Lumix DMC-LX1 RAW with Aperture: here's how to do it.

If you trawl through the various posts here you'll probably be able to put together a method for getting Aperture to work with RAW files from your Lumix DMC-LX1.

Here's the entire procedure in one post:

1) Open this file on your Mac in a text editor (it's a good idea to make a backup of this file while you're at it):
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/I mageIO.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Raw.plist

Use your text editor to find the two instances of "DMC-LC1" and change them to "DMC-LX1"
Save with your admin password. If you can't save to the same location, save to another location and drag and drop the file back into the correct location


2) You need the latest version of Apple's Digital Camera RAW Support Update. If you don't use this then Aperture will incorrectly guess the size of the DNG files you are going to create below. So download and install here:
Universal: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/digitalcamerarawsupportupdate10universal. html
PowerPC: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/digitalcamerarawsupportupdate10ppc.html

(Apple will likely update this from time to time so you might want to search Support for "Digital Camera RAW Support Update")


3) Get Adobe's free DNG convertor for Mac:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=106&platform=Macintos h


4) Use it to covert your images to .DNG files. These are essentially RAW files but "in theory" have the proprietary aspect of RAW taken out of the file ( Read about it: http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/ )

Set your DNG conversion preferences as follows:
http://www.metaclarity.com/users/pat/galleries/tech/AptDNG/ApertureDNGDMCLX1.html


5) Import your .DNG files into Aperture and get to work.


You should also be able to open your DNG files in Preview and iPhoto now as well.

Hope this helps someone who struggled like me.

Pat