Leica RAW to PSD Converter

Leica RAW (RWL) is the raw file format written by Leica compact cameras in the D-Lux and V-Lux lines. It stores the sensor data exactly as captured, with no sharpening, noise reduction, or white balance applied, which is why raw files are often described as digital negatives. RWL is closely related to Panasonic’s RW2 format, since the two manufacturers shared camera designs, and Leica’s professional bodies typically record DNG instead.

How to open a Leica RAW file?

Leica bundles Adobe Photoshop Lightroom with many of its cameras, and Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw is the most straightforward way to open RWL.

RawTherapee and darktable also read RWL, while XnView MP is good for quickly browsing a shoot. If an older program will not accept RWL, convert it first with the Adobe DNG Converter.

Developed by: Leica Camera AG

Initial Release: 2008

Photoshop Document (PSD) is the default file type for Adobe Photoshop, a powerful and complex graphic design program. PSD can store an image along with a complex array of its corresponding layers, vector paths, objects, filters, and more, all in one file! PSD allows a user to make surgical edits on individual components of an image or a graphic design while retaining the file’s information in an accessible format. One drawback of PSD is that it can be large and unwieldy.

How to open a PSD file?

Adobe Photoshop is the most common program to open a PSD file. A free alternative to Adobe products is the GNU Image Manipulation Program, otherwise known as GIMP.

Due to the size of PSD files, they are not easy to transport, store, or share. To overcome this, PSD is often converted to a file format that can compress the data. Most often, the conversion is to JPEG, which offers lossy compression, or PNG, which offers lossless compression.

Developed by: Adobe Inc.

Initial Release: 19 February 1990

Useful links:

https://www.lifewire.com/psd-file-2622194