Apple Updates OS X 10.7 Lion, 10.6 Snow Leopard with New Digital Camera RAW Formats

A new software update tasked with adding RAW image compatibility for several new cameras in Aperture 3 and iPhoto '11 is now available from Apple.

Listed as 'Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.8', the new release adds RAW image compatibility for the following cameras to Aperture 3 and iPhoto '11, Apple says.

- Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200
- Olympus PEN E-P3
- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G3
- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF3
- Samsung NX11
- Samsung NX100
- Sony Alpha NEX-C3
- Sony Alpha SLT-A35

Customers are directed to Apple’s Support site where the Mac maker notes that “Digital camera RAW formats retain more image information than JPEGs and can produce better results when used with imaging applications such as Aperture and iPhoto.”

According to the company, OS X Lion provides system-level support for digital camera RAW formats from a huge array of cameras, to which the ones listed above have been added.

Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.8 is to be applied to systems running Mac OS X 10.6.5 Snow Leopard or later, and OS X 10.7 Lion or later.

Supported Languages include Deutsch, English, Français, Español, Italiano, Nederlands, and Chinese.

Weighing in at 6.91 MB, Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.8 is immediately available either via Apple Software Update, or as a standalone download through Apple Support, or Softpedia (link below).

Download Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.8 (Free)

Apple is known to be currently testing OS X 10.7.2 internally.

The third beta, build 11C43, was released to developers last week with focus areas including AirPort, AppKit, GraphicsDrivers, iCal, iChat, Mac App Store, Mail, Spotlight and Time Machine.

The build has no known issues. When it’s released to the public, OS X 10.7.2 Lion will include the new Digital camera RAW compatibility, as well as several security fixes and perhaps a couple of new features.