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11-22-2009, 09:19 PM   #1
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Pentax Kx - PEF Files - CS3

I made the decision to use PEF, since it was so useful in my K200... Well, to my horror Pentax decided to change the format in the Kx and I now have 20 photos which I can't see on my MAC or open with Adobe CS3.

I've already switched to DNG. I downloaded the adobe converter but it wouldn't let me select my .PEF files to convert... ?

I just want to get the damn files into jpeg so I can edit them. At this point I could care less about quality. I tried Picasa but the colors are destroyed by it. Only the PEF files mind you, I shot some .jpeg and they work well...

So, I guess my question is, does anyone know of a free program that I can drop my PEF files into and convert them to jpeg or dng for edits in photoshop. Is there any easy way to do this?

11-22-2009, 09:56 PM   #2
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1) Camera Raw 5.6 - Adobe Labs -> http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/cameraraw/5-6/dngconverter5-6_r1_win_111809.exe

DNG Converter v5.6 supports Kx

2) why do you want to use old and crappy ACR version that works with CS3 ? if you are so inclined to use Adobe raw converters - treat yourself to a free LR3 Beta -> Adobe Labs - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3
11-22-2009, 10:07 PM   #3
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Free program for PEF to JPEG or DNG conversion ?
The Pentax Photo Laboratory which came with a CD-ROM in the K20D box will do it.
I know some may have misplaced it or thrown it away, but it can be useful in a pinch.
11-22-2009, 10:36 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by deejjjaaaa Quote
1) Camera Raw 5.6 - Adobe Labs -> http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/cameraraw/5-6/dngconverter5-6_r1_win_111809.exe

DNG Converter v5.6 supports Kx

2) why do you want to use old and crappy ACR version that works with CS3 ? if you are so inclined to use Adobe raw converters - treat yourself to a free LR3 Beta -> Adobe Labs - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3
Unless he has CS4, Camera Raw 5.6 won't run. CS3 only supports up to 4.6
WHile there are some improvements to later issues of ACR, calling 4.6 crappy is totally misleading.

To the OP, Adobe's free DNG converter still doesn't seem to support the K-x, your best bet is probably the camera's supplied software.
I don't know if the camera will do jpeg processing, but if it will, that might be an option as well.

11-22-2009, 10:37 PM   #5
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you can also pop the card back into the camera and develop a jpg out of the raw images. Free.
11-23-2009, 12:59 PM   #6
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BTW, it's not that Pentax "changed to format" of PEF for the K-x. It's just a general truism that each and every camera needs to have support for it hardwired into each and every RAW processing application - except when using DNG, which contains all the necessary data to describe the camera to the program. So each and every time a new camera comes out, old applications don't support it for a while, until they get around to releasing an update (usually within a few months, depending on the camera and the application).
11-23-2009, 01:03 PM   #7
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get the adobe DNG converter, it works just fine with PEF files form my K7 to make them readable with PSP X2 also.

Note, some programs might see K7 or KX and decide to not display the image tbecause the camera is not supported even when shooting DNG

I had this problem.

11-23-2009, 03:12 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Lowell Goudge Quote
...
Note, some programs might see K7 or KX and decide to not display the image tbecause the camera is not supported even when shooting DNG

I had this problem.
This is interesting. Can you describe the programs and how this all worked (or didn't work). I kind of assumed DNG was a pretty safe bet for working with a wide range of programs and systems.
11-23-2009, 04:11 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
Unless he has CS4, Camera Raw 5.6 won't run.
I wrote DNG Converter 5.6, which can be downloaded from the same page as ACR 5.6
11-23-2009, 04:12 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
WHile there are some improvements to later issues of ACR, calling 4.6 crappy is totally misleading.
just reread all the praise (oh, now we are finally close to C1, etc) that LR3 Beta (which is ACR "v6" so to say) has from your own folk... now that spells that ACR v4.6 (two generations old) was crap, is crap and crap it will be !

Last edited by deejjjaaaa; 11-23-2009 at 04:25 PM.
11-23-2009, 04:13 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Voytech Quote
you can also pop the card back into the camera and develop a jpg out of the raw images. Free.
Well this didn't work.

Am I missing something? Is there a way to do the above? (ie, convert PEF>Jpeg in camera)
11-23-2009, 04:14 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Marc Sabatella Quote
BTW, it's not that Pentax "changed to format" of PEF for the K-x. It's just a general truism that each and every camera needs to have support for it hardwired into each and every RAW processing application - except when using DNG, which contains all the necessary data to describe the camera to the program. So each and every time a new camera comes out, old applications don't support it for a while, until they get around to releasing an update (usually within a few months, depending on the camera and the application).
I'm not sure I understand. If the format is .PEF, why can't the PEF reader for CS3 read it?

For an Mp3 player, it can read all mp3s... or, a better example, .shn, lossless audio files, can be processed by all .shn readers.
11-23-2009, 04:19 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by rawr Quote
This is interesting. Can you describe the programs and how this all worked (or didn't work). I kind of assumed DNG was a pretty safe bet for working with a wide range of programs and systems.
of course it is not - as it was again discovered by people like GordonBGood (the man who needs no introduction) if you will try to converted your raw files to DNG then Adobe's own converter (at least the one that was current ~2 month ago) did not grab all the image data (and how many times did you read that DNG will have it all ? )

http://forums.dpreview.com/...forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=32904790


"...The program will not work with DNG files converted from PEF's by the current version of the Adobe DNG Converter application due to this program stripping out the necessary black masked-to-light photosites at the right and bottom borders of the sensor in landscape orientation which are used by the correction algorithm..."

now that is what is known - imagine how much other bugs Adobe will have ? so just use the old good PEF, preferrably w/o Adobe raw converters and be happy.
11-23-2009, 04:23 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by jk333 Quote
I'm not sure I understand. If the format is .PEF, why can't the PEF reader for CS3 read it?
CS3 must run ACR (Adobe Camera Raw)

Adobe intentionally blocked recent versions of ACR from being used by previous versions of photoshop (that was happening w/ each new version of Photoshop).

so CS3 will not be able to run the latest version of ACR which "supports" PEF raw files from Kx...

that is the way Adobe wants (politely) people either to upgrade Photoshop (CS3->CS4) or force them to spend some money on LR.
11-23-2009, 04:24 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Marc Sabatella Quote
BTW, it's not that Pentax "changed to format" of PEF for the K-x. It's just a general truism that each and every camera needs to have support for it hardwired into each and every RAW processing application - except when using DNG, which contains all the necessary data to describe the camera to the program. So each and every time a new camera comes out, old applications don't support it for a while, until they get around to releasing an update (usually within a few months, depending on the camera and the application).
Not only what I said above, but the PEFs are 2x the size, as well. Look, the Kx is an awesome camera, I'm thrilled with it.

But, without knowing what they did for the inner workings of the RAW files, it sure seems like the new raw format is shittier in every way. A raw was 10mb, now its 15. Great.

Why would I ever want to use PEFs when the files are the same size as the DNGs? Is there a benefit?
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