Raw-image viewer gets new camera support
A new update expands the range of cameras supported by a program that can ease the pains photography buffs often have when viewing images stored in hard-to-decode raw image formats.
Michael Tapes released Instant JPEG from Raw 1.1 on Wednesday, a month after the IJFR debut. The software extends file-browser software to show thumbnail views of raw images, doing so by extracting the JPEG that's typically stored within the raw image.
Photo enthusiasts and pros like raw files for their flexibility, but because each camera has its own format, handling them can be a pain. IJFR extends Mac OS X and Windows file browsers so it can show a rough-and-ready JPEG preview version of a raw file, which often is enough to sort or identify images.
The new version supports Sony raw files and a number of new cameras, Tapes said: Canon's 50D, the Panasonic LX3, the Sigma DP-1, and Leica's M8.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
