Minolta, Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax, Leica, Panasonic Lumix, Sigma and other cameras, hence our reference to Microsoft's initiative being seen as a bit of a raw deal. But it's a start and Microsoft's support documentation refers to unsupported cameras in passing, so there is hope.
But there are other problems as well; Windows XP Service Pack 2 needs to be installed, which many have avoided because of well-documented problems and Microsoft warns of problems if installing to a PC with Nikon View previously installed. Nevertheless, when we tried it earlier today, all worked well.
