Host a raw photo file and share it as a link
Put a camera raw file online at its own address — and understand why "raw" isn't one format but dozens.
Drop your raw photo here
Any other file works too — up to 25.0 MB, or 100.0 MB for a whole site
Free to use. Your RAW file is live at your-name.99helpers.site in about ten seconds.
What is a .raw file?
Raw isn't a single format. It's a category: each manufacturer stores unprocessed sensor data in its own container — Canon writes CR2 and CR3, Nikon writes NEF, Sony writes ARW, Fujifilm writes RAF. A file simply named .raw is unusual, and generally comes from older Panasonic or Leica cameras, or from software that used the generic extension.
What people use RAW files for
- Delivering unedited shots to a retoucher or editor
- Archiving originals before processing
- Client deliverables where the buyer wants the negatives
- Photos that need heavy exposure or white balance correction
What opens a RAW file
- Adobe Lightroom, Camera Raw and Capture One
- darktable and RawTherapee, both free
- Each manufacturer's own software
- No browser displays raw files
How to host a RAW file
- 1
Drop your RAW file in
Drag it onto the box at the top of this page, or click to choose it. Files up to 25 MB are supported, and nothing is uploaded until you publish.
- 2
Pick an address
Type a name and we'll tell you straight away whether it's free. That becomes the link: shoot-original.99helpers.site
- 3
Publish and share
Create a free account — that step exists so the file is yours to update, replace or delete — and the link is live within seconds.
The same three steps work for any file — see how file hosting works on 99helpers.com.
What happens when someone opens the link
The file downloads. No browser renders raw, and recipients need software that understands their specific camera's variant — which is the recurring frustration with sending raw files at all.
Why host a RAW file instead of emailing it?
Raw files are enormous and photographers send them constantly — to retouchers, to clients who paid for the originals, to a second shooter. Email won't take them and transfer services expire. A permanent link solves both.
Worth knowing before you publish
- Host a JPEG alongside so people can see the shot without opening Lightroom.
- Raw files are typically 20–60 MB each, and the limit here is 25 MB per file — many need converting to DNG first, which compresses well.
- Converting to DNG makes the file openable by more software and usually smaller.
- A raw file carries GPS coordinates and camera serial numbers in its metadata.
RAW hosting questions
- What raw format does my camera produce?
- Canon writes CR2 or CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fujifilm RAF, Olympus ORF, Panasonic RW2 and Pentax PEF. Adobe's DNG is the one open format any of them can be converted to.
- Can someone view a raw file without Lightroom?
- Not in a browser. They'd need Lightroom, Capture One, or free software like darktable or RawTherapee. Host a JPEG preview alongside so people can at least see the image.
- My raw file is bigger than 25 MB — what now?
- Convert to DNG with Adobe's free DNG Converter, which usually shrinks it noticeably while keeping all the editable data. Otherwise deliver a compressed archive of JPEGs and keep the raws elsewhere.
Put your RAW file online now
It takes about ten seconds, and you only make an account once the file is ready to go live.
Hosting guides for related formats
RAW is one of over 211 formats you can host — see free file hosting for any file type for the full list, or read the hosting guides for other file types.