Viewing and Organizing Camera RAW Images in Windows XP



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Viewing and Organizing Camera RAW

Images in Windows XP

Using the Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer

White Paper

Published: December, 2005

Software version: 1.0 Build 50

Contents

Introduction 1

About RAW Images and Windows 1

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer 2

Benefits for Digital Photographers 3

Limitations When Using Windows Explorer 3

Installing the Software 4

Organizing and Working with RAW Images in Windows 4

Working with Images Visually: Thumbnails 4

Viewing Information for RAW Images: InfoTips and the Properties Palette 5

Finding and Sorting Images: Custom Column Properties 5

Previewing RAW Images 6

About Deleting Images 7

Differences from the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer 7

About Viewing in Highest Quality 8

Slideshows 8

Printing RAW Images 8

Integrating Into a RAW Digital Workflow 9

Setting Viewer and Thumbnailer Options 9

Hardware and Software Requirements 10

Supported Image Types and Cameras 11

Introduction

Use of RAW image capture is preferred by many serious-minded photographers to preserve all the subtle color and detail possible from digital cameras. However, until now it has been impossible to view thumbnails and previews for RAW images in Microsoft© Windows© without use of special software.

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer provides thumbnails, previews, printing, and metadata display for RAW images from supported Canon and Nikon digital cameras on Windows XP. This tool, which is licensed at no cost by Microsoft, enables digital photographers to organize and work with RAW files within Windows in much the same way as with JPEG images. No more “guessing” which image is which!

This whitepaper provides an overview of the RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer, and explains how it can be used to enhance the digital photography workflow using the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.

Note: While we have taken care to ensure that this tool operates as it should, it is not part of Windows and is not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer questions about the Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer.

About RAW Images and Windows

Often likened to a ‘digital negative,’ a RAW image is the native image format for a growing number of quality digital cameras. RAW images typically contain the original camera sensor data recorded at the time of capture, along with camera settings and other information. Using special software, photographers can “process” RAW images using a personal computer and can vary the exposure, white balance, and other settings long after the image was captured. This creative flexibility and extra level of protection against mistakes are key reasons photographers choose to shoot RAW.

RAW images also preserve all of the quality capable of being rendered by the digital camera’s sensor. Capturing pictures in RAW avoids the inherent loss of color information and dynamic range that occurs when camera sensor data is processed to a compressed dynamic range format such as JPEG. For example, most current digital cameras are capable of capturing images with 12-bits of information per color channel. When processed to JPEG format, the image data is re-sampled to 8-bits per channel. As a result, some of the original information present in the image is lost, never to be recovered again. In addition, RAW images avoid any loss of fidelity due to image compression, as no “lossy” compression is used.

Today, RAW formats are not standardized across camera manufacturers. Each camera maker has its own RAW format (sometimes more than one). Additionally, the actual image data within the RAW file is specific to each camera model and sensor. As a consequence, only certain software programs can understand and process RAW images.

Some of the more common RAW image types in use today are:

|Vendor |File Extension |Camera Models |

|Canon |TIF |EOS 1D, EOS 1Ds |

| |CRW |EOS D30, D60, 10D, Digital Rebel, various PowerShot models |

| |CR2 |EOS 20D, 1D Mark II, 1Ds Mark II, Digital Rebel XT |

|Nikon |NEF |Nikon D-series digital SLRs and various Coolpix models |

|Kodak |DCR |Kodak DCS camera models |

|Olympus |ORF |Olympus E-series camera models |

|Fuji |RAF |Fuji S-series camera models |

Because of the camera-specific nature of RAW files, they are not supported natively within Windows. As a result, photographers shooting RAW have not been able to take advantage of the built-in features provided in Windows XP for viewing, organizing, and printing photos.

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer

The RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer is a free “PowerToy” for Microsoft Windows XP that provides the ability to view, organize, and print photos captured in supported camera RAW formats. The utility consists of two key components:

1. A Windows XP “shell extension” that provides thumbnail rendering, printing, and metadata display for RAW images.

2. A RAW image viewer application that provides previews, printing and slideshows of RAW and native image types. This application looks and works much like the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer with enhancements tailored to the needs of digital photographers.

