iCloud Transfer RAW photos from iCloud storage to an external hard drive

[TonyC28]

I'm looking to free up some iCloud storage and I'm one of those people who refuses to delete old pictures. I figure one way to make a dent is to remove the 40 GB of RAW photo files from my iCloud Photos. But, I can't seem to find a way to just transfer those particular files from Photos to an external drive and maintain the RAW format. I can take them from Photos to a file folder, but it automatically converts them to low quality JPGs.

Does anyone know a way of taking just the RAW files out of Photos and keeping the RAW format? There are almost 1,000 of them so I am hoping for an all-at-once solution.

 

[chown33]

This page from the Photos.app user guide tells how to use Export:

Export photos, videos, slideshows, and memories on Mac

In Photos on your Mac, export photos, videos, slideshows, and memories so you can import them into another app to view and work with them.

support.apple.com

It says you can export photos in their original format, with this menu item:
File > Export > Export Unmodified Original

There also appear to be menu items to export in lossless formats, such as TIFF or PNG, in addition to the lossy JPEG.

I recommend doing a simple test using only 5 photos, so you can more easily confirm this does what you want.


You can also use the online (iCloud) Photos web-app to download photos in their original format.

Download iCloud photos and videos - Apple Support

With iCloud Photos, you can download a copy of your photos and videos on any device. Use iCloud.com or the Photos app.

support.apple.com

You have to go through the "More" button, which is the three horizontal dots inside a circule icon. That button should appear when you hover over a photo in the gallery display.

Again, I would test using a small number of photos before trying the 40GB. I'd also do the 40GB in small batches, say 10 at a time, so if the network connection is lost, it makes it easier to resume.