Question/Usage: Open as... RAW File...

[Fermitation]

Hello,

I am trying to access the raw file using Irfanview's "Open as... RAW File... " however every attempt ended up with something like a a television screens white fuzz with poor reception.

I wish to open it in raw mode because I wish to have access to the mosaic file (i.e. prior to all the processing) so that I may export the RAW file "as is"

I have checked around the help file and the faq, but I can not see what combination of parameters I need to properly see the file. I have tried setting the resolution to that of the file, and tried various bit depths but nothing seems to produce something remotely close to an image, all attempts have yielded the TV white fuzz.

Note: I am attempting open Nikon and Canon RAW files.

Thank you.

[Laurent]

Hi Fermitation,


Just open your Canon and Nikon files like other ones (File / Open / select). The plugins have to be installed.


Laurent

[Fermitation]

Hi Fermitation,


Just open your Canon and Nikon files like other ones (File / Open / select). The plugins have to be installed.


Laurent

I wish to open it in raw mode because I wish to have access to the mosaic file (i.e. prior to all the processing) so that I may export the RAW file "as is"

Meaning I do not want to view the the result of (File / Open / select).

It appears that what I am asking is possible through the "Open as... RAW File... " menu option, however I just don't know what parameters to input.

[Succat]

Hello Fermitation

I may be able to help but first a clarification as to what you require...

"...I am trying to access the raw file...I need to properly see the file...but nothing seems to produce something remotely close to an image..."

If I understand you correctly (and please correct me if there's a misunderstanding) you want to see the image or picture contained in the RAW file

Correct?

It is not possible to view a RAW file as an image or picture -- because a RAW file is not an image, it's simply RAW data. There's no image to see

To view this RAW data in an image format, the RAW data first needs to be converted into an image format, such as TIFF or JPEG, for example, using a RAW Converter

It is possible to view a "representation" of the potential image inside a RAW file using an image viewer - but what we see is not the RAW image, it's a processed, resized and compressed JPEG image

...I wish to open it in raw mode because I wish to have access to the mosaic file (i.e. prior to all the processing) so that I may export the RAW file "as is"...

One advantage of the RAW format is that it's non-destructive and the original RAW data is not changed when converting or creating an image

In affect, this conversion process could be compared or likened to the "Save As" function on a PC -- in that the RAW file will remain intact and original so you may export the RAW file as is

Regards

Succat

[ edit: clarify typo ]

[Succat]

This is a useful link for anyone looking to read a RAW file primmer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format

To my knowledge (and I trust someone will correct me if the following is incorrect) Irfanview is not a converter for RAW files and an alternative application is required

With regards the Nikon (NEF) and Canon (CR2) proprietary raw formats you wish to process, Irfanview does a superb job of rendering the JPEG representation from each of those camera's formats - and also offers the user a bewildering array of image format options in which to save this JPEG

Both Nikon and Canon offer free utilities to convert their respective RAW files:

* Nikon's "View NX" available here -

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=276&productNr=NVNX

or, "Picture Project" here -

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=276&productNr=nkp2

* Canon's "Zoombrowser EX" available here -

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/software/zbex5-e/

Cheers!



Succat

[Laurent]

Hi Fermitation,

After Succat's post, I believe you want to see the Bayer structure (R/G/G/B) of the RAW image. Astronomical image processing often work on that structure. For example, Iris can decode RAW images into R/G/G/B structure (http://astrosurf.com/buil/)

Laurent