How do I open a .raw file?

On Windows use Photos (with the free Raw Image Extension); on macOS use Photos (built in); on Linux use darktable. Unprocessed sensor data from a camera — and, confusingly, a literal extension used by Panasonic and Leica.

Can I convert a .raw file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .jpg, .dng, .tiff, .png or .psd, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

.raw files

.raw file

Camera Raw Image

Unprocessed sensor data from a camera — and, confusingly, a literal extension used by Panasonic and Leica.

What opens a .raw file

Windows: Photos (with the free Raw Image Extension), Adobe Lightroom, darktable, RawTherapee
macOS: Photos (built in), Preview (built in), Adobe Lightroom, darktable
Linux: darktable, RawTherapee, GIMP (via darktable plugin)

What a .raw file is

"Raw" usually means the whole family of unprocessed camera formats, each vendor using its own extension: .cr2/.cr3 for Canon, .nef for Nikon, .arw for Sony. Some Panasonic and Leica bodies genuinely name their files .raw. Either way the file is sensor data plus metadata, not a picture, so it must be developed in a raw editor before it looks right, and old software will not recognise files from a camera released after it.

Converting it

A .raw file is commonly converted to .jpg, .dng, .tiff, .png or .psd. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

Details

Extension: .raw
Full name: Camera Raw Image
Category: Images
Created by: Various camera makers
Format: Binary

Common questions

How do I open a .raw file?: On Windows use Photos (with the free Raw Image Extension); on macOS use Photos (built in); on Linux use darktable. Unprocessed sensor data from a camera — and, confusingly, a literal extension used by Panasonic and Leica.
What is a .raw file?: Camera Raw Image. "Raw" usually means the whole family of unprocessed camera formats, each vendor using its own extension: .cr2/.cr3 for Canon, .nef for Nikon, .arw for Sony. Some Panasonic and Leica bodies genuinely name their files .raw.
Can I convert a .raw file?: Yes. It is usually converted to .jpg, .dng, .tiff, .png or .psd, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

.jpg — JPEG Image The lossy photo format that every camera, phone and website has used since the 1
.png — Portable Network Graphics Lossless image format with transparency, made for screenshots, logos and web gra
.jpeg — JPEG Image (four-letter form) The same format as .jpg — the longer spelling, kept alive by Macs and Unix syste
.heic — High Efficiency Image Container The format an iPhone saves photos in — about half the size of a JPEG at the same
.webp — WebP Image Google's web image format — smaller than JPEG or PNG, and now supported everywhe
.gif — Graphics Interchange Format The 256-colour animation format from 1987 that refuses to die.
.psd — Adobe Photoshop Document Photoshop's working file, keeping layers, masks and text editable.
.svg — Scalable Vector Graphics An XML text format describing shapes rather than pixels, so it stays sharp at an
.ai — Adobe Illustrator Artwork Illustrator's vector working file, used for logos, icons and print artwork.
.avif — AV1 Image File Format A royalty-free image format built on the AV1 video codec, smaller than JPEG or W
.tiff — Tagged Image File Format The lossless, multi-page image format used in printing, scanning and archiving.
.ico — Windows Icon A container holding one icon at several sizes, used by Windows and by website fa

Sources

Media Types Registry — IANA
Official vendor product documentation — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked