Canon Raw Converter

[IanB]

I have the loan of a Canon 1 mark3 . Can someone point me towards a Raw converter to download, even a trial one. Such a nice man at Camera House; $12,000 worth; I must have such honest face. If he only knew

Just realized it's not so much as a converter I need as I have CS3 for that, but p/shop will not open the files. So that’s what I’m after. Sorry about that

[jev]

You get DPP delivered with that camera; DPP is one of the best RAW converters for Canon. If there is no CD in the package, you're out of luck though (yes, there are tricks to install the "updates" as available from Canon's website but we won't tell ya on a public forum ).

Other options include PhotoShop elements hosting Adobe's Camera RAW (low budget) or LightRoom with ACR (both for Windows and MAC). On MAC: Aperture.

Other options: DxO Optics Pro seems to be quite good. PhaseOne's Capture One. Another, less known one is SilkyPix. Don't forget Bibble or LightZone (the latter being somewhat strange in that it is written with analogue photographers as primary audience in mind).

And if you want really cheap (read: "free", as in "free beer" ): RawTherapee (slow but quite good) or the mother of all free RAW converters: UFRaw (also available as plugin for the GiMP). Last but not least, a strange option maybe but nevertheless: Picasa.

I've been searching for a good RAW converter for a Fuji camera lately and wound up using Picasa because of its speed and no-nonsense conversions, but I am in the process of writing a small review on (free) RAW converters as we speak.

Edit: you can use CS3 ofcourse, but you would need to convert the CR2 files from the 1DMKIII to DNG using Adobe's standalone converter first. Not preferred by many, but it should work (YMMV).

[wideangle]

I would have to agree with the above post in saying that Canon's supplied RAW program, DPP is an excellent RAW converter. I find others do not process as well in terms of image noise and general re-production.

[IanB]

Thanks for your help; I'm getting capture one, although it has been a bit of a pain to get the test vision up and going; I hate down loading programmes, click this>click that>this # here>that # there>bugga wrong # start again............ What real bugs me is that CS3 could not or will not read the canon raw file. Why does it all have to be soooooo .

Will have the 5D2 in couple/few weeks so I guess I better get my head around it. AND; I will have to change my signature.

Cheers

[clm738]

Ian,
go to the adobe site. Check what Camera Raw Update is needed to read raw files from your camera. Download Camera Raw Update and corresponding DNG converter, they are together in one file, page. Then you can use CS3 to read Canon Raw files.

[IanB]

Ian,
go to the adobe site. Check what Camera Raw Update is needed to read raw files from your camera. Download Camera Raw Update and corresponding DNG converter, they are together in one file, page. Then you can use CS3 to read Canon Raw files.

I had tried that but can't find it. Will get into it tomorrow. Thanks for confirmed what I thought.

Cheers

[jev]

The problem with using Adobe's raw converter (ACR) is that you need to update PS to CS4 if you want to be able to convert 5DII files. The version of ACR that works with these files won't run on CS3. This dependency on hardware happens all the time - for 1DMkII support one had to have CS3 for example - not funny.

Not only this is an issue, it often is said ACR does not provide "the best" results. I tend to think they are right; personally I find DPP very good (especially since it supports predefined styles) and C1 just is as good as it gets.

[IanB]

The problem with using Adobe's raw converter (ACR) is that you need to update PS to CS4 if you want to be able to convert 5DII files. The version of ACR that works with these files won't run on CS3. This dependency on hardware happens all the time - for 1DMkII support one had to have CS3 for example - not funny.

Not only this is an issue, it often is said ACR does not provide "the best" results. I tend to think they are right; personally I find DPP very good (especially since it supports predefined styles) and C1 just is as good as it gets.

CS4: That sucks; (sorry). Personally I'm just getting feed up all with this "you need to get this programme"; "that will not work in that programme" or "buy this plug-in"; "that will not work with this" and "this will not work with that" It's all just getting to hard; just when I think I have my head around it, something will change.

Sorry; just not enjoying it any more; or maybe it's just Monday.

Thanks for taking the time to reply jev; mightn't sound like it; but I do appreciate it.

Cheers

[jev]

CS4: That sucks; (sorry). Personally I'm just getting feed up all with this "you need to get this programme"; "that will not work in that programme" or "buy this plug-in"; "that will not work with this" and "this will not work with that"

I hear ya mate, it's a PITA. That's why I stick with what Canon delivers with its camera's. That way you'll be sure you get software that works for this shiny new toy.