These components work together to enhance the Windows XP “My Pictures” experience.

Note that the Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer does not replace RAW processing software from the camera manufacturer or other provider and does not have all the features of a RAW converter. Rather, it is intended to improve users’ ability to view and organize RAW images in Windows when using these other software tools.

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Benefits for Digital Photographers

Some of the benefits of the RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer are:

▪ High image quality. This software uses the camera vendors' own image processing libraries to provide the highest possible image fidelity.

▪ Superior color fidelity. Windows Image Color Management (ICM) is used to render images in the correct color space as determined by the photographer when the image was captured.

▪ Familiar user experience. This software builds on the familiar Windows user experience and requires little or no learning curve.

▪ Performance tuned for rapid previews. The software uses background processing and other techniques to ensure a good preview experience even for large images.

Limitations When Using Windows Explorer

While the RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer has been designed to address requirements of photographers working with RAW images, it does not extend support for RAW images to all of the Windows XP digital photography features. The primary limitations are:

▪ Windows “Filmstrip” View does not display previews for RAW images

▪ Windows “Picture Tasks” (in the Windows Task Pane) do not support RAW images. However, slideshows are supported in the RAW Image Viewer, and the user can print from within the Viewer or via right-clicking on the thumbnail in Windows and choosing ‘Print’. More details of these features are given below.

▪ Windows Camera and Scanner Wizard does not support acquisition of RAW images.

▪ Windows Picture and Fax Viewer does not support RAW images. However, the Microsoft RAW Image Viewer has a similar interface and supports most native image types. It can be used as an alternative to the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer in most instances.

Installing the Software

Microsoft suggests that customers install all critical and recommended Windows Updates prior to installing the RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer. Windows Updates can be found at .

Note that the software will not install correctly when users are logged on to Windows with a limited user account. To ensure correct installation, users should log on with administrative privileges before running Setup.

During installation the user is asked to choose the file types that the Microsoft RAW Image Viewer will open. By default, only RAW image types are selected; however, native image types such as BMP, TIFF and JPEG may also be chosen. If customers prefer to open a RAW image type using another software program (such as Adobe Photoshop) when double-clicking on it in Windows, these checkboxes can be cleared. (However, note that Photoshop or other editing software can be launched directly from the RAW Image Viewer by clicking on the ‘Edit’ button in the toolbar.)

Organizing and Working with RAW Images in Windows

Working with Images Visually: Thumbnails

After installing the software, thumbnails for RAW files are automatically displayed in Windows Explorer when in Thumbnail View or Filmstrip View. Compared to the default thumbnailing that may be installed with the camera manufacturer's software, the Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer Thumbnail provides the following benefits:

▪ Thumbnails are rendered in the background so that the user can work with folders having large numbers of RAW images

▪ Thumbnails are displayed in their proper orientation (vertically or horizontally) according to the EXIF orientation data present in the image (if any)

▪ Thumbnails are rendered in the correct color space (sRGB or Adobe RGB, depending on the as-shot settings on the camera)

▪ Thumbnails do not have black bars along the edges of the image which sometimes show up using other software

By default, Windows XP caches thumbnails so that they do not need to be regenerated each time a folder is viewed. If for some reason thumbnail caching is disabled, it can be enabled so that thumbnails appear even more quickly in the future. To do so, from the Tools menu in any Windows Explorer window, choose ‘Folder Options,’ then ‘View.’ Clear the check box for 'Do not cache thumbnails.'

Note that previews are not displayed while in Filmstrip View in Windows Explorer. To preview in image in the RAW Image Viewer instead, double-click it or right-click on the image and choose ‘Preview.’

Viewing Information for RAW Images: InfoTips and the Properties Palette

When using Windows Explorer, hovering with the mouse pointer over a RAW image will display helpful information about it, including image dimensions, the date the picture was taken, camera model, color space, aperture and shutter speed, ISO and other shot settings.

In addition, clicking the yellow “Properties” button in the RAW Image Viewer toolbar displays a floating properties palette containing shot settings and other “metadata” about an image. The properties palette can also display information for JPEG images.

