New DECENT soft for raw from Canon!?

[elmimmo]

I own a G2, and while the camera is great, ImageBrowser 3.6 or FileViewer 1.21 (which will refuse to update to v1.32) as tools to wrok with raw images suck totally. FileViewer, which is the the intended tool for batch RAW processing, only lets me change the same parameters that the camera menu has, ie. WB presets (no specific K degrees), high/normal/low contrast, high/normal/low saturation, and high/normal/low sharpness. Considering the software that Nikon gives you with the lousiest camera, this is utterly pathetic. I use OSX, so not that many choices there (PS8, and some raw2tiff16 tools with no decent gui for image touch up).

I have seen in many internet news sites that the latter G6 comes, among other things, with new software that seems not to be available for download anywhere, such as ImageBrowser 5. I thought that maybe Canon put some effort into making their software a little bit decent, so I googled for "ImageBrowser 5".

While I could not find anything on it, I found a manual of ImageBrowser (not stating any particular version) in http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/SOFT_CMP/ib360_v16_072dpi-e.pdf, which in page 86 features some screenshots of a software I have never seen. It is still somewhat short on features, but still much better than what I currently have. It has for instance individual channel's curves, digital exposure compensation and other really useful thingies.

Does anyone know what is that program, and where I can get it, or is it that I am getting so few options because my PowerShot is a G2? If I order the CD with the last soft from Canon, will I get something like that in the screenshots?

Anyone with a new g6 that has taken a look at the included software for RAW images?

[Jon]

No promises (I don't work for Canon), but they've usually posted upgrades to the software on the net.

[elmimmo]

But are those screenshots from new software, or from something else I do not know?

[Jon]

Well, according to the manual it's the RAW converter that comes in the latest version of Image Browser. Now, since they ship the same version of IB with all the Canon digitals across the board, it's possible that you won't see that with your camera's RAW format. In fact on p. 85, they say "Depending on your camera model, a different program than the one introduced here may start when you convert images." So it's possible that only CR2 supports all these features, or vice versa.

[elmimmo]

The thing is that I only get the menu File/RAW Image Processing if I also have FileViewer installed. And if I go to that menu, then FileViewer opens. I have tried deleting FileViewer but then the menu File/RAW Image Processing vanishes from ImageBrowser (I do not mean it grays out, it simply is not there any more).

So I thought that maybe that RAW processor might be a new soft that ImageBrowser detects and uses, instead of the pathetic FileViewer.

[JOKI]

Breeze Browser ; Yark+ (I guess have a differet name today)
What else do you want?

[j.baker]

Paint Shop Pro V9 can now read canon raw file without any plugin’s, also the digital noise remove function is quite good. Plus it’s also quite cheap to purchase.

The only bad points so can see so far, is that you cannot specify which camera you have.

[elmimmo]

Breeze Browser ; Yark+ (I guess have a differet name today)
What else do you want?Well, for a start, Breeze Browser for the Mac. Please read my first post. 2nd, I want to be able to save raw settings into the raw file itself, which can only be done with 1st party software AFAIK. In any case, while I appreciate any suggestions, please take into account this was not the aim of this post. I wanted to know if anyone knows the 1st party software that is depicted in those screenshots, question which has not been answered so far.

[elmimmo]

OK, since (understandably) no one feels like downloading that pdf and none of the new G6 users are commenting first hand on the bundled canon software with their cameras, I will be more explicit and show you the screenshots I meant.

Still, it strikes me as somewhat surprising that no one is interested in finding out about a new 1st party Canon software, that is not available anywhere except to customers acquiring a new camera, that is not downloable from anywhere, and most important, that might not suck.

