Microsoft releases free camera codec pack to support RAW in Windows

By Tom Warren, on 26th Jul 11 5:56 pm with 17 Comments

Windows 7

Microsoft announced on Tuesday a new camera codec pack to improve RAW image support in Windows.

The software giant’s new codec pack will now let Windows users view and edit their RAW image files. RAW files will be viewable right from within Windows Explorer and users can take advantage of Windows Live Photo Gallery to edit them. The codec pack supports more than 120 DSLR cameras in Photo Gallery and Windows Explorer:

  • Canon: EOS 1000D (EOS Kiss F in Japan and the EOS Rebel XS in North America), EOS 10D, EOS 1D Mk2, EOS 1D Mk3, EOS 1D Mk4, EOS 1D Mk2 N, EOS 1Ds Mk2, EOS 1Ds Mk3, EOS 20D, EOS 300D (the Kiss Digital in Japan and the Digital Rebel in North America) , EOS 30D, EOS 350D (the Canon EOS Kiss Digital N in Japan and EOS Digital Rebel XT in North America), EOS 400D (the Kiss Digital X in Japan and the Digital Rebel XTi in North America), EOS 40D, EOS 450D (EOS Kiss X2 in Japan and the EOS Rebel XSi in North America), EOS 500D (EOS Kiss X3 in Japan and the EOS Rebel T1i in North America), EOS 550D (EOS Kiss X4 in Japan, and as the EOS Rebel T2i in North America), EOS 50D, EOS 5D, EOS 5D Mk2, EOS 7D, EOS D30, EOS D60, G2, G3, G5, G6, G9, G10, G11, Pro1, S90
  • Nikon: D100, D1H, D200, D2H, D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs, D3, D3s, D300, D3000, D300s, D3X, D40, D40x, D50, D5000, D60, D70, D700, D70s, D80, D90, P6000
  • Sony: A100, A200, A230, A300, A330, A350, A380, A700, A850, A900, DSC-R1
  • Olympus: C7070, C8080, E1, E10, E20, E3, E30, E300, E330, E400, E410, E420, E450, E500, E510, E520, E620, EP1
  • Pentax (PEF formats only): K100D, K100D Super, K10D, K110D, K200D, K20D, K7, K-x, *ist D, *ist DL, *ist DS
  • Leica: Digilux 3, D-LUX4, M8, M9
  • Minolta: DiMage A1, DiMage A2, Maxxum 7D (Dynax 7D in Europe, α-7 Digital in Japan)
  • Epson: RD1
  • Panasonic: G1, GH1, GF1, LX3

“We know from customer feedback that dealing with raw images on Windows hasn’t always been easy,” said Microsoft’s Brad Weed in a blog post on Tuesday. “With the new codec pack, Windows will now support viewing and editing a wide range of photo file formats including raw, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and more. This new update unlocks the power of every photo on your computer so that your PC is capable of organizing, viewing and editing your digital memories, whether they were shot with a camera phone, point-and-shoot camera, or a higher end DSLR.”

The camera codec pack is available immediately at Microsoft’s download site (8MB for x64 and 4MB for x86).

  • Saulc

    What about the newer Nikon cameras. For example, the 3100, 5100, 7000?

    • Anonymous

      Yeah they need to support those cameras ASAP. They are arguably the most popular DSLRs out there today.  Good to see they are making a progress on the RAW format support though.

  • Saulc

    What about the newer Nikon cameras. For example, the 3100, 5100, 7000?

  • http://twitter.com/brandonleblanc Brandon LeBlanc

    I posted about enabling the experience in Windows Live Photo Gallery and we’re doing a contest too!

    http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2011/07/26/getting-raw-support-in-photo-gallery-amp-windows-7-and-a-contest.aspx

  • http://www.facebook.com/jaka.erc Jaka Ercegovčević

    Thats lovely. Installed it and works great :)

  • http://twitter.com/revanmj Michał Jakubowski

    “With the new codec pack, Windows will now support viewing and editing a wide range of photo file formats including raw, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and more.”

    Well, I can’t edit PNG images in Windows Live Photo Gallery after installing this, all editing options are still grayed out for me (Windows 7 x64, Codec Pack x64)

    • http://twitter.com/browsetech Site Central

      “Windows will now support viewing and editing a wide range of photo file formats including raw, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and more.”

      It says Windows, not Windows Live Photo Gallery. 

      “Windows users view and edit their RAW image files. RAW files will be viewable right from within Windows Explore” 

      If you see the video, it says that you need to make a JPEG copy to edit it. So the “negative”, RAW, always stays the same.

    • http://twitter.com/revanmj Michał Jakubowski

      So, I still have to find other software to edit my PNGs. Great MS …

    • http://profiles.google.com/carlosrfonseca Carlos Ribeiro da Fonseca

      Check Brandon’s post up above! :)

  • Anonymous

    This list is close to be out dated already.  Sony is releasing a new slew of NEX and Alpha cameras soon.  Off topic, by the transparent mirror technology by Sony will change the imaging world.  This is the next “big thing.”

  • Anonymous

    This list is close to be out dated already.  Sony is releasing a new slew of NEX and Alpha cameras soon.  Off topic, by the transparent mirror technology by Sony will change the imaging world.  This is the next “big thing.”

  • James B

    Please add the Panasonic GH2, Thank you!

  • James B

    Please add the Panasonic GH2, Thank you!

  • Anonymous

    It says it’ll make RAW files viewable in Windows Explorer.  Does this mean it’ll work with the built-in Windows Photo Viewer as well?

  • Anonymous

    It says it’ll make RAW files viewable in Windows Explorer.  Does this mean it’ll work with the built-in Windows Photo Viewer as well?

  • Joe05

    This is about time, why does it seems MS is constantly playing catch-up to Apple with everything these days.  I beginning to think the whiners are right it maybe time for Ballmer to go.

    • Anonymous

      No ,they are not,  Win7s have way more features that OSX would never have them
      but nothing is perfect so they are trying to fill the blanks you know