Adobe has announced several release candidates for updates to its RAW and DNG file utilities, Photoshop Camera Raw 5.6, Lightroom 2.6 and DNG Converter 5.6. The updates extend file support to 19 new camera models including Canon's EOS 7D, Powershot G11 and S90; the Nikon D3s, Olympus E-P2, Pentax K-x, Sigma DP1s, Sony's A500/550/850, and several others.

The updates also address an issue for PowerPC customers using Lightroom 2.5 or Camera Raw 5.5 software on Mac. The bug had sometimes created artifacts in the highlight area when using the Hightlight Recovery tool.

The Lightroom 2.6 release candidate is available as a free download for existing Lightroom 2 users, while Photoshop Camera Raw 5.6 can be downloaded by existing CS4 users. The DNG Converter 5.6 RC is a free download for all users.