Viewing RAW files in windows

[ramcewan]

Well I feel stupid for not searching this out earlier but since maybe some others didn't know I figured I would share.

I've been shooting RAW only and then using Olympus viewer 2 to batch convert to JPEG for viewing. Then I pick the ones I like for one at a time processing from RAW.

Well seems I don't need to do the first step anymore as I have found that I can update my windows photo viewer with the below linked codec pack and see the raw files directly without having to first process them!


http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downl....aspx?id=26829

[Greg Chappell]

Interesting....count me as another one of the stupid people. Kinda cool one can at least view the files, even if you do cannot do any processing. I had no idea the Microsoft people had developed and were maintaining such a database. I'll have to explore tonight when I can try it on my machine. I guess that would mean, with this loaded, when I offload the images from the card to my external hard drive the files would now be viewable in those windows just like JPEG's instead of just seeing the blank .orf file

[ramcewan]

Originally Posted by Greg Chappell

... I guess that would mean, with this loaded, when I offload the images from the card to my external hard drive the files would now be viewable in those windows just like JPEG's instead of just seeing the blank .orf file

Exactly, they now have thumbnail images just like JPG files!

The only thing I am noticing that is a downer is that you can't rotate the orientation in the picture viewer but that isn't really surprising.

[drew881]

I usually just shoot raw plus jpeg to avoid that step, but anyway, when I open them on the MacBook it will view them in some hp viewer that is already on there, but I haven't been able to put them into the iPhoto. Does anyone use aperture or Mac? My roommate has a copy that I probably should install.

[KulaCube]

Actually could could not believe that windows would not have a raw viewing capability... Mac after OS 10.6.8 can view .ORF direct from the finder. Open them in Preview and you can rotate as well.
iPhoto '09 (build 8.1.2) can take .ORF files, display and process them. Not the greatest raw developer, but it does work faster than Viewer.
Have not tried Aperture as the latest version will not run unless I upgrade to OS 10.8

[Greg Chappell]

Definitely works well. Just loaded the 64 bit version and it opened all my raw images for viewing. I don't see it being something I'll use a lot since when I'm viewing them I also want to be working on them, which means Photoshop.

[boBBrennan]

I very seldom view .ORF files, for me it is easier to offload the data then open the folder in ASPro and edit from there.

What I do wish is that FINDER (MAC) would show the thumbnail for each file when selecting multiples, not just the first selected of a group.

[KulaCube]

Originally Posted by boBBrennan

...What I do wish is that FINDER (MAC) would show the thumbnail for each file when selecting multiples, not just the first selected of a group.

Go to the finder, select your folder, then View -- as icons. All images in that folder are now shown as thumbnails. Want to see them bigger, go View, Show View Options and then select the size of the icons display, from the standard 48 x 48 to as large as 128 x 128. Of course this makes ALL the icons on your desktop really big. But you get to see your images.

I do like to quickly look at the latest shooting files in the finder, trashing the "winners" (inconceivable that any shots we take are not worthy of gallery display) and then going on to AS Pro to really have a look see...

[KulaCube]

Sorry Bob, misread your comment... You could view your files in CoverFlow and as you select files the image is flipped to in the upper portion of the window. Like this...

[boBBrennan]

KC.... I update multi-selected files to my Facebook albums so to do the selections from Finder I need to pay attention. I really don't use Finder for much, instead I use Forklift which before a recent update did show a thumbnail as files were cmd-selected.

Anyway, I don't have a single thing running MSFT since I retired, I'm much happier because of it (lol)

BTW......... who here does FB, wanna be friends? I'm at http://tinyurl.com/dxlwxfz