Raw file support in Picasa

Raw files can provide the highest quality images, by keeping all of the data that the image sensor in the camera is able to capture.  Unfortunately, each manufacturer uses their own raw format, and indeed raw formats from different cameras in a manufacturer's range may be quite different from each other. 

Picasa supports a number of raw formats.

There is an (undated) support page which provides the following list of supported raw formats:

Picasa currently supports RAW images from most of the cameras by the following manufacturers:

• Canon (.CRW, .CR2) (EXIF data from RAW images is only supported with CRW files that have associated .THM files.)
• Nikon (.NEF)
• Olympus (.ORF)
• Pentax (.PEF)
• Kodak (.DCR)
• Sony (.SRF)
• Minolta (.MRW)
• Fuji (.RAF)

At this time, we do not support RAW images from the following cameras:

• Kodak P850 (.KDC)
• Adobe file format (.DNG)
• FUJI S5200-S5600 (.RAF)
• OLYMPUS E-300, E-500 (.ORF)

Raw support has been expanded in the 2.5 beta, compared to the previous 2.2 version.  However, there are still formats such as the .ARW format raw files produced by the Sony DSLR-A100 that are not supported.

If you have a raw format image that Picasa does not support, then Google would like to have an example of that format - they have a standing request to send such images to raw@picasa.com.