Finding and Sorting Images: Custom Column Properties

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer adds a number of custom column properties to Windows Explorer so that users can easily sort RAW images based on certain shot settings. These include camera model, color space, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, focal length, and lens type.

To use custom column properties, switch to Details View, right-click on any column header field, and choose 'More...’  In the Choose Details dialog box, scroll down the list of available properties to check the ones desired. Once checked, they will show up as columns in Windows Explorer (see below) to make it easier for photographers to sort through collections of RAW images more easily.

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Previewing RAW Images

After installing the software, any supported RAW image type can be viewed in Windows by right-clicking on an image and choosing ‘Preview’ Double-clicking on an image will also open it in the RAW Image Viewer if the RAW Image Viewer has been configured as the default application for that file type.

The RAW Image Viewer looks and works much like the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. To navigate between images, click the ‘Next’ and ‘Previous’ buttons. Zoom in and out using the ‘Zoom’ buttons. You can also toggle the image between ‘Best Fit’ and ‘Actual Size’ modes.

The RAW Image Viewer also supports non-RAW file types such as TIFF, JPEG and BMP. See ‘Supported Image Types and Cameras’ below for more details.

Because RAW images can take time to decode, the RAW Image Viewer renders RAW images for some cameras in a two-step process: initially a lower-resolution preview is displayed while the RAW image is processed in the background. When the RAW image is ready, a high fidelity version of the image appears.

While RAW processing is taking place, '(Rendering...)' is displayed in the title bar. The preview image may also appear to be fuzzy or out of focus until the full size image is available, and certain RAW Image Viewer features are temporarily disabled during background RAW processing.

Most new cameras embed relatively large “preview” images in JPEG format in the RAW file. The RAW Image Viewer favors use of these preview images when they are of sufficient size (at least 1280 pixels on the long dimension). When an embedded JPEG image is displayed in lieu of the converted RAW file, the text ‘(Preview)’ is shown in the title bar. If you click the ‘Actual Size’ button to zoom in, the preview image is first scaled to 100% size while the full-size image is rendered in the background. '(Rendering...)' is displayed in the title bar. Note that some cameras have full size embedded previews—in this case, RAW conversion is never performed unless you click on the ‘Highest Quality’ button.

Although the RAW Image Viewer will favor use of embedded previews over RAW images, ICM is used to color manage embedded previews so that color fidelity is maintained.

Images can be rotated in the RAW Image Viewer; however, only the in-memory preview is rotated. The orientation is not saved with the RAW file.

About Deleting Images

Photographers often use image browser software to evaluate images and delete the ones they do not like. The RAW Image Viewer supports this process. Clicking on the 'Delete' button will move unwanted images into the Windows Recycle Bin, where they may be recovered if deleted by mistake.

By default, Windows prompts the user before moving items to the Recycle Bin. If users do not wish to be prompted each time, Recycle Bin preferences can be changed by right-clicking on the Recycle Bin icon, choosing 'Properties', then clearing the check box for 'Display delete confirmation dialog.'

Note that the delete button may be temporarily disabled during RAW processing.

Differences from the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer

While the RAW Image Viewer has been designed to look and work as closely as possible like the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, there are a few differences:

▪ The RAW Image Viewer does not support the display of multi-page fax documents in TIFF format (use the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer to view these files instead).

▪ Image support is extensible to support new camera models via future updates.

▪ In the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, clicking on the ‘Edit’ button closes the window and opens the image using Microsoft Paint. In the RAW Image Viewer, the 'Edit' button is configurable so that different software programs can be selected for each image type (see ‘Integrating Into a RAW Digital Workflow’ below).

▪ A 'Properties' button enables the user to view shot settings and other metadata for images.

▪ An 'Options' button allows the user to configure certain features of the RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer.

▪ A ‘Highest Quality’ button enables the explicit processing of the RAW image for certain camera models where full-size previews are available (see below).