Unfortunately, software authors that make a living out of it are just like ordinary people; they like to earn a dollar or two to get food on the table at the end of the day. Now, all software writers are equal in that respect - some just are more equal than others

[etherial]

but I am in the process of writing a small review on (free) RAW converters as we speak.

Did you ever write this review? I have been playing with the three RAW converters I have, (Canon's Zoombrowser, Canon's DPP, and Picasa) and each of them have things I like and things I dislike. Of course I am new to RAW so coming from a long way back but I guess that tests out ease of use in a way.

Mic

[IanB]

This thread is a blast from the past, so now that it is open again I may as well say that I now use light room for Raw converting. Really like it now that I have my head around most of what I need; although nothing to do with RAW I'm still having some bugs with import after PS work.

[jev]

Did you ever write this review?

Yep, here ya go: click!

[JM Tran]

The problem with using Adobe's raw converter (ACR) is that you need to update PS to CS4 if you want to be able to convert 5DII files. The version of ACR that works with these files won't run on CS3. This dependency on hardware happens all the time - for 1DMkII support one had to have CS3 for example - not funny.

Not only this is an issue, it often is said ACR does not provide "the best" results. I tend to think they are right; personally I find DPP very good (especially since it supports predefined styles) and C1 just is as good as it gets.

wow old post hey

anyway, u can get around having the latest raw converter for photoshop CS by using the DNG converter and converting the raw files to DNG format instead of canon's CR2, that way, u can open up files from a 5DMKII on any CS regardless of age

I wish more cameras would offer the feature to shoot in DNG format instead of their proprietary format, like when I had the Pentax K20D with that option, bliss!

[jev]

u can get around having the latest raw converter for photoshop CS by using the DNG converter and converting the raw files to DNG format instead of canon's CR2, that way, u can open up files from a 5DMKII on any CS regardless of age

That is true (I did mention that option earlier in this thread), but it requires yet another step in the PP workflow and I expect one will loose some information in this step. In addition, it doesn't work for all camera's. I tried that route for my Fuji 9600 to no avail. Agreed, the '9600 hardly qualifies as a professionally usable camera, but I can only expect other camera's will suffer from the same issue. Last but not least, there is absolutely no technical reason for Adobe to not upgrade ACR in such a way that people with older versions can keep using their software.

Anyway, whilst the idea behind DNG is good, it doesn't always work. The whole reason behind RAW is that it contains all hardware dependant information required to create as good an standard format image as possible. It per definition is impossible to determine ahead of times what information will be generated by future sensors, which somewhat defeats the idea of having one format that (somewhat) suits all.

[Miaow]

I'm pretty sure Irfanview (which is free) has a plugin file to read RAW also

CRW - (version 4.22): allows IrfanView to read Canon CRW/CR2 files (high resolution image version)

Edited to add: oops didnt notice the age of the post

[jev]

Who cares how old the original post was? .

Anyway, IrfanView uses the embedded JPEG but needs DLL's from Canon's software kit if you want real conversions. And be adviced that you have no control over IrfanView's conversion at all.

It seems BTW that the folks at google updated Picasa's RAW convertor, may be worthwhile to check that out (I didn't have time to have a look at it, just noticed it says so in the latest picasa update notes).

[arthurking83]

I did a conversion from RAW(Nikons NEF) to jpg using FastStone Viewer(free) and it was dreadful(worse than my experience with Adobe's ACR and PS some time back with my D70s).

Whilst it displays the NEF perfectly, and exactly as the D300 has shot it(therefore it must display the embedded jpg!?) it just can't render the same quality in a raster image from the NEF file.

Have no experience on how FSViewer handles other ARW format conversions though!
(apart from that insignificant issue, it's a great image program )

[Analog6]

Dowload FastStone - you can see them at full screen and convert the ones you want to TIFF to work on.

[Shane]

I had a similar problem in Elements 7 and got some help on this tread.

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...ad.php?t=27800

It was a plug-in. I managed to do it so anyone can.

Hope that helps.

[phild]

I have to agree with what Thomas said about Canon's DPP, it does a far better job at raw processing than ACR.

Whatever you do it, get hold of a copy of DPP.