Raw SmithGuide
Import RAW photos from Files, Photos, a camera or a card
To import RAW photos into Raw Smith, use the Import RAWs button in the library and choose From Files…, From Photos…, or a camera or card reader connected over USB. Raw Smith brings in the RAWs, skips anything it already has, and opens Last Import when it's done.
Raw Smith opens every RAW format Apple's RAW engine decodes on your device, plus DNG and Apple ProRAW. If you're not sure about your camera, look it up in the supported cameras list.
How to import RAW files from Files or Finder
Tap or click Import RAWs in the library toolbar and choose From Files…. You can pick several files at once, or a whole folder. Only RAW files are taken: JPEGs and TIFFs in the same folder are left out.
You can also open a RAW from another app, such as Files, Mail or AirDrop on iPhone and iPad, or Finder on the Mac, and choose Raw Smith. It's imported the same way.
Copied or referenced?
| iPhone and iPad | Every RAW is copied into Raw Smith's own folder in Files (On My iPhone or On My iPad › Raw Smith), under the photo's name. To move files picked in Files instead of copying them, turn on Move RAWs picked in Files instead of copying them in Settings › Editor. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Files and folders you import stay where they are, and Raw Smith refers to them in place. Only RAWs imported from Photos or a camera are copied into the app's storage. |
On iPhone and iPad, Raw Smith also notices when RAWs are added to or deleted from its folder in Files. It asks whether to Add the new ones, or whether to Remove from Library a photo whose RAW was deleted.
How to import RAW and ProRAW photos from the Photos app
Choose Import RAWs › From Photos… and select one or more photos. Raw Smith takes the RAW behind each one: the RAW of a RAW+JPEG pair, or the DNG of an Apple ProRAW photo. Photos that are only JPEG or HEIC have nothing to edit from the RAW, so they're skipped, and Raw Smith tells you how many.
How to import from a camera or SD card over USB
Connect your camera with its USB cable, or put the card in a card reader. Then open Import RAWs: the camera or card appears by name under Cameras and Cards. Choose it to open the import sheet.
- The card's RAWs are shown grouped by day. Ones already in your library are badged Imported, and new ones are selected for you.
- Use Select New, Select All or Select None to change the selection (on iPhone they're in a Select menu), then tap Import.
- Eject unmounts the card when you're finished.
If the sheet says No RAWs, the camera shot JPEG only. Set its image quality to RAW or RAW+JPEG for the next shoot.
On the Mac, a connected camera or card also appears under Devices in the sidebar; right-click it for Import… and Eject. On iPhone it's in the Devices section of the Albums tab.
Allowing camera access on iPhone and iPad
iOS asks before an app can read a USB camera. If nothing shows up, open Import RAWs and use Find Connected Cameras, or Allow Camera Access in Settings if you turned it down earlier. Settings › Cameras & Cards in Raw Smith shows what's connected and whether access is allowed.
While an import runs
A progress screen shows Importing 12 of 240 and so on. Hide tucks it into a bar at the bottom so you can keep working; Stop ends the import and keeps every RAW already brought in.
Albums, names and keywords after an import
When an import finishes, Raw Smith offers a sheet to file the new photos:
- Album: Add To a new album or an existing one.
- Rename These Photos: give them names from a pattern, such as the date and a number. See renaming photos.
- Caption, Keywords (comma-separated) and a Preset to apply to all of them.
Tap Done to apply or Skip to leave them as they are. If you'd rather not see the sheet, turn off Ask After Every Import; you can turn it back on with Offer an album and names after importing in Settings › Editor.
Either way the library switches to Last Import, so the new photos are in front of you. On iPhone that's Albums › Last Import.
Duplicates
Raw Smith recognises a RAW it already has, even if it's been renamed or comes from a different place, and doesn't import it twice. You'll see These RAWs are already in the library, or Duplicates were skipped when only some of them were.
When a RAW won't import
If Apple's RAW engine can't decode a camera yet, Raw Smith says so by name: “This system can't decode RAW files from the … yet.” Apple adds cameras in software updates, so check the supported cameras list and keep your device up to date. If your camera is listed and a file still won't open, tell us.
Next: organise the library or go straight to picking your keepers.
Questions
How do I import RAW photos from an SD card on iPhone?
Plug in a USB-C SD card reader, tap Import RAWs in the library and pick the card under Cameras and Cards. Raw Smith shows the card's RAWs grouped by day with the new ones already selected; tap Import.
Can Raw Smith import RAW files from the Photos app?
Yes. Choose Import RAWs › From Photos… and pick RAW or ProRAW photos. For a RAW+JPEG pair it imports the RAW behind the photo; photos that have no RAW original are skipped.
Does Raw Smith copy my RAW files?
On iPhone and iPad every imported RAW is copied into the app's folder in Files (On My iPhone or On My iPad › Raw Smith). On the Mac, files and folders you import from Finder stay where they are and are referenced; only RAWs from Photos or a camera are copied into the app's storage.
What happens if I import the same RAW twice?
Raw Smith recognises it and skips it. You'll see “These RAWs are already in the library” or “Duplicates were skipped”.
Which RAW files can Raw Smith open?
Every RAW format Apple's RAW engine decodes on your device, including DNG and Apple ProRAW. Check your camera in the supported cameras list.