RawCull Documentation
System Requirements
- macOS Tahoe and later
- Apple Silicon (M-series) only
The release on GitHub may be more current than the release on the Apple App Store. The builds on both platforms are identical, and the GitHub release is signed and notarized by Apple.
The Sharpness Scoring may occasionally miss details. I’m actively improving its accuracy in every new release. This process takes time and effort, and I’m using AI to help. My expertise is limited, so AI support is crucial for achieving the desired results.
Occasionally, a bugfix release or a new release with enhancements is published on GitHub but has not yet been updated on the Apple App Store. Please check the GitHub and the relase notes if you discover a bug or two. The Apple App Store release.
Security & Privacy: RawCull is digitally signed and notarized by Apple to protect against tampering. It runs as a sandboxed application, ensuring your data and system remain secure.
Welcome to RawCull
RawCull is a comprehensive, native macOS application developed utilizing Swift and SwiftUI for macOS Tahoe. Specifically designed for photographers, it streamlines the photo culling process, facilitating users in swiftly identifying and retaining only their most exceptional photographs. RawCull is compatible with ARW files for Sony ILCE-1, ILCE-1M2 (Sony A1), and ILCE-7M5 (Sony A7V5).
ARW body compatibility diagnostic
The following Sony bodies successfully extract EXIF, focus points, sharpness, and saliency, except for the ILCE-7RM5, which failed to extract saliency on one of its three files. The ILCE-1M2 is the only body tested across all three Sony RAW size variants (S/M/L). All files use compressed RAW, and every body achieves full-resolution L-size output, ranging from 12.4 MP (ILCE-1M2 S-crop) to 60.2 MP (ILCE-7RM5). The ILCE-7M5 and ILCE-7RM5 are the next bodies to focus on, but I depend on test ARW files to properly test them before officially concluding support for these two bodies.
| Camera Body | EXIF | FocusPt | Sharpness | Saliency | RAW Types | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILCE-1M2 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Compressed | 4320 × 2880 (12.4 MP, S), 5616 × 3744 (21.0 MP, M), 8640 × 5760 (49.8 MP, L) |
| ILCE-1 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Compressed | 8640 × 5760 (49.8 MP, L) |
| ILCE-7M5 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Compressed | 7008 × 4672 (32.7 MP, L) |
| ILCE-7RM5 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Compressed | 9504 × 6336 (60.2 MP, L) |
| ILCE-9M3 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Compressed | 6000 × 4000 (24.0 MP, L) |
Key Features
RawCull has no editing capabilities — it is purpose-built for viewing, selecting, and copying photos.
- High Performance: Developed natively with Swift and SwiftUI, optimized for Apple Silicon-based Macs, utilizing only Apple’s official Swift and SwiftUI frameworks, eliminating the need for third-party libraries
- Small application: The DMG file is about 3 MB in size
- User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive controls designed for efficient culling workflows
- Privacy-First: All data remains on your Mac, eliminating cloud synchronization and data collection
- Security: Digitally signed and notarized by Apple, it is also a sandboxed application, providing enhanced security
- Free and Open Source: Available under the MIT license
- Non-Destructive: It only reads ARW files, creating and storing thumbnails separately in the sandbox
- Developed using official Apple Frameworks only: latest Swift version, strict concurrency checking enabled, no third-party libraries which may break the app
The actual copy of ARW files from source to destination is non-destructive. It utilizes the default /usr/bin/rsync as part of macOS. Prior to the actual copy of files, a --dry-run parameter can be employed to simulate the files that will be copied to the destination.
Both scanning and creating thumbnails, as well as extracting JPGs from ARW files, can be terminated using the shortcut ⌘K or by the menu Actions → Abort task.
Installation
RawCull is available for download on the Apple App Store or from the GitHub Repository.
For security, please verify the SHA-256 hash after downloading if installed from GitHub. Current updates and release notes are available in the changelog.
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