About Viewing in Highest Quality

The preview image that the RAW Image Viewer displays initially is of varying resolution depending on the camera model. To obtain a full-size image, the RAW Image Viewer typically has to process the RAW image in the background. However, some cameras can provide a full-resolution preview (with slightly reduced quality) more quickly than a fully processed RAW image. When this feature is available, the RAW Image Viewer uses it in preference to full RAW processing. In these cases, '(Preview)' is displayed in the title bar. To see the image in highest quality, click the 'Highest Quality' button in the toolbar.

Slideshows

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer supports slideshows for RAW images. To see a slideshow that includes RAW images, open an image in the Microsoft RAW Image Viewer and click the Slideshow button. Users can start, stop and pause slideshows using the mouse. The duration each image is displayed during slideshow can also be changed in Options.

Printing RAW Images

Users can print RAW images either from Windows Explorer or from the RAW Image Viewer.

To print a single image from Windows Explorer, select it, right-click and choose 'Print...' from the context menu. After a few seconds during which time the RAW image is being decoded, the Windows Photo Printing Wizard runs.

Multiple images can be selected and printed: however, the Windows Photo Printing Wizard will run once for each image selected.

Images can also be easily printed from within the RAW Image Viewer by clicking on the ‘Print’ button.

When a RAW image is rendered for printing, the camera's as-shot settings will be used for processing.

Saving Images

Click the 'Save As...' button to save the current image in a new location or with a different name. Images may be saved as either JPEG or TIFF. The RAW Viewer will save the embedded preview or the full RAW image, depending on which is currently displayed (the Viewer's title bar will say "(Preview)" if a preview is loaded). Therefore, the pixel dimensions of the saved image may vary. To always save the full size image, click the 'Highest Quality' button to render the RAW image, and then click 'Save As' to save it. (Note that for some cameras such as the D2X, the preview is the same size as the processed RAW image.)

The RAW Viewer always previews and saves images using as-shot settings. Therefore, this feature is best used as a convenience when you need to save a file quickly. For more flexibility when processing the RAW image, you can use the camera manufacturer’s own software or other RAW conversion tools.

Integrating Into a RAW Digital Workflow

The RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer may be used with other digital imaging software in a cohesive workflow. The RAW Image Viewer supports an 'Edit' button that allows the photographer to configure their preferred editor for different image types. An image may be quickly previewed in the RAW Image Viewer, and then passed to another program such as Adobe Photoshop or Nikon Capture for RAW conversion and subsequent editing. If the user prefers to make one of these tools the default application for certain RAW image types, the image can still be previewed in Windows by right-clicking on the image in Windows Explorer and choosing 'Preview'.

Setting Viewer and Thumbnailer Options

The RAW Image Viewer provides an Options button on the toolbar that allows users to configure certain settings. These settings are:

▪ In background, cache up to... This setting determines how many total images the RAW Image Viewer will cache in memory and how many images will be pre-loaded in the background. The number of images pre-loaded is half the cache setting value; so if the cache setting is 4, the RAW Image Viewer pre-loads 2 images, and begins unloading images when more than 4 are in the cache (not counting the current image). Setting this value to a higher number may improve performance, but uses more memory and causes more background processing. Users can experiment to find the best balance of performance and memory usage for their system. The valid range for this setting is 2-20; the default value is 4.

▪ Delay start of full size image processing by...  This setting lets users specify the amount of time (in thousandths of a second) between display of the low-resolution preview and the start of full-resolution image processing. Processing a RAW image is an expensive task that takes time to cancel when the current images changes. This setting prevents the RAW Image Viewer from starting RAW image processing too quickly when clicking between images. To see the full-resolution image sooner, choose a lower value; to delay the start of background RAW processing, choose a higher value. Users can experiment to find the setting that works best for their viewing habits.

▪ Slideshow: how often should images change?  Sets the desired number of seconds each image should be displayed in a slideshow. The actual duration may vary based on the size of the RAW image and the performance of your system.

▪ Render thumbnails for Canon RAW TIF images.  Enables or disables thumbnail rendering in Windows for Canon RAW images stored in the TIFF file format; for example, from the EOS 1D and EOS 1Ds cameras. This may improve the appearance of thumbnails from these images. While this should not effect how Windows renders thumbnails for other TIFF images, this feature can be disabled if desired.

