DNG,PSD...viewing enabled for Windows

[ScoutR]

Hi Everyone:

I've always been very annoyed that I cannot view my DNG and PSD files in windows explorer or the windows photo viewer. Sometimes I don't want to open up LR or Elements to have a quick look at something but I always had to because Windows would not view these files.

I just found something that seems to work pretty good, and thought I'd pass it on in case anyone else is interested. You guys probably know about these things already, I'm so behind on everything.

Anyway, this is not a viewer per se, but a file that gets installed and allows anything Windows to view the files. It installs for 64 & 32 bit. You have to purchase a seperate program for each type of file, but you can download a trial version. I'm trying the DNG

The installation was seamless. I downloaded, scanned for viruses then installed. This is not a program that you have to open, but if you go to explorer, the DNG files are now viewable in the preview pane and they can also be viewed in Windows Photo Viewer, or Media Centre. I find this kind of handy.

Here is the web address. I just installed and so far so good. I will report back if I run into any problems. These are a bit expensive I suppose, but to me it's worth it. I'm more annoyed with Windows 7 that it does not support these formats to start with

http://www.ardfry.com/

What do the rest of you use to view these files, besides opening your main editing software?

Wendy

[Dave Humphries]

Picasa is quite good at having codecs (the technical translator) for RAW images - although it might be looking at the embedded jpg.

So I use that if I want to look back at my older (Fuji) RAW files. For browsing Nikon files, I use ViewNX.

[ScoutR]

Hmmmm, I had looked at Picasa awhile back and at that time I don't think it supported DNG. Either that or I could not find where it stated that it did. I just had another look and it supports all the formats that I'm looking for. DNG, NEF, PSD,TIF, and RW2 from the Panasonic. Of course it still means opening up a seperate program to view them.

Will I have to go through all the cataloguing business, or does it just give me a Windows Explorer type interface where I can go into any folder and view what is there without any other effort on my part.

Wendy

Edit: Never mind answering that. I downloaded and it's currently in the first hour of catalouging all photos on my computer. I'll go ahead and let it do it's thing. It looks like it could be useful, but I didn't really want another program that I have to keep updated, and configure and figure out. I already have it all in sorted in Windows, but just want to be able to take a quick look, or for what ever reason would like to know what I'm looking at when I'm in Windows Explorer.

[Clactonian]

What do the rest of you use to view these files, besides opening your main editing software?

Open them in my main editing programme!

[Hansm]

I don't have these problems on my mac

[ScoutR]

I don't have these problems on my mac

Seriously? Your Mac views assorted RAW, DNG, PSD... in i-photo or whatever the equivalent is to Windows Photo viewer, and previews for all file types show up in the Directory Browser equivalent to Windows Explorer

Wendy

[Hansm]

Yep,

On a mac it will show me my CR2 DNG LRW and so on in the previewer or as a thumpnail in the folder.
I didn't need to install any extra plug ins or whatever for this.

[ScoutR]

Yep,

On a mac it will show me my CR2 DNG LRW and so on in the previewer or as a thumpnail in the folder.
I didn't need to install any extra plug ins or whatever for this.

Now I'm really ANNOYED - Good for Apple though to be so thorough.

Wendy

[peterb533]

RE Picasa, it installs a seperate viewer that you can get to by right clicking and selecting open with.

[ScoutR]

Thanks Peter: The separate viewer wants me to install it as the default viewer, which I do not want, and even if I wanted to it does not show PSD in the list and for RAW files it says that it will open them in "Wave Pad Editor" which is a program I use for my sound files. It looks a little mixed up to me so I think I'll just stay away from it. I'm at a stage in my life where I don't have time to fiddle with software that doesn't make sense to me.



Wendy

[Hansm]

Hi Wendy,

Maybe you are now at a stage to move over to Mac?
Below a screenshot form my mac were a DNG file is previewed in the standard OSX preview software.

[Donald]

Wendy

This might be setting off on entirely the wrong road, but .... Do Nikon supply RAW processing software when you buy a camera (the equivalent of Canon's Digital Photo Professional [DPP])? If so, I would have thought that would have been the package to press into service.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Wendy,

Sorry you're having a really annoying day
I feel partly responsible
Unfortunately I loggd off after replying to you, so I didn't see your reply 15 mins later (until now).

I did install Picasa, but I certainly have not had it catalog everything, or watch folders; because it can be a pain when you add pictures (it wants to catalog them too).

