MAC OSX/D60 Converting RAW Images

[felixfoto]

Hi all you Mac users,
I am a new D60 user. Since (if I understand correctly) we cant use Breeze Browser to convert our images from RAW to Jpg/tiff. Can anyone recommend a way of coverting RAW files via Mac/Photoshop 7 ?
Is there another way other than using Canon's software?
Thanks for all your help.

Louis

[DaveF]

There currently are three native OS X RAW File Converters. Two are linear converters and one converts to a linear or the more standard non-linear file.

The two Linear RAW File Converters are:

CRW-X For Mac OS X 10.2
http://www.frostyplace.com/CRW/

GraphicConverter 4.5
http://www.lemkesoft.de/us_index.html

The Non-Linear and Linear RAW File Converter is Canon's newly released:

File Viewer Utility
http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/customer/fvu-e.html

Adobe is to introduce a Photoshop RAW plug-in that supposedly will work with Canon and other camera formats sometime in near future. I wouldn't hold my breath until this is released.

[felixfoto]

Thanks Dave.
Can you recommend one over the other? Do you know what is faster and more effecient?
Which coverter do you use?
Sorry for all the ???
Thnaks for your time!
Louis

[DaveF]

Louis,
I now use Canon's File Viewer Utility. I like the results and the ability to convert RAW via non-linear or linear routes.

When going the more standard non-linear conversion route, you have the ability to change white balance, contrast, sharpening, saturation and color tone settings from those specified by your camera settings if that becomes important to the photo.

I often go the linear route when color or noise (higher ISO) considerations are important to a particular photo. I may use linear more now that Pekka has developed a linear action for the D60. I liked his D30 action.

Canon's File Viewer Utility also allows quick extraction of the jpeg photo from the RAW file.

[jsewell]

One note about using Canon's File Viewer utility: The application will display your RAW images *very* soft. Even after increasing the sharpness setting to maximum, the pictures will appear blurry.

This is just a rendering problem. The actual converted picture will be correct. For this reason, I usually don't use File Viewer's sharpness routine, but rather wait until the converted image is in PhotoShop and apply the USM.

As I understand it, softness in the preview is a bug with Canon's RAW preview algorithm and affects third party applications that use Canon's SDK.

-Jason

[DaveF]

Jason,
Thanks. I always use lowest contrast and sharpening settings in camera and during conversion and was not aware of this bug.