iPhoto '08 won't import RAWs from Canon EOS 450D

RAW support is a bit confused and murky at the moment. Prior to the release of Aperture 2 it was based in the Operating System, and so an update worked for all apps that ran on that OS. However, this meant that it was taking very long for Aperture (and iPhoto) to support newer cameras. So now the RAW support is built-in to the applications. iPhoto 08 is geared to this, but v6 seems not to be. Therefore there it would require an update to the Operating System to add new cameras to v6. OS 10.4 has not been updated since 10.5 was released, and I wouldn't expect it to be. Therefore I would not expect new cameras to be added to v6.

This is what gives that impression I guess.

However, I'm not sure. As RAW support was part of the OS at the time of release of iPhoto 08, it may well still be there for it, with a different system in operation for Aperture, which certainly post dates 10.5 and iPhoto 08. So, the thing is, I'm really not sure.

Regards

TD

Well that's an interesting discovery.

Why do you shoot in RAW and jpeg? I never did understand that...

Regards

TD

You know that iPhoto creates a jpeg of every RAW file you import, right? So now you have two jpegs of the shot - the one you took and the one iPhoto created? Aperture, too, can be set to create jpeg Previews of RAW files, and in different qualities too.

Regards

TD

I have a Canon XSi and shoot RAW exclusively. Since the release of the RAW update from Apple I haven't had any problems importing/viewing/editing them in iPhoto '08.

Here's my workflow:
Using card reader, copy pictures to a folder on the desktop (because I burn this folder to disk for backup).
Drag the folder from the desktop into iPhoto.

I haven't tried importing directly into iPhoto from the card in a card reader, nor from the card through the camera. Is that what you guys are doing?

Using Canon's software doesn't work for me either. I use Canon EOS Utility (the latest one on the web site) and connected the camera via USB. I copied the files over from the camera using the utility. The RAW displayed fine in DPP and Image Browser. I thought this would solve it.

I imported all of these pictures JPG and RAW into iPhoto. Only the JPG came over and it said 82 pictures couldn't be loaded and these were all of the RAW files.

This really *****. What's going on? If I am going to be stuck with Canon's software I guess I need to ship this Mac back.

Unfortunately, no word from Apple on it. I'll be happy to send one of my RAW files.

Which camera do you have? In your first post in this thread, you reference a Canon XT. The 450D (in the title of this thread) is the XSi, and it writes to SDHC cards, not compact flash.

The RAW files that the 450D (XSi) creates are different than the ones that the 400D (XTi) creates.

Well I routinely use a Card Reader because

1. It saves wear and tear on the Camera ports
2. It means you don't have to worry about lost or incomplete imports if the camera loses power during the transfer
3. In the case of Canon Cameras, it means that the Card is accessible via the Finder - which may be the basis of a workaround for your RAW+Jpeg issue.

Regards

TD

I'm sorry for the confusion. Yes, it's the Canon XT which uses CompactFlash as you noted. I don't have the 450D like the other poster.

It seems that all Canon software can read the RAW files but neither iPhoto or Preview will.

Thank you.

The Canon XT is supported for RAW.

You're problem lies elsewhere, I'm afraid.

Regards

TD

Thanks Spurv, and others, that have worked out that it is RAW+JPEG that is not supported but not RAW alone. Unfortunately for me I have quite a few photos that are in RAW+JPEG format that are effectively unusable.

Does anyone know of a way to remove the JPEG content of a RAW+JPEG file so that I can access the RAW files in Aperture?