One of the best things about digital SLR cameras and higher-end point-and-shoot cameras is the ability to shoot in RAW mode. RAW images give you uncompressed, data-heavy versions of your digital photos that can be used for intensive edits and adjustments without negatively impacting the image quality.
However, not all of the most-recent cameras’ RAW format images are supported by the software, so it’s best to check the list of supported models on the Microsoft Camera Codec Pack download page. Notably, many RAW-shooting DSLRs, interchangeable-lens compacts, and advanced point-and-shoot cameras released in the past year or two may have RAW format images that aren’t supported by the codec pack–at least not yet. If you have an older RAW-shooting camera or a new camera that saves files in a long-supported RAW file type, you should be in good shape with this free codec pack. It’s a handy “one-stop-download” that supports RAW formats that include Canon‘s .CR2 files, Nikon‘s .NEF files, Sony‘s .ARW files, Olympus‘s .ORF files, Pentax‘s .PEF files, and others.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn't affect our editorial independence.