I do have Picasa as the default jpg viewer, but that's no hassle as the right click "Open With ..." menu allows me to choose which of the other progs I want to use for jpgs when editing. The right click "Open With ..." menu also lets me use the Picasa viewer for .nef and .raf files (otherwise they open Elements 8/ACR by default).

As above, I always download the memory card with NikonTransfer and view my .nefs with Nikon's ViewNX, I might give CS5 a try instead, but I am reluctant to let Bridge lose cataloging everything in sight either. I did that with Elements 6 two computers ago and didn't like the 'baggage' it caused, "once bitten, twice shy" and all that jazz.

I never looked at that dialog you gave a screen shot of - no need; I just installed Picasa and it worked - for viewing .nefs and .rafs I mean. (".raf" being Fuji's RAW file format)

Hope you get sorted soon,

[ScoutR]

Hi Wendy,

Sorry you're having a really annoying day
I feel partly responsible
Unfortunately I loggd off after replying to you, so I didn't see your reply 15 mins later (until now).

I did install Picasa, but I certainly have not had it catalogue everything, or watch folders; because it can be a pain when you add pictures (it wants to catalogue them too).

No problem Dave. I don't know how I ended up with it cataloguing everything, but it is now so we'll see if it causes any other problems. I kind of like the full size view I get with it. I can do that in LR too, but I am always editing in LR so I have the other windows open and have to jump back and forth for full size, or have full size and then scroll to see the whole thing.

I do have Picasa as the default jpg viewer, but that's no hassle as the right click "Open With ..." menu allows me to choose which of the other progs I want to use for jpgs when editing. The right click "Open With ..." menu also lets me use the Picasa viewer for .nef and .raf files (otherwise they open Elements 8/ACR by default).

As above, I always download the memory card with NikonTransfer and view my .nefs with Nikon's ViewNX, I might give CS5 a try instead, but I am reluctant to let Bridge lose cataloguing everything in sight either. I did that with Elements 6 two computers ago and didn't like the 'baggage' it caused, "once bitten, twice shy" and all that jazz.

I never looked at that dialogue you gave a screen shot of - no need; I just installed Picasa and it worked - for viewing .nefs and .rafs I mean. (".raf" being Fuji's RAW file format)

Hope you get sorted soon,

It's sorted, really I have all the file types covered In LR and Elements. I just wanted a quick and dirty way to view previews of all file types without having to OPEN them anywhere and without having to catalogue them in LR. The answer seems to be the "codecs" (new word for me) from Ardfry that I found earlier today, but to get the codec for the 3 file types I want will cost approx $80.

I'm not annoyed at trying out Picasa, I will probably play around with it a bit, but I'm supremely annoyed at Microsoft. You would think Windows 7 with all the crazy useless (as far as I'm concerned) things that it does, could do something as useful and helpful as previewing the most current file types. Just saying!

Edit: Oh by the way, the screen shot is the seperate viewer. I can open and view all the file formats in the regular program. It's just the viewer that seems a little messed up and I don't feel like spending the time to figure it out. The main program is very fast to open and use, so all is not lost. It's actually faster than LR and will probably remain that way as I don't plan to do any editing in it.

Wendy

[Dave Humphries]

I never use the main program, just the viewer from the right click menu in Win 7 explorer.

It takes about 3 seconds to open a viewe of the first nef, then you can use arrow keys to go forward and back trhough images in same folder, zoom with scroll wheel, etc. It dims the rest of the screen when viewing, has a close button top right when finished.

Works ok for me, I mainly use for .rafs and .jpgs, but Nikon's ViewNX (as Donald suggests) is better for nefs - although I never use it to edit with.

[proseak]

Irfanview should do it - very light & easy to use.

[timo2]

Picasa is also very good at knocking together quick collages and slide shows (with or without music).

BTW the latest version (3.6) doesn’t catalogue removable media, if you need that facility, download version 3.1

After downloading that and removing 3.6, disconnect from the internet before installing 3.1 Once installed, go into >options >general and change Update Automatically to Don’t check for updates and then you can reconnect to the internet.

[Klickit]

Peter (proseak) has hit it. Irfanview is a super completely free programme for file viewing and presents on a full-screen black background. These are the formats it will display.

http://www.irfanview.com/main_formats.htm

[Davey]

on a slight side note for raw files you can sometimes get official in house stuff to show the embedded jpegs in raws, I use fuji's so my .raf display as thumbs in explorer in windows.

As for psd and dng I've noticed the lack and surprised adobe haven't addressed this yet but I guess there are more important stuff or desired features and functionality they are yet to address. I tend to use bridge as my cataloger/viewer but unsure if that comes with LR and Elements.