FastRawViewer is a useful tool for viewing and processing RAW images.

The program claims to support "almost every single existing RAW format", "including native out-of-camera DNG files as well as the files converted to DNG". We didn't test that, but it had no problem at all with our Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic RAWs.

It's super-fast, too, rendering even our largest test images in a fraction of a second. Not bad, especially as FastRawViewer also displays the file name, resolution, key EXIF metadata, the actual RAW histogram, and more.

Crucially, the developer claims FastRawViewer is "the only WYSIWYG RAW viewer that allows to see RAW exactly as a converter will "see" it", giving you the most accurate look at the image.

There are tools to highlight under and overexposed areas of the image, and manually correct any issues. Exposure changes can be recorded in XMP files, ready for use by Adobe Bridge/ Camera Raw/ Lightroom.

You also get features to highlight focus peaking (the sharpest areas of an image), check noise levels, adjust white balance, boost shadows, apply tone curves, assign an XMP rating or label.

Once you've finished, you can move the picture to defined "accepted" or "rejected" folders, pass it to other programs for further processing, or just click "Next" to check the next image.

Version 1.10.3 changes include:

- Faster thumbnail reading, especially on slow media/WiFi
- Run program/Pass image in main menu/context menus has been reworked
- (Windows only) New Preferences setting: Interface - Set the main menubar colors to match the main window.
- New setting: Folders panel - gear menu - Show horizontal scrollbar
- (Windows only) A warning is issued if 'pass image to external program' requires privilege escalation.