Canon Digital Camera Software Confusion

[greg_lawhon1]

Stupid question... I have a Canon EOS 20D and installed the Canon

EOS Viewer Utility on my Mac for downloading images and converting

from RAW format to TIFF. I also now have purchased a Canon G6 for

those time I don't want to carry all the SLR gear. The G6 comes

with a different program, called Image Browser in the software

manual and identified as "ZoomBrowser EX 5.0" on the Canon Digital

Solution Disk packaged with the camera (I haven't installed it yet).

 

Is any one Canon program sufficient for downloading and converting

RAW images from both of these cameras? Are two separate programs

really necessary? Is there a good reason that Canon can't

standardize on a single program for its digital cameras? I haven't

even mention DPP version 1.1, which was thrown in with the 20D

without explanation.

 

Can anyone clarify before I load the G6 software? Thanks....

[greg_lawhon1]

Sorry... I just noticed that the installation disk for the G6 software also refers to the program as "ImageBrowser 5.0" on the disk (rather than ZoomBrowser, as I first wrote, which is the Windows version of the program). In any event, my basic question remains the same: why different Canon versions for similar functions. Does the same version of third-party programs like Breeeze Browser work with all Canon cameras, for example?

[vandit]

I am in the opposite position as you - I have a 10D and had File Viewer installed on my laptop. Then I switched machines, and found that I no longer had the File Viewer CD on me.

 

I did buy a G6 recently, and installed Zoombrowser - that seems to work 'jes fine with both 10D and G6 RAW files. To be honest, it seems to work a lot better than the old File Viewer (although the old laptop was a PII-233, the new one is P4-3.2Ghz.. slightly faster, which may also account for the differences). Certainly, the look and feel of the Zoombrowser is better than the File Viewer.

 

Also, Photoshop CS RAW2.3 plug-in converts G6 images without any problems either.

 

I'd suggest converting some G6 images with File Viewer and seeing how they turn out...

 

Vandit

[mike_elek]

Apparently, some of the newer software isn't backward compatible to older cameras:<P>

* DPP 1.5 is not fully compatible with the EOS D60 or D30<P>

* EOS Capture 1.2 is only compatible with the 1-series DSLRs and the EOS 20D. Use RemoteCapture for earlier models.<P>

* The PowerShot Pro 1 is compatible with DPP 1.5, but is not with EVU or EOS Capture. Use a compatible version of ZoomBrowser EX or ImageBrowser to achieve RAW processing or remote control operation with the Pro1.<P>

[wgpinc]

A plethora of choices. You can use your ImageBrowser, File Viewer, DPP 1.5 (download from Canon), Photoshop CS/ Elements 3.0 all of the above to download digital images and convert raw. You can buy the expensive version of Phase One Capture-One Pro DSLR Raw Image Editing Software for Macintosh or their limited version. They all convert Raw. Try them and see which one you like and the one that satisfies your needs at this time. I use my G3 a lot where I don't want to take my dslr. A camera in the hand is much less messy than a bird. Good luck.