Adobe Camera Raw - Bait and Switch?

[Chuck Lee]

Am I completely missing something or is Adobe gone gangster? Not that I need too, but I saw an update for Camera Raw recently and went to look at the download. Since they went to version 5 the minimum requirements are CS4, Elements 6.0, or Premiere 4.0. I own CS3. Does this mean that if I buy a new body in the next year that I will not be able to convert my raws with ACR unless I upgrade to CS4? They'll support ACR for Elements 6.0 but won't support it for CS3?


Simply unbelievable.

[Alan]

Chuck, yes, it's true. You need CS4. One option is to use another CR program, such as Digital Photo Professional, convert to a TIF, then you can use CS3.

[Keith B]

This is the reason I went with Aperture. I have CS3 and they refused to update the RAW to support my 5DmkII.

[Daniel Browning]

Does this mean that if I buy a new body in the next year that I will not be able to convert my raws with ACR unless I upgrade to CS4?

Correct. The only workaround is to convert to DNG, then the old CS3 version will read it.

[Vlad Xp]

This is the problem I ran into myself recently after upgrading to 5D Mark II. Where exactly do you convert to DNG? I did not see that option in Digital Photo Professional that came with the camera.

[Daniel Browning]

Where exactly do you convert to DNG? I did not see that option in Digital Photo Professional that came with the camera.

It's not a Canon thing, it's an Adobe thing:


http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/


Click on the link under "DOWNLOADS" to get the free Adobe DNG Converter. (It is updated regularly with support for new cameras.)

[Vlad Xp]

Thanks for the link. I just tried it, and the DNG files work fine with ACR 4.6 (CS3)

[weclickyoupick.com]

The problem with the excellent idea is the latest DNG converter doesn't support my 7D CR2's and therefore my options are:


1) Wait until the new DNG converter supports my 7D. (At which time the converter will not support CS3)


2)Use Canon's DPP and save as 16bit TIFF and then use CS3 ( which won't save as jpeg ) and then re-open with DPP and then convert. If it wasn't for PS CS3 being such a powerful program....I would boycott.


I'm compelled to choose #2 and only shoot RAW when doing portraits. My live action sports simply is to labor intensive for all of this conversion steps.


Shame on you Adobe....I agree!


Cheers,


Jay Scott


weclickyoupick.com

[Daniel Browning]

The problem with the excellent idea is the latest DNG converter doesn't support my 7D CR2's

Are you saying that DNG Converter 5.5 gives you an error message? When I use it, it converts 7D CR2 files just fine, and I am able to open them in ACR CS3.


Or are you referring to the fact that Adobe does not yet "officially" support the 7D? That is true, but it applies equally to DNG Converter as well as ACR CS4 (and Lightroom 2.5).

1) Wait until the new DNG converter supports my 7D. (At which time the converter will not support CS3)

That is incorrect. DNG files created by the converter can be opened just fine in CS3, even after the next DNG Converter upgrade.

2)Use Canon's DPP and save as 16bit TIFF and then use CS3 ( which won't save as jpeg ) and then re-open with DPP and then convert.

I don't think any of that makes sense.

[weclickyoupick.com]

Thanx for the feedback Daniel....


Yes...I was assuming that when Adobe lists tons of cameras and my 7D isn't on there....that the DNG 5.5 wouldn't work. I could have sworn I read the the DNG 5.5 wouldn't work with CS3....but maybe I'm confusing with the latest edition of ACR.


I'll try to download the most recent DNG and try it with my 7D RAW's.


As far as not making sense per se.....I save the CR2 as a 16bit TIFF while in DPP. When I open this TIFF in CS3.....I can adjust....but CS3 won't let me save to jpeg from a 16bit TIFF. I have to go back to DPP to convert to jpeg.


Thanx again....I'll let you know if I have issues with the most recent DNG.


Cheers, Jeff