newbie with RAW question?

leolyd · 05-02-2010, 09:39 AM

Hi, I recently bought a Pentax K-X having previously used a Nikon compact.Just returned from Cyprus holiday and downloaded jpeg images to computer with no problem but RAW images were not recognised by the Nikon software of by Photoshop CS2. or by Pentax Utility software.
For many years I have been in to SLR work but this digital stuff is way over my head. Any help appreciated.

SpecialK · 05-02-2010, 09:52 AM

Well, Nikon probably won't recognize Pentax files.

Your CS2 is (I think) a little older, so you should get the latest Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) download. I had to to that with Elements for it to recognize the K20D. In Elements, you just put it in the "plugins" folder.

Make sure you click "show Pentax files" or similar option in the "View" menu of the Pentax software.

Fastone image viewer and editor (free) also recognizes PEFs. I put it on my netbook for travel viewing and storage.

bymy141 · 05-02-2010, 10:28 AM

Originally posted by leolyd

Hi, I recently bought a Pentax K-X having previously used a Nikon compact.Just returned from Cyprus holiday and downloaded jpeg images to computer with no problem but RAW images were not recognised by the Nikon software of by Photoshop CS2. or by Pentax Utility software.
For many years I have been in to SLR work but this digital stuff is way over my head. Any help appreciated.

I assume you used PEF over DNG formated files?
There is (almost) no RAW standard for file storage.
All manufactures use their own format, even each single camera uses small deviations on those file formats.
It is a hell of a job for the software suppliers to keep up with all the new cams and have their s/w to support the flow of new hardware.

The more or less standard RAW format is DNG (Digital Negative) from Adobe.
Your camera can use that! You'll have more chance of being compatible with software usinh DNG!

As specialK said, look for the CS2 updates.
That the Nikon s/w does not recognize recognize anything but Nikon RAW format's seems logical to me.

The Pentax utilities should be able to handle PEF files correctly, I do not understand what goes wrong there.

With older Pentax camera's the compressed DNG format was not supported generating much larger DNG over PEF files. Now (K-7, K-x) it is.
Use DNG over PEF if you can. If you'd ever want to use newer Adobe software like Lightroom 2 or 3, the DNG format makes it also easier to transport edited RAW files.

- Bert

JeffJS · 05-02-2010, 12:21 PM

CS2 isn't going to read Kx (or K7) PEF files. You need ACR 5.x or higher and CS2 won't work with it (CS3 doesn't either). If you want to continue using CS2 you can get a converter that will turn your files into DNG files.

I Am a little surprised that you cannot read them with the Pentax software (don't expect it to read the Nikon RAW files though).

**interested_observer** · 05-02-2010, 01:36 PM

Picasa 3 from Google supports Pentax RAW files - and its a free download.

Picasa 3: Free download from Google

You can do cropping and some other light adjustments as well as convert to JPG.

Hope you had a good vacation!!!

leolyd · 05-03-2010, 09:46 AM

Just to tender a big 'thank you' to the people who responded so quickly to my query. Just to let you know that, after installing Google Picasa I was able to download all my RAW images. Your help was really appreciated. Cheers guys.

peterh337 · 05-04-2010, 01:41 PM

I know this is a bit of a tangent, but can Picasa generate web albums of the kind which you can insert into your own website i.e. a directory structure with index.html at the top?

I have been using the web photo album features in Photoshop but they are crippled; e.g. the large pic is limited to 800 pixels wide.

ISTM that Picasa is intended for generating web albums which are hosted on some google website server, which I don't want.

Wheatfield · 05-04-2010, 05:06 PM

While CS2 won't work with your PEFs, you can download Adobe's DNG converter which will take your PEFs and conver them to DNG format.
The converted files will then open in CS2.
If you switch your camera over to DNG, they will open in CS2.

**Rondec** · 05-04-2010, 07:17 PM

If you want to shoot in RAW and use an older version of Adobe's software, just shoot in DNG. The only real benefit to shooting PEF was that the files were a little smaller. Not sure about now, I think Pentax now uses a compressed DNG file that is smaller than the uncompressed ones that they used to use. Anyway, don't hesitate to shoot with DNG.

bymy141 · 05-06-2010, 05:06 AM

Originally posted by peterh337

I know this is a bit of a tangent, but can Picasa generate web albums of the kind which you can insert into your own website i.e. a directory structure with index.html at the top?

I have been using the web photo album features in Photoshop but they are crippled; e.g. the large pic is limited to 800 pixels wide.

ISTM that Picasa is intended for generating web albums which are hosted on some google website server, which I don't want.

You CAN use Picasa to:
- Improve / edit / alter your photos
- Catalog and store your photos
- Upload to picasaweb web albums.
- Mail photos
- Form albums
- Group by people (recognition done by Picasa)
- Export as JPEG
- Print photos using a wide variety of commerical services
- Create collages, screen savers, wall papers etc.

No, Picasa is not intended to generate a webalbum.
It just is one of its many features.

Picasaweb webalbums can contain pictures with a maximum resolution of 1600 pixels.
You can upload to other websites / albums as well.

