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Storing images as TIFF files is very space inefficient compared with raw, as TIFF images store three colours per pixel (at 8 or 16 bits per colour component, 24 or 48 total) compared to raw which just has the monochrome sensor data at 12 or 14 bits per pixel total. This monochrome data is interpolated into colour by exploiting the RGB colour filters placed ...

Fast Picture Viewer is $9.99 and works just fine on 64-bit Windows 7 (I'm using it myself). You can also install the 32-bit codec and then view the folder with Windows Live Photo Gallery, which will generate the thumbnails for you. Other applications, like Explorer, will then be able to use these thumbnails - but you'll have to reopen WLPG every time you ...

TIFF is an image format, RAW is a data format. For longevity and to fight obsolescence, between the two, TIFF is the only sensible one. There are better formats though from an efficiency point-of-view that also are lossless, which I assume is what you were concerned about. PNG comes to mind as one of the best choices (as Reid suggested). OpenEXR is another ...

All you need do is install the relevent codecs, which are available from Canon for CR2/CRW (32-bit only), Nikon for NEF (32-bit only), Olympus (32-bit only), Panasonic (32-bit only), Pentax (32-bit only) & Sony (32-bit and 64-bit) The hack to run the 32-bit version of Windows Explorer (even on a 64-bit OS) no longer works on Windows 7, in my experience. ...

Interesting discussion, one that has led me to some conclusions of my own. To comment on one of the above answers: "Consider the difference in value of an original print by Ansel Adams vs. a print from the same negative by a different printmaker." I think the art world would value that specific print; but if the negative were somehow destroyed, that would ...

Storing your photos in RAW/DNG format preserves your ability to convert or 'develop' your RAW images in different or improved ways in the future. This is the biggest single advantage of saving your images in RAW/DNG format. Examples of this are - you can use a different or improved demosaicing algorithm - you can change the noise reduction - you can ...

I found a tool called MysticThumbs, which supports a wide variety of formats. It has a free trial, but costs $15. The DNG thumbnails have not appeared yet...not sure if there is a bug or not. Every other image format on my system has a thumbnail now, however.