▪ Select the file types for which you want the RAW Viewer to be the default application...  This lets users specify which image types the Viewer should open by default when the image is double-clicked in Windows Explorer.  Check the types the RAW Image Viewer should open; uncheck those that should be opened by other software. Note that file type associations can be changed in Windows Explorer by choosing 'Folder Options' from the 'Tools' menu, then selecting the 'File Types' tab. When another software program has been made the default application for a file type using this mechanism (for example, setting Nikon Capture as the default application for NEF files), users can still preview the image in the RAW Image Viewer by right-clicking on the image in Windows Explorer and choosing 'Preview.'

▪ Choose the preferred editor for each image type... This setting allows users to choose the editing application that is associated with each image type. When the 'Edit' button in the toolbar is clicked, the RAW Image Viewer closes and the configured software program is started. This setting also enables the 'Edit' command when an image is right-clicked in Windows Explorer. Note that not all RAW processing software supports a "document" metaphor and therefore may not open the image automatically. In this case, users may have to navigate to the image from inside the application.

Note that help text for the Options dialog is provide through the '?' icon on the title bar: click on this and the cursor changes to a '?'. Users can then click on any control in the Options dialog to see additional information.

Hardware and Software Requirements

The following hardware and software requirements are necessary to use this software:

▪ Operating System. Windows XP Home or Professional (including Tablet PC and Media Center Editions) with Service Pack 2 or later installed. This program is not recommended for use on any other version of Windows. 

▪ Hardware. A system with at least 256 Mb of RAM and a Pentium III or better CPU is required. For best performance, 512 Mb of RAM and a Pentium 4 or better CPU is recommended.

▪ Microsoft .NET Framework.  Version 1.1 of the Microsoft .NET Framework is required. This software will be automatically installed when running Setup if it is not already present on your system. Other versions of the .NET Framework may be safely installed on your system without affecting the use of this software.

Supported Image Types and Cameras

This release of the RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer supports most models of Canon and Nikon cameras capable of RAW capture, including the latest professional models such as the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II and Nikon D2x. A complete list of supported cameras is provided in the

The software supports the following image types:

- Canon EOS RAW images (.crw, .cr2, .tif)

- Nikon Electronic Format images (.nef)

- Bitmap images (.bmp)

- JPEG images (.jpg, .jpe, .jpeg)

- Windows Metafile images (.wmf)

- Tagged Image File Format images (.tif, .tiff)

- Graphics Interchange Format images (.gif)

- Portable Network Graphics images (.png)

Supported camera models include the following:

- Canon EOS 1D

- Canon EOS 1D Mark II

- Canon EOS 1D Mark IIn

- Canon EOS 1Ds

- Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II

- Canon EOS 5D

- 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 D2Hs

- Nikon D2x

- Nikon D70

- Nikon D70s

- Nikon D50

- Nikon D100

- Nikon D200[1]

- Nikon Coolpix 8800

- Nikon Coolpix 5700

Note that other models of cameras may work, but have not been explicitly tested by Microsoft.

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* Nikon D200 support includes display of thumbnails and previews; however, viewing in highest quality mode is not supported.

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Before and after: the default Windows experience (top), and the experience after installing the RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer.

The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication.

This white paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS

DOCUMENT.

Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.

© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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Windows Picture Tasks do not

support RAW images.

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Working with images visually. Thumbnails for RAW images are displayed in Windows Explorer in their proper orientation.

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Clicking on the Properties button in the RAW Image Viewer displays shot settings.

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Custom column properties include ISO speed, lens type, and white balance.

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Adding custom columns to Detail View in Windows Explorer.

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Preview RAW images by double-clicking on the image thumbnail, or by choosing ‘Preview’ from the Windows context menu.

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The RAW Image Viewer looks and works much like the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.

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Using the Windows Photo Printing wizard to print RAW images.

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The RAW Image Viewer prompts you to select an editor when none is configured.

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The Options dialog enables users to control background processing and other settings.

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File types and editors can be configured.

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