Canon help - EOS 550D RAW to JPEG

[Park@82]

Okay I know nothing about digital photography but somebody asked me for help.


The person took some photos on RAW (cr2) format. I need to help her to convert it to jpeg or something more common.

I have installed Digital Photo professional but could not open the images (shows as blanks).
Then I went to Canon's download site and saw RAW codecs, I downloaded and installed V1.8. But I am still unable to view or edit the images.
I then read something about ZoomBrowser EX in which I could view the images but not edit them.

Please help a DP noob.

Thanks guys.

 

[bwana]

Have you installed the latest DPP? It should open the CR2 files with ease.

 

[Park@82]

Thanks bwana, I think I downloaded an old version.

I googled "Digital Photo professional" and got to http://www.canon-europe.com/support/software/dpp/
clicked on English and got to http://software.canon-europe.com/software/0029161.asp?model= (Version 3.4.1)

Any quick pointers on how to change a image to jpg once I have a new version of DPP?

 

[Park@82]

Managed to get it sorted with a later version.

Please feel free to delete this thread, sorry about that.

 

[atomcrusher]

The very handy image viewer IRFANVIEW can also open Canon RAW (*.CR2) files. Download the viewer and add-ons & plug-ins and you will be able to open many image formats. I find it easier to use for simple file conversions, than Canon DPP software

 

[noxibox]

The very handy image viewer IRFANVIEW can also open Canon RAW (*.CR2) files. Download the viewer and add-ons & plug-ins and you will be able to open many image formats. I find it easier to use for simple file conversions, than Canon DPP software

I find it is fine as a way to preview images, but it does a terrible job converting RAW formats.

 

[atomcrusher]

I find it is fine as a way to preview images, but it does a terrible job converting RAW formats.

Can you expand on that observation please?

I had a need recently to convert a whole bunch of full-res (18MP) RAW *.cr2 images taken with my Canon 550D, to populate a website I am creating to try to to sell my property myself (.. to cut out the ridiculously high estate agent commission)

I could have used Canon DPP, but I find it easier to 'batch convert' a lot of images from RAW > JPG (quite low-res / small file size) for insertion into the web page.

I'm not challenging your observation, as I'm new to this, so want to know what negative effects there are using when Irfanview for that conversion. They look just fine in that webpage I am working on.

 

[atomcrusher]

Thanks bwana, I think I downloaded an old version.

I'm using canon DPP v3.9.2.0 I think that's the latest version

 

[bwana]

It only makes sense that Canon's own DPP is going to do the best possible job when converting RAW - they know the recipe for the secret sauce. I know I can probably get better results with it than I can with Aperture but it's all the rest of the stuff that Aperture can do that makes it a worthwhile application.

'm not challenging your observation, as I'm new to this, so want to know what negative effects there are using when Irfanview for that conversion. They look just fine in that webpage I am working on.

For that particular situation it probably doesn't make a difference since website use is probably the least demanding thing you can do with your photos.

 

[BigAl-sa]

The very handy image viewer IRFANVIEW can also open Canon RAW (*.CR2) files. Download the viewer and add-ons & plug-ins and you will be able to open many image formats. I find it easier to use for simple file conversions, than Canon DPP software

Irfanview uses dcraw to access RAW files. How efficiently the RAW file gets converted depends on the state of dcraw. Just remember, the RAW files from the different cameras have to be reverse engineered in order for dcraw to decode them, so Bwana is right in that the camera manufacturer's own software will do the best job in decoding the files. It might not be the most efficient or easiest to use though.

FWIW, I prefer Faststone as a RAW viewer over Irfanview. Faststone also uses dcraw. You can also look at RAW Therapee as a RAW converter (which also uses dcraw).