Working with RAW Photos
By default, Seula shows the JPEG preview embedded by the camera in a RAW file. It opens quickly and is usually enough for culling. For more detail, Seula can develop the RAW with macOS imaging.
Embedded previews and RAW development
- An embedded preview is a JPEG stored in the RAW file. Seula uses the largest available preview.
- RAW development renders an image from the sensor data at full resolution.
Choose Settings ▸ Viewer ▸ RAW ▸ Detailed – RAW development when you need to judge sensor-based detail, sharpness, noise, or the histogram. The first opening takes longer, and colors can differ from the camera-rendered image; the result is cached afterwards.
Survey always uses embedded previews. Open a photo in the viewer to see the developed RAW.
If macOS cannot develop your camera's RAW files, Seula shows the embedded preview instead, and turning the setting off makes no difference. The Info Panel says so on a RAW Develop row: Preview only (unsupported camera).
Supported RAW formats
| Manufacturer or type | Extensions |
|---|---|
| Canon | CR2, CR3, CRW |
| Nikon | NEF, NRW |
| Sony | ARW, SR2, SRF |
| Fujifilm | RAF |
| Panasonic | RW2, RWL, RWZ |
| Olympus / OM System | ORF, ORI |
| Pentax | PEF |
| Samsung | SRW |
| Sigma (Foveon) | X3F |
| Hasselblad | 3FR, FFF |
| Mamiya | MEF |
| Minolta | MRW |
| Epson | ERF |
| Kodak | DCR |
| Phase One | IIQ |
| Leaf | MOS |
| Adobe (and many cameras) | DNG |
Seula also opens TIFF/TIF, HEIF/HEIC, and PSD files.
Camera support depends on your macOS version. A new camera may require a macOS update. If a RAW file will not open, see Troubleshooting.
JPEG+RAW pairs
If your camera saves each shot as a JPEG and RAW file, Seula can show the pair as one tile. The tile shows the JPEG, and a rating applies to both files. Change this in Settings ▸ General ▸ Browser ▸ Show JPEG and RAW pair as one image.
See Metadata and compatibility for storage details.