Software to work with CRW or CR2 files?

I recently purchased a used Canon S3 IS camera. I found this forum the same day and have found some very useful tips so far. One of the things I found was the CHDK mod for the S3. The S3 by default does not do RAW images, but with the mod it can, saving to either CRW or CR2 file extensions. When I bought the camera, there were no accessories with it (e.g. cables, software CD, etc.)

I am totally new to RAW images, but want to play around with it.

What software is best for working with CRW or CR2 files? I have Photoshop Elements 2 and Photoshop 7. Neither of these has a CRW or CR2 in their list of files to load.

Thanks in advance...
Al

Picasa Photo viewer can open and do some moderate editing then you can save them in other popular image extensions.

It's free too.

Raw Therapee would be a good choice. I have in the past seen in the RT support forum posts from people using the CHDK hack so you will find help there if needed. It is free (donation requested) and has a lot of very good functions.

Chopper Al wrote in post #7715309
I am totally new to RAW images, but want to play around with it

I am not sure if you can do more than "playing around". In order to create correct RGB images from the raw files, the software has to "know" the camera characteristics, most notably the color filter characteristics (the spectral responses of the filters).

Although it is possible, that you can coax a raw processor into dealing with that raw file, but you can not coax it into correct color reproduction.

Not Photoshop but Camera Raw processes the raw files; I think the first version of ACR came out with PS 7. If you can choose, create CR2 files; they are TIFFs, as such, easier processable.

If you are successful creating CR2 files, pls upload one with yousendit.com; I would like to see one.

Canon's own Digital Photo Professional (DPP)

http://www.cdifoto.com​/dpp.php

then go to canon's website to download the latest updated version

dekalbSTEEL wrote in post #7717875
Canon's own Digital Photo Professional (DPP)

http://www.cdifoto.com​/dpp.php

then go to canon's website to download the latest updated version

I may be wrong, of course, but I don't think either DPP or Adobe products will support those hacked RAWs. I think you need a converter that uses the DCRaw engine.

You might also give Ufraw a go to see if it will open these files if DPP won't.

Thanks everyone for your quick replies.

I recently bought my wife a Canon G10 camera for her 50th birthday, and the DPP software that came with her camera would not open the CRW or CR2 file.

Raw Therapee was the only one that I was able to get to open the CR2 file. It also said there was no EXIF info with the file. Not sure how critical that is to a RAW file.

Thanks...
Al

Are you sure you're referring to DPP and not ZoomBrowser EX?

I don't have a G10 but its my understanding that you cannot edit/convert a G10 RAW file in ZoomBrowser but you can in Digital Photo Professional.

Apparently this represents a change by Canon because with the G9 you could open and convert RAW files with ZoomBrowser but for the G10 they removed the conversion function in ZoomBrowser and replaced it with DPP, which previously was only shipped with DSLR cameras.

Chopper Al wrote in post #7726521
Thanks everyone for your quick replies.

I recently bought my wife a Canon G10 camera for her 50th birthday, and the DPP software that came with her camera would not open the CRW or CR2 file.

Raw Therapee was the only one that I was able to get to open the CR2 file. It also said there was no EXIF info with the file. Not sure how critical that is to a RAW file.

Thanks...
Al

FedkaTheConvict wrote in post #7726644
Are you sure you're referring to DPP and not ZoomBrowser EX?

I don't have a G10 but its my understanding that you cannot edit/convert a G10 RAW file in ZoomBrowser but you can in Digital Photo Professional.

Apparently this represents a change by Canon because with the G9 you could open and convert RAW files with ZoomBrowser but for the G10 they removed the conversion function in ZoomBrowser and replaced it with DPP, which previously was only shipped with DSLR cameras.

I tried both Zoombrowser and DPP, both which wouldn't open the files. It may come down to the RAW files being created on my S3 are a 'hack' RAW file.

Oh well, not a problem.

Al

Chopper Al wrote in post #7715309
I recently purchased a used Canon S3 IS camera. What software is best for working with CRW or CR2 files?
Thanks in advance...
Al

Try FastStone Image Viewer 3.9. I have a Canon S3 with CHDK installed on the card and it works for me. I also have Raw Therapee which does a great job restoring the White Balance, but it's much slower overall.

I used chdk for a period on an A640. it sounded like a cool idea until I realized that none of the RAW converters supported RAW files from cameras that don't natively produce RAW files. I was able to get decent images using Rawtherapee mentioned in a previous post, but it was like painting a house with a toothbrush; it can be done, but... As I recall I got the best results by first converting the Raw files to .DNG. Finally decided it just wasn't worth the effort.

Under Linux I use DigiKam (Great for tagging, editing, sharpening and converting RAW), but there are also ufraw, RAWstudio, DNG converter, Picasa 3 and, of course, THE Gimp. All are great, but DigiKam is the best for "developing' the DNG format. Picasa is too limited in editing (the linux version), but it converts the RAW images nicely.
By the way, I have a SX200IS and use CHDK too. So far I didn't notice any problems with the DNG format on any software I've tried.
DigiKam also uses EXIF and IPTC data, but I've noticed some problems with these using CHDK, the shutter speed gets messed up, but that's a little price to pay.
Also, the CHDK for the SX200IS is at beta stage, so there'll be improvements to come (soon I hope).
There's also a little script I use, called ExifOrganizer, written in Python (also works under Windows) that organizes the pictures by the date they were taken, it's very useful!