Opening .cr2 files

madmaxx

madmaxx

madmaxx

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Joined
18 Aug 2003
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868
Location
S Yorks
I've just bought a Canon 450D, and took a few test snaps of Warwick Castle today, seeing as I was down there for a meeting. So I got home, downloaded, and fired up Adobe Bridge (CS2) - and it wont open the raw .cr2 files. Is there an easy way around this - without shelling out for CS3 (or 4), which is what a quick Google seemed to suggest was the appropriate remedy?

Cheer folks! :)
 
I think you can download an update for "Camera RAW" from Adobe. I seem to remember having to do that when I bought my camera a while back.

EDIT - maybe not for CS2 but it's worth a look...
 
There should be an update for Camera RAW for CS2, but I don't think it allowed CR2s to display in Bridge, just for them to be processed in PS. IIRC that is.
 
aztechnology said:
surely you can use Digital Photo Professional, that should have come with the camera.
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Yes, I just didnt install DPP, I just put the camera drivers onto my PC. In the past I've always used Bridge / Adobe Raw to open the files, I was just wondering if I could maintain the Adobe workflow without having to use what I've often found to be horrible Canon software! I will investigate....:)
 
Can I just check before I install the dreaded Canon software - will it act like Adobe Raw, and let me select the .cr2 file I want, then open it in Photoshop? Or will it force me to save it as a .jpg or similar file first, which I can then open in PS? Thanks for any assistance :)
 
madmaxx said:
Can I just check before I install the dreaded Canon software - will it act like Adobe Raw, and let me select the .cr2 file I want, then open it in Photoshop? Or will it force me to save it as a .jpg or similar file first, which I can then open in PS? Thanks for any assistance :)
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It won't integrate with any Adobe software you have. It will open the RAW files to be edited within itself and so that you can save them as something else.

As above, CameraRAW will allow you to edit the photos within Photoshop, you just won't be able to view them in Bridge. If viewing them is the only thing you're after that Photoshop can't do and you're using XP then you can just download the RAW Viewer powertoy ... http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx. If you're using Vista then you can download this ... http://software.canon-europe.com/software/0026049.asp.
 
A.N.Other said:
It won't integrate with any Adobe software you have. It will open the RAW files to be edited within itself and so that you can save them as something else.

As above, CameraRAW will allow you to edit the photos within Photoshop, you just won't be able to view them in Bridge.
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Thanks for that - to be honest, I can live without the Bridge integration, I just wanted to avoid that middle stage of converting to .jpg before opening in PS. Its a pity that (as far as I can tell!) the latest version of Camera RAW wont allow CS2 to open .cr2 files from my 450D :mad:
 
A.N.Other said:
I'm not sure the XP powertoy supports the 450D, thinking about it, but you can always get the 450D codec from the Canon website if it doesn't ... http://software.canon-europe.com/software/0029159.asp
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Thanks for that, I didn't know you could let Windows view raw files in that way! If I install that, does that mean photoshop will also be able to view them? I guess not - it feels like a bit of a forced upgrade, cos I really dont have any need to upgrade to CS3 or 4...:rolleyes:
 
A.N.Other said:
I'm not sure the XP powertoy supports the 450D, thinking about it, but you can always get the 450D codec from the Canon website if it doesn't ... http://software.canon-europe.com/software/0029159.asp
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This is true.

I had to use an 3rd party viewer as the Microsoft one doesn't support cr2 files from the 450D. I use Irfanviewer, but it does take a while to load all the thumbnails if viewing the contents of a large folder of SD card.
 
Yeah, all the powertoy or that codec will do will be to just allow you to see the thumbnails and view them in filmstrip view within explorer.
 
So am I right in my assumption that there is no actual way of getting photoshop CS2 to edit the .cr2 files without the intermediate stage of converting them to another file format? I just wanted to double check, before I start banging my head against a brick wall...:p Adobe, you've got to love 'em...
 
madmaxx said:
So am I right in my assumption that there is no actual way of getting photoshop CS2 to edit the .cr2 files without the intermediate stage of converting them to another file format? I just wanted to double check, before I start banging my head against a brick wall...:p Adobe, you've got to love 'em...
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I believe so unfortunately. You should be able to use lightroom to import the images and then you can just right click a photo and select edit in photoshop, which will convert it to PSD so you can edit it, which might be cheaper than upgrading photoshop, and will also give you some photo management software. You can download a trial to double check this works first too! No ideal solutions though :(
 
Jotun said:
I believe so unfortunately. You should be able to use lightroom to import the images and then you can just right click a photo and select edit in photoshop, which will convert it to PSD so you can edit it, which might be cheaper than upgrading photoshop, and will also give you some photo management software. You can download a trial to double check this works first too! No ideal solutions though :(
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Nice idea, especially the bit about the free trial...thanks! :D
 
Is there an ideal solution to this that has come to light yet.. I just found I have the same problem and I guess the links above are slightly different as it just takes me back to Canons own codec which doesn't appear to do anything other than install itself :confused:

What a ball ache for just some photo's..
 
sid said:
Erm, Why can't people just update their camera raw version then?
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indeed.


Camera raw 3.1 and newer (newest is 5.2 i think?) should allow editing of .cr2 files in PS CS2 just fine. and canon have a driver to download that allows you to view the .cr2 thumbnails in explorer (for vista at the very least)
 
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