According to that ImageBrowser manual, this are screenshots of what you get when you go to File > RAW Image Processing. It does say you might get a different interface depending on your camera, but no one has yet confirmed s/he has the interface depicted in that manual:

http://www.geocities.com/elmimmo/canon/campos_Page_085_Image_0001.png
http://www.geocities.com/elmimmo/canon/campos_Page_087_Image_0001.png
http://www.geocities.com/elmimmo/canon/campos_Page_087_Image_0002.png
http://www.geocities.com/elmimmo/canon/campos_Page_087_Image_0003.png

As you can see has advanced features such as custom white balance in specific Kelvin, digital exposure compensation, curves tinkering and some other "advanced adjustments" not shown. Nothing amazing, but far better than the interface I am given, when going to File > RAW Image Processing (which actually triggers FileViewer):

http://www.geocities.com/elmimmo/canon/FileViewer.jpg

Excuse me for it being the Spanish version, but as you can appreciate I can only change WB presets (no specific K degrees), high/normal/low contrast, high/normal/low saturation, and high/normal/low sharpness. Exactly the same things that can be touched in the camera itself before taking the photo. Quite useless IMHO.

(If I have time, later on I will show you a screenshot of Nikon Capture's RAW Image Processing never ending options, which they bundle FOR FREE).

[Superbaldguy]

Will Paint Shop Pro 7 work with this application?

[elmimmo]

Well, two programs are depicted in those screenshots. I do not know what program the first one is and that is what I am asking.

In any case, you would use those programs to convert your photos from canon's raw format (crw) to tiff or jpeg format. You can use Paint Shop Pro for the same purpose I think (I do not use it, it is not available for Mac OS X), the same as you could also use Photoshop's raw plug-in or BreezeBrowser (which is not availbale for the Mac either).

Of course, once you have exported the raws to tiff or jpeg you can open those files in any program you want (be it PSP or whatever) but what I am interested in is seeing if there is a first party program that gives me enough options to convert from raw to jpeg without having to retouch them up in a second program later on and, from my experience from using Nikon software, I hope that the software can also save the tweaked values into the raw file itself, so that I do not loose neither the original photo nor the values of the changes I have made to it.

[Jon]

Canon says here (http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/SDK/IB-e.html) (footnote 3) that for cameras released before 2003, File Viewer will start for the RAW conversion. So, guess you're stuck with FV for your G2.

[elmimmo]

Damn it. I did not know that page. Still, can anyone confirm with a camera bought after 2003 that you get the raw convertor they are displaying in the first screenshots. If so, could someone please send me a sample raw file. I would like to check if I can spot how similar/different they are from my G2's in the inside and see if I can cheat IB into thinking they are from a newer camera…

If anyone volunteers, please, private message me and I will give you an e-mail address that can support the size of a raw file.

[elmimmo]

Pleeeeeeease, someone send me a RAW file from a post-2003 Canon PowerShot G camera.

[jasperm]

Hi - THis will only be slightly helpful, but I have the G6 (great camera, big improvement over G3). I have not tried to use RAW or RAW software yet, but I can tell you that the newer version of zoom browser, which I did try, while improved, is still inferior, and I have decided not to use it. I can't say anything about the other software, but my sense is that the Canon software is still not worth the effort, given how inexpensive some 3rd party progs are. I will probably use Downloader pro for downloading, and eventually breeze browser for RAW processing.

Hope that helps somewhat.

Michael

[elmimmo]

I have the G6Hi! I would appreciate it so much if you could send me a .raw file for software testing purposes… If you agree, please PM me so that I can give an e-mail address that could handle the weight of the file.

BTW, I wait for the day that Canon bundles something like this, for free...
http://www.geocities.com/elmimmo/Nikon1.png
http://www.geocities.com/elmimmo/Nikon2.png
Granted, this (Nikon Capture 4) came with a Nikon D1X, so one can say it comes with its price, and I am not really sure if it also comes with compact Nikon cameras… Still, you do have the option to buy it, and so have to option to work with a rather decent software that works with their RAWs natively (that way you can save both the original negative along with touch ups applied later in the same file). It shows that Nikon is comminted to support their cameras with a software that can exploit all the features of their hardware, while Canon stance on the subject is rather poor, to say so with a bit of diplomacy… I just wonder what would happen if suddently all unofficial support towards CRW ceased and Canon users were left with what Canon offers to them.[/img]