Opening .cr2 files

madmaxx · 25 Sep 2008 at 22:55

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!

chrismox · 25 Sep 2008 at 23:04

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...

A.N.Other · 25 Sep 2008 at 23:34

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 · 25 Sep 2008 at 23:37

surely you can use Digital Photo Professional, that should have come with the camera.

madmaxx · 26 Sep 2008 at 00:23

aztechnology said:
surely you can use Digital Photo Professional, that should have come with the camera.

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....

A.N.Other · 26 Sep 2008 at 00:50

I sympathise with that. I've always found the Canon software to be rubbish whenever I've tried it.

madmaxx · 26 Sep 2008 at 19:38

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

A.N.Other · 26 Sep 2008 at 19:53

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

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.

madmaxx · 26 Sep 2008 at 20:23

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.

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 · 26 Sep 2008 at 20:26

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

madmaxx · 26 Sep 2008 at 20:32

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

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:

blastman · 26 Sep 2008 at 20:33

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

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.

A.N.Other · 26 Sep 2008 at 20:34

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.

madmaxx · 26 Sep 2008 at 20:48

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...

Adobe, you've got to love 'em...

Jotun · 26 Sep 2008 at 21:04

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... Adobe, you've got to love 'em...

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

madmaxx · 26 Sep 2008 at 21:30

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

Nice idea, especially the bit about the free trial...thanks!

Fuzz · 21 Dec 2008 at 13:51

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 · 21 Dec 2008 at 16:20

Erm, Why can't people just update their camera raw version then?

james.miller · 21 Dec 2008 at 16:24

sid said:
Erm, Why can't people just update their camera raw version then?

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)

Fuzz · 21 Dec 2008 at 16:36

Would be great if it worked

Not for vista 64...