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06-04-2010, 02:07 PM   #16
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some helpfull info

I'm pretty new to K7 aswell and did a lot of researching -
Finaly I came on an old not anymore exiting site of pentax PENTAX digiich (internet archive: PENTAX digiich)

where was pretty clear that the original PEF is a better future investment( it was one of the 25 articles I think number 4) .

To take away all problems with thirdparty software that normaly can't handle PEF I got myself the codecs from Fast picture viewer Fast Picture Viewer | Image Codec Pack for Windows 7, Vista and XP
Now I can open PEF's in any program for editing/viewing pictures. I even have the small bitmaps in windows explorer for a fast selection....

Hope this contributes


Last edited by Ivo_Spohr; 06-04-2010 at 02:15 PM. Reason: readability improvement
06-05-2010, 06:24 AM   #17
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Thanks for all the input... so is the bottom line that mac does not support PEF file from the K7? (ie is there nothing I can upgrade to be able to continue using the PEF raw format?)
I did take a shot using the DNG raw format, loaded it onto my laptop - I can preview it in both Finder and Bridge CS4 - so that's good. I also noticed on the Adobe website something called a Adobe DNG convertor 6.1 - so do I need to download that? Does that replace ACR? And what about the few dozen photos I have uploaded to my laptop that are in PEF - is there any way to convert them to DNG or any other format that I will be able to preview in Finder and Bridge CS4?
Again thanks for all info - who knew upgrading a camera could 'create' so many challenges?!?
Mike
06-05-2010, 07:16 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by schmikey Quote
Thanks for all the input... so is the bottom line that mac does not support PEF file from the K7? (ie is there nothing I can upgrade to be able to continue using the PEF raw format?)
I did take a shot using the DNG raw format, loaded it onto my laptop - I can preview it in both Finder and Bridge CS4 - so that's good. I also noticed on the Adobe website something called a Adobe DNG convertor 6.1 - so do I need to download that? Does that replace ACR? And what about the few dozen photos I have uploaded to my laptop that are in PEF - is there any way to convert them to DNG or any other format that I will be able to preview in Finder and Bridge CS4?
Again thanks for all info - who knew upgrading a camera could 'create' so many challenges?!?
Mike
The DNGconverter program...converts raw files to DNG; thats it. If you want to use your old PEF's, you can convert them to DNG and continue using them.
06-05-2010, 09:48 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by schmikey Quote
Thanks for all the input... so is the bottom line that mac does not support PEF file from the K7? (ie is there nothing I can upgrade to be able to continue using the PEF raw format?)
It's not a computer question, but a software question. The particular program you are currently using on your mac might not support the K-7 PEF, but other programs for mac would.

QuoteQuote:
I also noticed on the Adobe website something called a Adobe DNG convertor 6.1 - so do I need to download that? Does that replace ACR?
It's not a replacement for ACR, no - it's just a standalone program to convert PEF to DNG if for some reaosn you want a DNG but don't want to simply shoot DNG in the first place. Useful mostly for people whose cameras don't shoot DNG.

QuoteQuote:
And what about the few dozen photos I have uploaded to my laptop that are in PEF - is there any way to convert them to DNG or any other format that I will be able to preview in Finder and Bridge CS4?
The above covnerter will convert to DNG - that's the whole point. There are no other RAW formats you can convert to, but of course if you want to leave the world of RAW and create JPEG;'s, any of the RAW processing programs that support the K-7 PEF files will be able to create JPEG's for you if you like.

06-05-2010, 10:47 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by schmikey Quote
Thanks for all the input... so is the bottom line that mac does not support PEF file from the K7? (ie is there nothing I can upgrade to be able to continue using the PEF raw format?)
I did take a shot using the DNG raw format, loaded it onto my laptop - I can preview it in both Finder and Bridge CS4 - so that's good. I also noticed on the Adobe website something called a Adobe DNG convertor 6.1 - so do I need to download that? Does that replace ACR? And what about the few dozen photos I have uploaded to my laptop that are in PEF - is there any way to convert them to DNG or any other format that I will be able to preview in Finder and Bridge CS4?
Again thanks for all info - who knew upgrading a camera could 'create' so many challenges?!?
Mike
If you are using Photoshop CS4, then yes it does support K7 PEF files.
Or, at least it does on a Windows computer. You may have to do a software update though.
06-05-2010, 08:49 PM   #21
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Thanks for the additional info - so I can convert the Raw PEF files to DNG files which I can preview in Finder and in Bridge CS4. I can also choose to shoot in DNG - is there any down side to shooting in DNG? And when I convert any PEF that I have shot with the K7 to DNG would I then delete the PEF files? This is new territory so I just want to make sure I understand the process and make proper decisions about handling RAW files...
Mike
06-06-2010, 07:46 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by schmikey Quote
Thanks for the additional info - so I can convert the Raw PEF files to DNG files which I can preview in Finder and in Bridge CS4. I can also choose to shoot in DNG - is there any down side to shooting in DNG? And when I convert any PEF that I have shot with the K7 to DNG would I then delete the PEF files? This is new territory so I just want to make sure I understand the process and make proper decisions about handling RAW files...
Mike
As far as I know there are no disatvantages in using DNG instead of PEF. If anyone knows them - please step in and reveal them

DNG converter will take RAW data from your PEF files and embed it into DNG file without altering RAW data itself. After conversion you can delete your PEF files.

06-06-2010, 10:41 AM   #23
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I think the only disadvantage to shooting DNG is that they might have a larger size and thus take up more memory/room on your memory card.
06-06-2010, 11:03 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by enoeske Quote
I think the only disadvantage to shooting DNG is that they might have a larger size and thus take up more memory/room on your memory card.
^^^^this^^^^

Only reason I'm shooting PEF instead of DNG.
06-06-2010, 12:05 PM   #25
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DNG files are significantly larger on older cameras that don't compress them, but not on the newer cameras.

As for other difference, there are extremely minor and the sort of the thing only religious zealots tend to care about, but if you're really interested, just browse/search this forum for the hundreds of previous posts on the topic of PEF versus DNG. Bottom line = DNG has metadata within file, PEF requires sidecars; DNG is openly documented and PEF is proprietary; DNG has some extra info in it not present in PEF and the converse is equally true. Sopme people who think they can predict the future believe DNG will be more likely to be supported than PEF in 20 years; others who think they can predict the future believe the opposite.
06-06-2010, 02:54 PM   #26
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Marc, as for the support of the format, DNG is a standart (like the PDF format as an example) that is likely to be supported much more than the PEF which is a Pentax property (imagine Pentax sinks tomorrow...).
06-06-2010, 05:58 PM   #27
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Your prediction of the future matches mine, but others will give reasons for believing the opposite. Alll I know for sure is, anyone who claims to know for sure isn't worth listening to (and yes, I meant that self-referentially).
06-07-2010, 05:53 PM   #28
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Thanks for all the input - I have downloaded the Adobe DNG convertor and switched all the PEF files I took with my new K7 to DNGs - I have also started shooting in the DNG raw format - so my concerns have been answered - I would never have figured this out with all your help! (I have decided to keep all the PEF files I took with my k100D as is unless there is a reason why I should convert, can't think of any...)
Again thanks a bunch everyone
Mike
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