- Bert

peterh337 · 05-07-2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

No, Picasa is not intended to generate a webalbum.
It just is one of its many features.

Sorry - could you clarify?

Do you mean it is NOT one of its many features?

bymy141 · 05-07-2010, 01:43 PM

Originally posted by peterh337

Sorry - could you clarify?

Do you mean it is NOT one of its many features?

It IS integrated well with Picasaweb, one of the features I mentioned.
It is just one of the many features.
You can perfectly well use Picasa without Picasaweb, just try it, it is free.

- Bert

Ecaterin · 05-07-2010, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by peterh337

I know this is a bit of a tangent, but can Picasa generate web albums of the kind which you can insert into your own website i.e. a directory structure with index.html at the top?

I have been using the web photo album features in Photoshop but they are crippled; e.g. the large pic is limited to 800 pixels wide.

ISTM that Picasa is intended for generating web albums which are hosted on some google website server, which I don't want.

Yes, it does. There are a few basic templates in Picasa, and then quite a few plugins have been written and most of them do a gorgeous job. You just let Picasa generate the code, then FTP the whole folder structure of the HTML output onto your server

It's dead simple: in Picasa go to 'folder' then 'export as HTML' If you need detailed directions, there's lots of them on the internets

A webpage full of free templates to use if you want fancy stuff :)

peterh337 · 05-08-2010, 07:39 AM

Yes, Picasa works quite well for this. A useful addition to the Photoshop photo gallery generator.

Took a little while to find - it is under Export to HTML page

Many thanks.

Interestingly, Picasa doesn't seem to have a feature to force the date stamp from EXIF. This is necessary where images are to be rotated; the rotation changes the date stamp so when one is viewing a folder full of images, one ends up with all the portrait-taken ones at the end. For this reason I continue to use an old copy of ACDSEE.

But ACDSEE is a bit strange in that it does the "lossless Jpeg" rotation in some nonstandard way, and if the rotated image is opened in Photoshop CS3 or later, the rotation is missing. Photoshop 7 would display it correctly.

Mechan1k · 05-08-2010, 01:50 PM

On a side note ... it was mentioned that .PEFs can't be views in Photoshop CS3 ... this is incorrect. As I can view mine in CS3 (after I downloaded the correct ACR for it.)

I am another fan of Fastone Image Viewer as well ... and it is on my Notebook as well. Love it, works a charm.

05-02-2010, 09:39 AM	#1
leolyd Inactive Account Join Date: May 2010 Location: staines middlesex Posts: 2	newbie with RAW question? Hi, I recently bought a Pentax K-X having previously used a Nikon compact.Just returned from Cyprus holiday and downloaded jpeg images to computer with no problem but RAW images were not recognised by the Nikon software of by Photoshop CS2. or by Pentax Utility software. For many years I have been in to SLR work but this digital stuff is way over my head. Any help appreciated.

05-02-2010, 09:52 AM	#2
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,482	Well, Nikon probably won't recognize Pentax files. Your CS2 is (I think) a little older, so you should get the latest Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) download. I had to to that with Elements for it to recognize the K20D. In Elements, you just put it in the "plugins" folder. Make sure you click "show Pentax files" or similar option in the "View" menu of the Pentax software. Fastone image viewer and editor (free) also recognizes PEFs. I put it on my netbook for travel viewing and storage. Last edited by SpecialK; 05-02-2010 at 05:31 PM.

05-02-2010, 01:36 PM	#5
interested_observer Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tumbleweed, Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,707	Picasa 3 from Google supports Pentax RAW files - and its a free download. Picasa 3: Free download from Google You can do cropping and some other light adjustments as well as convert to JPG. Hope you had a good vacation!!!

05-03-2010, 09:46 AM	#6
leolyd Inactive Account Join Date: May 2010 Location: staines middlesex Posts: 2 Original Poster	Many Thanks! Just to tender a big 'thank you' to the people who responded so quickly to my query. Just to let you know that, after installing Google Picasa I was able to download all my RAW images. Your help was really appreciated. Cheers guys.

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05-02-2010, 10:28 AM	#3
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by leolyd Hi, I recently bought a Pentax K-X having previously used a Nikon compact.Just returned from Cyprus holiday and downloaded jpeg images to computer with no problem but RAW images were not recognised by the Nikon software of by Photoshop CS2. or by Pentax Utility software. For many years I have been in to SLR work but this digital stuff is way over my head. Any help appreciated. I assume you used PEF over DNG formated files? There is (almost) no RAW standard for file storage. All manufactures use their own format, even each single camera uses small deviations on those file formats. It is a hell of a job for the software suppliers to keep up with all the new cams and have their s/w to support the flow of new hardware. The more or less standard RAW format is DNG (Digital Negative) from Adobe. Your camera can use that! You'll have more chance of being compatible with software usinh DNG! As specialK said, look for the CS2 updates. That the Nikon s/w does not recognize recognize anything but Nikon RAW format's seems logical to me. The Pentax utilities should be able to handle PEF files correctly, I do not understand what goes wrong there. With older Pentax camera's the compressed DNG format was not supported generating much larger DNG over PEF files. Now (K-7, K-x) it is. Use DNG over PEF if you can. If you'd ever want to use newer Adobe software like Lightroom 2 or 3, the DNG format makes it also easier to transport edited RAW files. - Bert

05-02-2010, 12:21 PM	#4
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	CS2 isn't going to read Kx (or K7) PEF files. You need ACR 5.x or higher and CS2 won't work with it (CS3 doesn't either). If you want to continue using CS2 you can get a converter that will turn your files into DNG files. I Am a little surprised that you cannot read them with the Pentax software (don't expect it to read the Nikon RAW files though).

