DaVinci Resolve 21.0.1 Released – Improved RAW Decoding, Better HDR Delivery, and Sony Alpha 7R VI Support

Software News

by Johnnie BehiriJune 24^th, 2026

Subscribe to News - Software

Blackmagic Design has pushed out DaVinci Resolve 21.0.1, a maintenance release that lands just weeks after the final version 21 arrived. This update is not about headline features; instead it targets two areas that matter to anyone delivering professional work: more accurate RAW image decoding for cleaner color matching across cameras and devices, and more reliable HDR metadata handling so exported files are correctly recognized as HDR by televisions and media players. It also adds support for Sony Alpha 7R VI ARW RAW stills and decoding of Affinity RGB 16-bit formats.

For colorists and editors who jumped onto Resolve 21 for the new Photo page, the expanded AI toolset, and the broad RAW camera support, this first point release reads like the expected post-launch cleanup. We covered the DaVinci Resolve 21 final release when it arrived, and went hands-on with it at NAB 2026 to see the Photo page, IntelliSearch, and CineFocus running on the show floor. Version 21.0.1 sharpens that foundation rather than extending it, and most of the changes sit in the parts of the pipeline you only notice when they misbehave.

More accurate RAW decoding for consistent color

The most consequential improvement is on the RAW side. Blackmagic Design says the update brings improved DNG and Apple ProRAW decoding, allowing for more accurate color and brightness representation across different image sources and color management workflows. In practice, the company frames this as a shot-matching benefit: when you compare images coming from different cameras or mobile devices, you should see more consistent results and spend less time matching shots.

That matters most in the new Photo page, where Resolve 21 brought its node-based grading engine to still images for the first time, and where mixed sources from cinema cameras, mirrorless bodies, and phones routinely land in the same album. The release notes specifically address multiple DNG and Apple ProRAW color issues, alongside expanded DNG decode handling that was already being refined during the public beta cycle. For anyone who noticed inconsistent brightness or color when pulling stills from several devices into a single grade, this is the fix to watch.

The update also extends the camera coverage that has been a recurring theme across the Resolve 21 cycle, adding support for Sony Alpha 7R VI ARW RAW stills. The Sony Alpha 7R VI arrived recently with a 66.8MP stacked Exmor RS sensor, and we have already put it through our CineD lab test. Photographers and hybrid shooters building libraries around that body can now decode its raw stills natively in Resolve. Rounding out the format additions, version 21.0.1 also handles decoding of Affinity RGB 16-bit formats, useful for anyone moving high-bit-depth work between Affinity applications and Resolve’s Photo page.

HDR delivery that televisions actually recognize

The second pillar of this release is HDR delivery. Blackmagic Design says H.265 HDR renders now include improved HDR metadata handling, so exported files are more reliably recognized as HDR by compatible televisions and media players.

The fix spans both major Windows encode paths. The release notes call out a color issue with MainConcept H.265 HDR renders and a separate color issue with Windows native H.265 HDR renders, both now addressed. Together these make it easier to review and deliver HDR content from Windows systems throughout the delivery workflow, closing a gap that previously forced extra verification passes before sign-off.

Reliability gains for AI CineFocus and a long list of fixes

DaVinci Resolve Studio users get one more targeted improvement: better reliability when using AI CineFocus, the synthetic depth-of-field tool that isolates subjects and creates depth-of-field effects in post. CineFocus was one of the AI features Blackmagic Design leaned on heavily in the Resolve 21 launch, and refinements to it continued through the public beta releases. Making the feature behave more predictably is exactly what you want from a point release: the headline capability stays the same, but it trips up less often in real use.

Beyond the marquee items, version 21.0.1 carries a substantial list of smaller corrections, and a notable share of them touch the new Photo page and Fusion. On the Photo side, Blackmagic Design addressed multiple Resolve FX issues, a key shortcut problem for switching the viewer, more consistent creation of new photo albums, color thumbnail refresh for the photo transform indicator, and an issue with automatic smart bins after deleting keywords. Fusion receives its own cluster of fixes covering keyframe behavior when copying clips with Fusion effects, keyframe refresh on the edit page, a viewer color issue for certain RCM settings, saturation limits in gradient controls, dual-screen layout display, and reduced lag when toggling bypass on grades and Fusion effects.

The remaining changes scatter across the rest of the application. There are fixes for multiple linked audio in media management, ease control display and sensitivity, exported bins not retaining generator and title properties, occasional Fairlight loudness meter issues, data burn display of the good take tag in upgraded projects, and project manager scroll lag for large project libraries. Transcription now honors the project settings language, and there is a correction for non-English character input on Linux, plus the general performance and stability improvements that close out almost every Blackmagic maintenance release.

DaVinci Resolve 21.0.1 is available now as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website, and as always there is a free version and a paid DaVinci Resolve Studio version. If you are coming from version 20, remember that opening a project in 21 closes the door on reopening it in 20.3.2, so back up your project libraries before you upgrade.

Have you run into RAW color inconsistencies or HDR recognition problems that this update might fix, or is the smoother AI CineFocus the bigger draw for your workflow? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!