RawCull Documentation

RawCull

RawCull is a native macOS app for reviewing RAW photos before editing. It scans a folder, shows fast previews and camera information, records your picks and ratings, compares similar frames, and copies the selected files to another folder.

RawCull does not edit or delete the source photos.

RawCull 3 adds optional local AI for semantic search, visual similarity, and subject-aware burst review. These features require macOS 27; the current macOS 26 release keeps the established non-AI workflow. See AI in RawCull for details.

Quick Start

1. Select Add Catalog and choose a folder of RAW files.
2. Review the photos in Loupe or Grid view.
3. Press P to keep, X to reject, or 2–5 to rate a photo.
4. Use Sharpness and Similarity when you need help comparing many frames.
5. Select Copy to copy photos rated 2 stars or higher to your editing folder.

Ratings, sharpness results, and catalog state are saved automatically on your Mac.

Main Views

Requirements and Files

• macOS Tahoe 26.2 or later for the current release; macOS 27 for RawCull 3
• Apple Silicon Mac
• Sony ARW and Nikon NEF catalogs

Sony ARW is the primary format. Some functions depend on the camera metadata and RAW support available in macOS. Demosaiced RAW preview and export are Sony-specific; embedded previews are used when RAW development is unavailable.

Install

Install RawCull from the Apple App Store, GitHub Releases, or Homebrew:

brew tap rsyncOSX/cask && brew install --cask rawcull

GitHub releases are signed and notarized by Apple and may be newer than the App Store version. RawCull is sandboxed, works offline, and keeps photos and culling data on your Mac. See Security & Privacy.