05-04-2010, 01:41 PM	#7
peterh337 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London Posts: 573	I know this is a bit of a tangent, but can Picasa generate web albums of the kind which you can insert into your own website i.e. a directory structure with index.html at the top? I have been using the web photo album features in Photoshop but they are crippled; e.g. the large pic is limited to 800 pixels wide. ISTM that Picasa is intended for generating web albums which are hosted on some google website server, which I don't want.

05-04-2010, 05:06 PM	#8
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,991	While CS2 won't work with your PEFs, you can download Adobe's DNG converter which will take your PEFs and conver them to DNG format. The converted files will then open in CS2. If you switch your camera over to DNG, they will open in CS2.

05-04-2010, 07:17 PM	#9
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,666	If you want to shoot in RAW and use an older version of Adobe's software, just shoot in DNG. The only real benefit to shooting PEF was that the files were a little smaller. Not sure about now, I think Pentax now uses a compressed DNG file that is smaller than the uncompressed ones that they used to use. Anyway, don't hesitate to shoot with DNG.

05-06-2010, 05:06 AM	#10
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by peterh337 I know this is a bit of a tangent, but can Picasa generate web albums of the kind which you can insert into your own website i.e. a directory structure with index.html at the top? I have been using the web photo album features in Photoshop but they are crippled; e.g. the large pic is limited to 800 pixels wide. ISTM that Picasa is intended for generating web albums which are hosted on some google website server, which I don't want. You CAN use Picasa to: - Improve / edit / alter your photos - Catalog and store your photos - Upload to picasaweb web albums. - Mail photos - Form albums - Group by people (recognition done by Picasa) - Export as JPEG - Print photos using a wide variety of commerical services - Create collages, screen savers, wall papers etc. No, Picasa is not intended to generate a webalbum. It just is one of its many features. Picasaweb webalbums can contain pictures with a maximum resolution of 1600 pixels. You can upload to other websites / albums as well. - Bert

05-07-2010, 01:39 PM	#11
peterh337 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London Posts: 573	Quote: No, Picasa is not intended to generate a webalbum. It just is one of its many features. Sorry - could you clarify? Do you mean it is NOT one of its many features?

05-07-2010, 01:43 PM	#12
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by peterh337 Sorry - could you clarify? Do you mean it is NOT one of its many features? It IS integrated well with Picasaweb, one of the features I mentioned. It is just one of the many features. You can perfectly well use Picasa without Picasaweb, just try it, it is free. - Bert

05-07-2010, 02:16 PM	#13
Ecaterin Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 723	Originally posted by peterh337 I know this is a bit of a tangent, but can Picasa generate web albums of the kind which you can insert into your own website i.e. a directory structure with index.html at the top? I have been using the web photo album features in Photoshop but they are crippled; e.g. the large pic is limited to 800 pixels wide. ISTM that Picasa is intended for generating web albums which are hosted on some google website server, which I don't want. Yes, it does. There are a few basic templates in Picasa, and then quite a few plugins have been written and most of them do a gorgeous job. You just let Picasa generate the code, then FTP the whole folder structure of the HTML output onto your server It's dead simple: in Picasa go to 'folder' then 'export as HTML' If you need detailed directions, there's lots of them on the internets A webpage full of free templates to use if you want fancy stuff :)

05-08-2010, 07:39 AM	#14
peterh337 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London Posts: 573	Yes, Picasa works quite well for this. A useful addition to the Photoshop photo gallery generator. Took a little while to find - it is under Export to HTML page Many thanks. Interestingly, Picasa doesn't seem to have a feature to force the date stamp from EXIF. This is necessary where images are to be rotated; the rotation changes the date stamp so when one is viewing a folder full of images, one ends up with all the portrait-taken ones at the end. For this reason I continue to use an old copy of ACDSEE. But ACDSEE is a bit strange in that it does the "lossless Jpeg" rotation in some nonstandard way, and if the rotated image is opened in Photoshop CS3 or later, the rotation is missing. Photoshop 7 would display it correctly.

05-08-2010, 01:50 PM	#15
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	On a side note ... it was mentioned that .PEFs can't be views in Photoshop CS3 ... this is incorrect. As I can view mine in CS3 (after I downloaded the correct ACR for it.) I am another fan of Fastone Image Viewer as well ... and it is on my Notebook as well. Love it, works a charm.