File Formats

RapidRAW reads a wide range of camera RAW formats and most common standard image formats. This page is the reference table.

RAW input formats

These are decoded via dnglab (Rust port of the DNG/RAW decoders, formerly known as rawler). Files of these extensions appear automatically in the library.

Manufacturer	Extension(s)
Adobe	`.dng` (also covers DJI, Leica, Ricoh that emit DNG)
Apple	`.pro` (ProRAW)
ARRI	`.ari`
Canon	`.crw`, `.cr2`, `.cr3`
Casio	`.bay`
Contax	`.raw`
Epson	`.erf`
Fuji	`.raf`
Hasselblad	`.3fr`, `.fff`
Imacon / Phase One	`.iiq`
Kodak	`.kdc`, `.k25`, `.dcs`, `.dcr`
Leaf	`.mos`
Leica	`.rwl` (also `.dng` for newer bodies)
Mamiya	`.mef`
Minolta	`.mrw`
Nikon	`.nef`, `.nrw`
Olympus	`.orf`
Panasonic	`.rw2`, `.raw`
Pentax	`.pef`, `.ptx`
Samsung	`.srw`
Sigma	`.x3f`
Sony	`.arw`, `.srf`, `.sr2`

What to do if your camera isn't supported

RapidRAW does not implement RAW decoding itself. It bundles dnglab (github.com/dnglab/dnglab), an open-source Rust library that handles every RAW format above.

If your camera or specific RAW variant isn't supported, the right path is:

Open an issue at dnglab/dnglab with sample files (instructions below). This is the upstream project that adds new camera support.
Once dnglab support is added, open an issue at RapidRAW so the maintainer can update the bundled dnglab version.

This two-step flow keeps the upstream library and RapidRAW's bundled copy in sync.

How to contribute RAW samples

The dnglab project needs a complete sample set to add a new camera. Quick guide (the canonical instructions are in the dnglab repo):

Scene: properly exposed daylight outdoor scene with many colors (landscape, fruit basket, colorful houses). Avoid people, cars, color checker cards, copyrighted property.
License: samples must be CC-0. By submitting, you confirm you're the copyright owner.
Filename: descriptive, like CANON_5DMK3_ISO_100_SRAW.CR2. Don't submit IMG_0001.CR2.
Upload: zip the set, use a service like WeTransfer, and link in the dnglab issue.

Per-manufacturer core sets (typical):

Canon (CR3): RAW + CRAW at ISO 100, 800, MAX. Add Burst, Dual Pixel, HEIF if supported. Set camera copyright to "CC-0" before shooting.
Olympus / OM Digital (ORF): ISO 100, plus high-resolution mode (handheld and tripod) if supported.
Fujifilm (RAF): uncompressed, lossless compressed, lossy compressed at ISO 100.
Panasonic (RW2): ISO 100 with all crops (1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9).
Phase One / Leaf (IIQ): IIQ-L, IIQ-S, IIQ-Sv2 at ISO 100.
Pentax (PEF/DNG): PEF and DNG at ISO 100, plus high-resolution / pixel-shift modes if supported.
Nikon / Sony (NEF/ARW): every combination of compression (12bit/14bit, compressed/uncompressed/lossless), plus L/M/S sizes and APS-C S35 mode.

For the full, current per-manufacturer instructions, see the dnglab CONTRIBUTING-RAW.md (or whatever the project calls its sample-contribution guide at the time you're reading this).

Lens corrections (separate library)

Lens correction profiles come from Lensfun (github.com/lensfun/lensfun), not dnglab. If your specific lens isn't being corrected, open an issue with lensfun. When the upstream profile is added, RapidRAW gets it on the next build that updates the bundled Lensfun database.

Standard image input formats

Category	Extensions
Standard	`.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.png`, `.gif`, `.bmp`, `.tiff`, `.tif`, `.webp`, `.jxl`
HDR / wide gamut	`.exr`, `.hdr`
Graphics / icons	`.tga`, `.ico`, `.dds`
Specialist	`.qoi`, `.ff` (farbfeld)
Netpbm	`.pnm`, `.pbm`, `.pgm`, `.ppm`, `.pam`

JPEG / PNG / TIFF files can be edited like RAWs (the same adjustment pipeline runs) but with less recovery headroom because the source is already 8-bit (or 16-bit for some TIFFs).

Export formats

Format	Encoder	Quality control	Notes
JPEG	mozjpeg	Quality 0–100	Most-compatible. Lossy.
PNG	image crate	(lossless)	No quality slider. Larger files. Supports transparency.
TIFF	image crate	Compressed / uncompressed toggle	Lossless. Good for archival or further editing in another tool.
WebP	webp	Quality 0–100	Smaller than JPEG at similar visual quality. Wide modern support.
JPEG XL	jxl-encoder	Quality 0–100	Excellent quality/size ratio; limited support outside modern browsers.
AVIF	avif	Quality 0–100	Newer codec; encode time is slower than JPEG.
CUBE LUT	(special)	—	Exports your edit's color/tone pipeline as a 3D LUT for use in video apps.

The CUBE export is unique. It doesn't write the photo, it writes the transformation. Useful when you want to apply your RapidRAW look in DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, or another LUT-aware tool.

Resize options on export

Available for any pixel-based export:

By width / height in pixels (longest edge or specific dimension).
By percentage of the original.
Don't enlarge: checkbox that prevents upscaling files smaller than the requested target size.

Metadata behavior

Option	Default	What it does
Keep metadata	On	Embed EXIF (camera, lens, capture time, copyright) in the exported file.
Strip GPS	Off	Remove location data only; keep the rest.
Preserve timestamps	Off	Use the EXIF capture date as the file's filesystem timestamp instead of the export time.

Stripping GPS while keeping the rest of EXIF is the recommended setting for any web-bound export.

Sidecar files

Two sidecar formats are produced by RapidRAW:

File	Purpose
`.rrdata`	The non-destructive edit sidecar. Created the first time you adjust a photo. JSON. Tiny (a few KB). One per photo plus one per virtual copy.
`.rrexif`	A separate EXIF-preservation sidecar created when an operation produces a new pixel file (Denoise, Stitch, HDR Merge, Negative Convert) to keep the original camera metadata intact.

When backing up or moving photos, always include both .rrdata and .rrexif alongside the originals.

XMP compatibility

RapidRAW can sync with Adobe's XMP metadata standard for ratings, color labels, and tags. This means:

Ratings/labels you set in RapidRAW can be read by Adobe Lightroom (when XMP sync is enabled).
Ratings/labels set in Lightroom can be read into RapidRAW.

Not all adjustments map between the two (they use different math) but ratings, labels, and tags do.

File associations

When installing on Windows or macOS, RapidRAW registers itself as a file handler for the supported extensions listed in tauri.conf.json. Double-click any supported file to open it directly.