Cullibrate supports a file when it can import the file and show a usable preview or play its video in the desktop app. A filename extension by itself is not enough: cameras can use different compression, bit depth, and recording modes inside the same format.
Viewing and culling
Cullibrate works from the original file or an embedded camera preview. Files stay available for filtering and handoff only when the importer can identify their media type. The lists below contain combinations tested through the production preview or video player, not every extension the importer can recognize.
RAW photo formats
These RAW formats have produced a usable photo preview on both Mac and Windows:
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| ARW | Sony |
| CR2, CR3, and CRW | Canon |
| DCR and KDC | Kodak |
| DNG | Adobe Digital Negative and cameras or phones that write DNG |
| ERF | Epson |
| IIQ | Phase One |
| MEF and MOS | Mamiya and Leaf |
| MRW | Minolta |
| NEF and NRW | Nikon |
| ORF | Olympus and OM System |
| PEF | Pentax |
| RAF | Fujifilm |
| RW2 and RWL | Panasonic and Leica |
| SR2, SRF, and SRW | Sony and Samsung |
Other photo formats
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| JPEG | .jpg and .jpeg |
| PNG | |
| HEIC and HEIF | .heic, .heif, and .hif |
Video on Mac
| Validated codec and container |
|---|
| H.264 High in MP4 or MOV |
| HEVC Main or Main 10 in a tested hvc1 MP4 |
| Apple ProRes HQ in MOV |
Mac video playback uses the system media framework, so the exact stream packaging still matters. A tested HEVC hev1 file was not playable even though the tested hvc1 files were. AVI, MKV, and WebM are not in the currently validated Mac playback set.
Video on Windows
| Codec | Windows support |
|---|---|
| H.264 | MP4, MOV, MKV, and video-only MPEG transport streams (.ts) |
| HEVC / H.265 | MP4, including Main, Main 10, and 4:2:2 10-bit video up to 4K at 30 fps |
| Motion JPEG | AVI |
| VP9 | WebM |
| MPEG-4 Part 2 | MP4 at 640 × 480 and up to 25 fps; rotation metadata is not supported |
Apple ProRes and Canon CRM video are not supported on Windows.
Recognized files without a validated preview
Cullibrate recognizes some uncommon and historical RAW extensions so they are not mistaken for ordinary files. In the samples tested for this article, 3FR, FFF, GPR, MDC, generic RAW, and X3F imported without a usable selected preview. They are not included in the supported list above.
Other file types
Files outside the current photo, RAW, and video lists are ignored when a folder is opened. TIFF, PSD, WebP, AVIF, GIF, and BMP are not currently supported photo formats.
Camera compatibility
Cullibrate is tested with real files from a broad camera sample library, but camera support follows the file format and encoding mode rather than the model name alone. A listed RAW format is a strong starting point, not a guarantee for every firmware or camera setting. Contact us with a representative file if you need a particular camera or recording mode checked.