Shooting RAW

Thecageyone

Up until now I've always simply shot in jpeg format, quick, simple, no fuss. but since buying a dslr I've been dabbling in RAW files. I see the advantages, more control during post processing, more control over white balance etc ... BUT, the biggest problem I've found is that I get no preview of the images from folders when I open in lightroom. They just show up as a flower icon with numbers underneath. This can get frustrating when you want to process more than a few, as I keep opening the same images.

Any fix for this? There must be a way Vista can recognise and show a thumbnail for RAWs?

melekalikimaka

depends on the camera, google raw codec <insert camera brand>

then you'll have thumbnails

Thecageyone

Cheers, will try that now.

It's a Sony A200

If i install a codec that enables Thumbs in windows, will they then also show up in lightroom? Silly Q I know, but just to be sure ... to be sure

honerbright

Does your camera have the option to shoot in RAW and jpeg at the same time? Thats what I do, so I have a thumbnail in the folder so I know which RAW file I want to muck around with

edit: just seen your post above, I use a sony a200 as well so you'll definitely have the setting

pixbyjohn

Maybe this download will do it for you
http://www.microsoft.com/prophoto/downloads/codecs.aspx

melekalikimaka

honerbright wrote: »

Does your camera have the option to shoot in RAW and jpeg at the same time? Thats what I do, so I have a thumbnail in the folder so I know which RAW file I want to muck around with

edit: just seen your post above, I use a sony a200 as well so you'll definitely have the setting

all raws have a thumbnail jpeg embedded, shooting in raw and jpeg isnt really needed once you get the codec for your pc

melekalikimaka

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/select-system.pl?DIRECTOR=DRIVER&PRODTYPE=76

there yis go

honerbright

melekalikimaka wrote: »

all raws have a thumbnail jpeg embedded, shooting in raw and jpeg isnt really needed once you get the codec for your pc

Ah, I had no idea, thanks! (Although it seems so obvious now that I know).

Thecageyone

I hadn't refreshed the page, and found this:

http://www.free-codecs.com/sony_raw_codec_download.htm

Which suggested to restart before it would fully install. but I chose restart later, and it still changed those nasty flower icons to thumbnails in windows

Seems to be working grand, if it messes up or anything I'll try one of those links above.


Took a couple of minutes to download and install, cheers for the suggestions.

You could try it to honerbright, then you won't have to do RAW+jpeg [I did try that yesterday while out and about with the kids, but I filled a 4GB card a lot quicker than I expected to!]

Also, same here, seems so obvious to just google it as I normally would do, I thought there might be some trick within windows itself though. Thank God for codecs eh?

Btw, that's me, Cagey75, that added you on flickr, in case you're wondering You got some nice shots, i see you have a nifty-fifty on your A200 too

Masada

I posted a thread with pretty much the same problem a few months back, i couldnt get the nikon codec thing to work as my PC is 64bit Windows 7 and its only compatible with 32bit.

My solution was to use a program called FastPictureViewer, you install it and straight away the files that used to be just a Lightroom icon are now proper thumbnails. When you open them they appear in a window very similar to Windows Picture Viewer etc but with loads of info about the photo there too like shutter speed, aperature, pretty much all the exif data.,

Very happy with it.

Thecageyone

Good stuff. It is a right pain when you cannot see what you're importing. I was all frustrated earlier, was even considering going back to the root folder, checking every image and renaming so I'd know what it was, but then ... how do you check? Windows won't automatically show you in folder what the image is!

As I said, God bless codecs! But, You'd think Windows 7 would be up to scratch on these things. I'm on Vista premium, I suppose they can be excused for that. but with the onslaught of photography enthusiasts, you'd think they could muster up an in-built RAW viewer in W7!?

Somebody should email Bill!

Ghost Train

Thecageyone wrote: »

Good stuff. It is a right pain when you cannot see what you're importing. I was all frustrated earlier, was even considering going back to the root folder, checking every image and renaming so I'd know what it was, but then ... how do you check? Windows won't automatically show you in folder what the image is!

As I said, God bless codecs! But, You'd think Windows 7 would be up to scratch on these things. I'm on Vista premium, I suppose they can be excused for that. but with the onslaught of photography enthusiasts, you'd think they could muster up an in-built RAW viewer in W7!?

Somebody should email Bill!

Best to keep an OS limited to the basic functions and offer more specific features as needed, when you install an OS you want it to be fast and light, wouldn't want raw viewer on every office pc

usually the software that comes with the camera will do previews of raw files or other image viewers like irfanview

Thecageyone

Good point. Though I didn't get the software as I bought the cam used and the seller omitted it [can't complain, he did throw in a wireless remote shutter release for free! plus 2 books on the cam]

SinisterDexter

Thank you to TheCageyOne for bringing up this subject - I have got stuck in my ways over the last few years and always use Picasa to view the RAW files. It would be easier to view the RAWs in randomly named folders - in windows explorer - , but I just don't think about it. Now I have fixed it.

Thanks to PixByJohn for the great link.

gman2k

Windows live will also display RAW files. (For the 7D at least)
I'd e wary about installing anything Sony on a PC, as they seem to mess up everything they touch.

Thecageyone

That's Apple you're thinking of :P

I've never had any issues with anything Sony in the past.