downloading RAW images to computer from Canon 5D

when shooting in RAW mode, do you need a plug-in on your computer in order to download that raw

image to your hard drive? i'm running photoshop cs and can't get the image to download correctly.

instead of showing up with a jpeg icon, it's a paper with a turned corner (like a document). does anyone

know what i should do?

 

julayne farmer

Getting the files from the camera to the computer is the same as for JPEG: either use a flash card reader or the USB connection on the camera (generally slower than a card reader) and copy them to your hard drive. RAW files aren't going to show up with a jpeg icon: they're not jpegs, they're RAW files with a ".CR2" extension.

 

Once the files are on your HD, you need to process them with a raw converter to turn them into JPEG or TIFF files for further editing or printing. The version of Adobe Camera RAW in PSCS cannot process 5D RAW files. You have a couple of choices: upgrade to PSCS2, which has a version of ACR that can process 5D RAWs, use the Canon Digital Photo Professional software included with the 5D, buy a 3rd party RAW converter like Capture 1, or use the Adobe DNG converter to convert the CR2 files to DNG (Adobe Digital Negative) format, which PSCS ACR can read.

 

Once the RAWs are processed to JPEG or TIFF, you can edit them like usual with PS.

You can *transfer* the files (images) from you CF card to your computer using a simple, cheap and readily available...you guessed it, CARD READER (either USB 2.0 or Firewire).

 

After you transfer (COPY or MOVE) the files from the card to your location on your PC/Mac hard drive you can use PS to open/convert them.

 

You can also use DPP which came with your 5D or C1 LE (now available for FREE with the purchase of a Sandisk III card).

 

When you insert a card into your card reader it will appear on your computer's drive list as CANON5D or LEXAR media...etc...). Simply open the image folder and choose COPY/MOVE. After the COPY/MOVE is complete make sure to DELETE the empty folder(s) from the CF card. Some systems will require that you EJECT the card prior to removing it from the reader.

Another alternative to buying PS CS2 is to download adobes DNG converter, it will convert your .CR2 raw files to .DNG format which PS CS can read.

My experience is, PSCS2 ARC screws up my camera defaults anyway, costing me more time in

PS

post-processing. For now, use Canon's DPP 2.1x for RAW conversion. You'll preserve any

camera adjustment defaults (e.g., custom saturation or WB settings), thereby saving time over

other converters. Sure you can input them over in another RAW converter but it's nice to start

with the setting you wanted to begin with. If you don't like it, you can always change it.

I'd also download Microsoft's raw and thumbnail viewer so you can see the raw images directly in the Windows Explorer

 

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/raw.mspx