Guide
Search RAW photos without a catalog.
Your RAW files are spread across drives, and most never went into a catalog. Here’s how to search them where they are.
In short: Add a folder of RAW photos to Sift. It reads the preview the camera stored in each file, so photos come in quickly, then lets you search in plain words or by person. Your files aren’t moved, renamed or changed, and you don’t need a catalog.
No editor needed. Sift works on its own as a desktop app on Mac and Windows: search, preview, build Selects and share footage by link without opening an editor. The editor panels are optional.
How it works
Most RAW files contain a sharp preview from the camera. Sift reads that preview on your computer instead of developing the full file, which is why large folders come in quickly. Your RAW files stay exactly as they were.
Formats
Common formats include CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, RAF, ORF and RW2. We’ve checked real Canon and Nikon files. Other cameras should work, so try a folder of yours during the trial.
What it won’t do
Sift doesn’t develop or edit RAW files. On Google Drive, RAW photos work only where Google makes a preview, which many CR3 files don’t have. The same files work from a local drive.
Step by step.
- Add a folder
Choose a folder or drive of RAW photos.
- Let Sift read the previews
It works on your computer. Your files don’t change.
- Search
Type what you remember, or a person’s name.
- Open it where you edit
Show a photo in Finder or Explorer, send your picks to Lightroom Classic, or gather them into a folder for Photoshop.
Questions
Does this replace Lightroom?
No. Sift finds photos; you still edit in your usual app.
Does it write to my RAW files?
No. Sift doesn’t change your files.
Can it search unplugged drives?
Yes. Results stay in Sift’s index. Plug the drive in to open the original.
Can I try it free?
Yes. Free for 3 days or 25 searches. No card. Then $99 a year.
Keep reading.
Try it on your own footage.
Free for 3 days or 25 searches. No card. Then $99 a year for one computer, Mac or Windows. Everything in Sift, including the optional editor panels and one free link to share footage.