Microsoft adds RAW photo file support to Windows

[Airbot]

Microsoft announced the release of a Camera Codec pack for Windows that offers support for the RAW file format from within Windows Explorer as well as Windows Live Photo Gallery 2011.

Until now, Windows Explorer did not have native support for RAW images and could not generate thumbnail images.

more..

 

[1foxracing]

Thanks for the link. I downloaded it and it works, extremely slow, comparable to Adobe bridge speeds.

 

[GeneO]

Thanks, downloaded and though a bit slow, is very useful for me.

 

[TBoyd]

Thanks, Airbot. - Just downloaded it.

It is nice to see thumbnails load when I open a folder of RAW files! - And they load quickly.

 

[seavixen32]

Thanks for the link, it works just fine in Windows Explorer and quick too.

As TBoyd commented, it's very helpful to see the RAW thumbnails displayed as well.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi all
Great stuff -- BUT we've actually had Photo RAW support since XP days !!

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=8802

Note also that it's not always easy for MS to supply this stuff -- since new cameras appear very frequently.

I still think that if you ARE a user of any camera RAW format you would probably be better off in using either Photoshop CS4 / CS5 or photoshop elements.

Note that Photoshop Bridge supplies a decent photo RAW viewing browser too.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[seavixen32]

Canon also have a freebie in Digital Photo Professional: Canon Europe - Digital Photo Professional (DPP)

 

[sygnus21]

I still think that if you ARE a user of any camera RAW format you would probably be better off in using either Photoshop CS4 / CS5 or photoshop elements.

Note that Photoshop Bridge supplies a decent photo RAW viewing browser too.

Agreed. It's still good news however

 

[GeneO]

Just as long as it doesn't slow anything else in windows down

Jimbo I remember trying that in XP but it was very slow and it wouldn't finish loading all the thumbnails in a directory - it would just stop no matter what the cajoling - so I finally gave up on it.

 

[NoN]

Nice update, but missing some the recent cameras from year 2010...

Could either install the DNG Codec from ADOBE build for Windows 7.

 

[sygnus21]

Nice update, but missing some the recent cameras from year 2010...

Could either install the DNG Codec from ADOBE build for Windows 7.

No one said is was perfect

I'm sure there'll be more updates if and when it becomes popular amongst users.

 

[Fliplip]

Both my cameras are almost a year old, and fastpicture codec pack has supported them since BEFORE they were released, long before in fact.
This works in both 32 and 64 bit windows and works faster than the MS one.
when i got FPC it was freeware, i think there is a small charge now.

Why on earth cant MS at least give us up to date support, rather than adding camera's that are 12 years old. Every major raw converter supports these cameras so there is no excuse IMO.

 

[sygnus21]

I think too many of you are focusing on what the software can't do instead of seeing that Microsoft at least added support for the format under Windows 7.

Yes there are tons of software that does better job, and has more camera support than that offered by 7, but it's a start.

And most people who need RAW already have something in place anyway so Microsoft's offering is just something to try in a pinch, and also provide feedback to make it better.

Anyway no one is saying it's perfect, not even Microsoft.

 

[draftsman]

I downloaded the codec pac and noticed an immediate diffrence in how long it took for all my pic's to load in explorer. Zap and they were all opened. Wasn't that way before. ( I'm running Windows 7 w/i3 processor)

 

[mark39]

Agreed, the thumbnails load almost instantly now.

 

[NoN]

News:

Microsoft Camera Codec Pack had been updated April 19, 2012 to v16.3.1483.0410.

The Ever-Growing List:

-The Microsoft Camera Codec Pack enables the viewing of a variety of device-specific file formats-

Canon: Digital Rebel XT, Digital Rebel XTi, EOS 10D, EOS 20D, EOS 30D, EOS 40D, EOS 50D Digital, EOS 300D, EOS 350D, EOS 400D, EOS 450D, EOS 500D, EOS 550D, EOS 1000D, EOS 5D, EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D Digital, EOS D30, EOS D60, EOS Digital Rebel, EOS Kiss Digital, EOS Kiss Digital N, EOS Kiss Digital X, EOS Kiss F, EOS Kiss X2, EOS Kiss X3, EOS Kiss X4, EOS Rebel T1i, EOS Rebel T2i, EOS Rebel XS, EOS Rebel XSi, EOS-1D, EOS-1D Mark II, EOS-1D Mark II N, EOS-1D Mark III, EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS-1Ds, EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS-1Ds Mark III, PowerShot G2, PowerShot G3, PowerShot G5, PowerShot G6, PowerShot G9, PowerShot G10, PowerShot G11, PowerShot Pro1, PowerShot S90, PowerShot S95, PowerShot SX1 IS
Nikon: Coolpix P6000, D1H, D2H, D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs, D3, D3s, D3X, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D70s, D80, D90, D100, D200, D300, D300s, D700, D3000, D3100, D5000, D7000
Sony: DSLR-A100, DSLR-A200, DSLR-A230, DSLR-A300, DSLR-A330, DSLR-A350, DSLR-A380, DSLR-A500, DSLR-A550, DSLR-A560, DSLR-A580, DSLR-A700, DSLR-A850, DSLR-A900, Alpha NEX-3, Alpha NEX-5, Alpha NEX-5N, Alpha SLT-A55/A55V, Cyber-shot DSC-R1
Olympus: C-7070 Wide Zoom, C-8080 Wide Zoom, E-1, E-3, E-10, E-20, E-30, E-420, E-450, E-520, E-620, EVOLT E-300, EVOLT E-330, EVOLT E-400, EVOLT E-410, EVOLT E-500, EVOLT E-510, PEN E-P1
Pentax (PEF formats only): *ist D, *ist DL, *ist DS, K10D, K20D, K100D, K100D Super, K110D, K200D, K-7, K-x
Leica: DIGILUX 3, D-LUX 4, M8, M8.2, M9
Konica Minolta: ALPHA-7 DIGITAL, DiMAGE A1, DiMAGE A2, DYNAX 7D, Maxxum 7D
Epson: RD1
Panasonic: Lumix DMC-G1, Lumix DMC-GH1, Lumix DMC-GF1, Lumix DMC-LX3, Lumix DMC-LX5