RAW files and Mac OSX

[sigler]

What is the best way to work with RAW files in Mac OSX? What options are there other than the SLOW program that came with my 10D?

Thanks,

Rob

[elm54]

Hiya Rob,
Sorry to say our options are limited :( . As I write this I am converting 16 images I took this morning ( took a couple of minutes on a dual 800 ) . I am using FVU converting straight to 8 bit exif tiff. I also use Adobe camera Raw when I want to mess with an Image or convert to Linear tiff and then edit extensively . I am hopeing Phase One or Bibble will eventually support My D60 on a mac. But the longer it takes, and the more the D60 gets old the less optimistic I get. So we will see. Either they will support it eventually or I will end up ( because so much time has gone by )with the Canon $2,000.00 full frame sensor camera that is supported on macs by some great software company :) that processes Raw perfectly.8)
So that is my story and I am sticking to it. Hopefully, I am missing something and someone will post it and we will both be plesantly rewarded.

Peace,
Eric

[Webster]

Since Iview came out with a new version of MediaPro that can read RAW images, my workflow has simplified enormously. Now I just download the image files using a firewire CF card reader to a folder and tell MediaPro to import them. If you leave MediaPro running it will notice new files and import them on its own. I view the thumbnails and full-screen images in MediaPro and drag and drop the thumbnails I select onto the Photoshop icon. This pops up the PS RAW Camera dialog, and I'm off and running. Whenever the image folder gets over 4G it goes to DVD and I start on a new folder.

[kafene]

I'll have to check out what Webster said about iView Media Pro. I guess I don't have the latest version because it doesn't recognize Canon Raw files (at least, I don't think so).

Sigler, there is hope yet. The next version of Photoshop should be able to support Canon Raw files. It's pretty slick. When opening a Canon Raw file, a dialogue/settings window opens up and you can make exposure, contrast, and a slew of other adjustments with an image preview. Click and the image opens up with the adjustments pre-made. Further corrections or adjustments can then be made before saving out as another format, like tiff. I tried the Canon software and couldn't handle it either. I just wanted something that I can use to just open the damn file after I copied it to my computer.

kafene.

[who10]

I tested C1LE with Virtual PC 6 for OS X running on a 500mhz G4 Mac. With that very successful test I upgraded my processor card to 1.25ghz and beefed up memory to 1gig. I set up an archive folder (where a copy of all my raw files exist) and develop TIFF files with C1 into shared folder called “Processed”. C1LE actually runs faster on my Mac at home than on the 800mhz Dell I use at work.

This set up is great if you already have a pretty fast Mac or were looking for an excuse to upgrade. If you have no other use for Virtual PC it may be a bit tough to justify – for me, I’m hooked on CaptureOne and already owned VPC 6. For cataloging and viewing files, I'm evaluating the Extensis Portfolio 6 trial. Portfolio reads and displays both D60 and 10D raw files and can be configured to open the associated TIFF file with Photoshop.

_____
who10

[ahmadof]

i have to second the portfolio suggestion. i takes awhile to learn to use, but it reads RAW files directly. Iview is aslo very good, a bit simpler. What i really want to do is somehow get iphoto to recognize RAW. Another way to go about it is to transfer with a file reader as mentioned before, and then use Photoshop with RAW plugin. It works with the file browser, so you don't have to convert each picture to see it. you can just open the ones you want to use. it is a nice 'rough' way to catalogue.
i don't really do any batch processing, so perhaps someone can describe their workflow in that respect.

anyway, it will all be much faster and easier with PS8 and a dual 2ghz G5http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smile4.gif

[ardelfan]

Hi Rob,

My search ended with Extensis Portfolio which is an excellent asset management tool. It comes with a free -and excellent- Bibble Labs Plugin to handle the RAW data. Portfolio can also read (and store) the EXIF data which I find very useful. Now I can analyse my photo's much better. I can see what focal length I mostly use, which shutter speeds and so on. I like statistics :-)
Just my $0.02

Regards,
Armand