Image Raw

Raw image formats are used by digital cameras to store the unprocessed photographs that you take. Since many camera manufacturers also develop their own file format, there are tens, possibly hundreds of raw image formats out there, most of which can’t be opened by your basic image viewer, unless you have the right codecs installed.

If you’re interested in digital photography, but haven’t yet figured out exactly how to handle raw formats, then you could take a quick look at an application called Image Raw.

You can use Image Raw to view file formats like 3FR, ARW, CR2, ORF, RW2, TIFF and so on, but also the more common JPG, PNG or GIF. Keep in mind that the program was designed as a companion to another application that you can use to control your digital camera remotely. However, it can also be used as a stand-alone tool.

After you download the raw formats from your device, open the folder from the program’s interface. You will then be able to browse through your pictures, analyze their red, green and blue histograms or view them through a grid to see if the rule of thirds applies to your compositions.

Even if it is a free application, Image Raw just seems too limited to actually be helpful. Some organizational functions would have been welcome, like the ability to delete one or more pictures or move them to another folder.

You do get a few options to slightly modify your photos, but these have more to do with the way the program decodes the raw format than with any image editing tools. At most, you can manually adjust a photo’s brightness, but you don’t even get a preview while you move the slider; you will be able to see the new brightness only after you confirm the change.

It’s safe to say that there are many other free programs available that can open raw image formats and can do a lot more with them.