Viewing raw files on a Netbook

T

tms789

Suspended / Banned
Messages
190
Name
val
Edit My Images
No
Help!

I have recently purchased a new backpack for my camera gear and the laptop will not fit. I am considering buying a Netbook to take with me on holiday instead of the laptop as a backup device for my photos and also to view the images taken each day.

This is where my ignorance takes over. I shoot in RAW. Clearly programs like Elements will not run on a Netbook so I am seeking a utility which will allow me to view the raw files on the Netbook. I have looked at ExifPro but the screen resolution it needs is greater that that of a Netbook which is 1024 by 600.

Can someone help me out here and suggest a solution to this issue please.

Thanks
 
From my admittedly limited research I did not think Gimp handled Canon RAW files. Have I missed soemthing here?
 
tms789 said:
From my admittedly limited research I did not think Gimp handled Canon RAW files. Have I missed soemthing here?
Click to expand...

Honestly I don't know, but its quite demanding so Elements shouldn't be an issue on a netbook.

As I said though, best option is the update for RAW files to be visible in explorer as it also works in picture viewer, its just like viewing jpegs.

I don't do a lot of editing on the netbook, but its good for reviewing photos and basic editing when needed.

On a side note, wouldn't it just be cheaper to go and buy a new bag that the laptop will fit in than a netbook?

A lowepro 450 comes in at around £110 (http://www.google.co.uk/products/ca...a=X&ei=dC7ATqf0Ls_O-Qby-sjtBA&ved=0CEIQ8wIwAQ) where as a new netbook (a decent one) will be around £180+.

And that backpack is great, carries my d700 gripped, 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8 and 2Xsb900's + space for other bits and pieces.
 
Last edited:
Simonblue

The irfanview web site has a plug in for Canon RAW. Doesn't say what the minimum resolution requirement is though so I have no idea if this would work on a Netbook.
 
Harvey Nikon

Yes I admit a new larger backpack would be an answer but to take all my photo gear and a laptop the backpack would be too large for carry on bagage on a plane and there is no way I am trusting my gear to the hold. So the Netbook is my preferred solution.
 
Footman

What is the screen resolution of your samsung?
 
Ignore, already mentioned
 
Last edited:
tms789 said:
Help!

I have recently purchased a new backpack for my camera gear and the laptop will not fit. I am considering buying a Netbook to take with me on holiday instead of the laptop as a backup device for my photos and also to view the images taken each day.

This is where my ignorance takes over. I shoot in RAW. Clearly programs like Elements will not run on a Netbook so I am seeking a utility which will allow me to view the raw files on the Netbook. I have looked at ExifPro but the screen resolution it needs is greater that that of a Netbook which is 1024 by 600.

Can someone help me out here and suggest a solution to this issue please.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Do you mean the screen resolution is too small? If so you can change it to larger, although I can't remember exactly how to do it and don't have my netbook to hand...

I suggest right click and see if it brings up a properties option. select that and uncheck the default size and you should be able to see the larger size options
 
Splog said:
Do you mean the screen resolution is too small? If so you can change it to larger, although I can't remember exactly how to do it and don't have my netbook to hand...

I suggest right click and see if it brings up a properties option. select that and uncheck the default size and you should be able to see the larger size options
Click to expand...

That's one way of doing it but it means that to see everything on the desktop you have to keep scrolling which is a right pain.
 
footman said:
That's one way of doing it but it means that to see everything on the desktop you have to keep scrolling which is a right pain.
Click to expand...

It is but you get use to it ;) also there should be no reason Elements won't run on a nettbook.
 
tms789 said:
From my admittedly limited research I did not think Gimp handled Canon RAW files. Have I missed soemthing here?
Click to expand...

Works for me.
But I run an up-to-date OS and version of Gimp.
Worked with the 7D raw files anyway (which are pretty major/new-style raw files).
 
Splog said:
Do you mean the screen resolution is too small? If so you can change it to larger, although I can't remember exactly how to do it and don't have my netbook to hand...

I suggest right click and see if it brings up a properties option. select that and uncheck the default size and you should be able to see the larger size options
Click to expand...

The maximum resolution on many Netbooks including mine is 1024 x 600 which didn't allow me to install/run Elements as it requires a higher minimum resolution. Irfanview and the associated RAW Plugin works fine with a 1024 x 600 resolution.
 
I have an acer one netbook, one of the fairly basic ones.

It runs Elements 9 no problem and I also have Irfanview installed. :)
 
FastStone, IrfanView, Picasa, Windows - all of these programs, by default, will not be displaying the raw data. They will be displaying the jpeg image embedded in the raw data/ This image will, in virtually all cases, be smaller than the full-resolution of the camera.

I use Faststone on my netbook (well, I used to - when I still used a netbook, in the pre-iPad world). It displays the embedded jpeg image in a second or so. If I tell it to use the actual raw data (by pressing the 'a' key when the image is being displayed) then it takes almost 30 seconds to load the raw data and process it into an image. Irfanview was about the same when I tried it.
 
Well I've bought a Netbook and found a way of installing Canon EOS Utilities onto it so I can now download direct from the camera. Faststone does indeed show the photos but I am still getting used to the program so I am not sure how much I can do with it. I am going to try to install Elements and see if that also works but so far so good. Thanks everyone for all your help - really appreciated.
 
Hi folks, new to the forum, just registered to post :)

I know this is a little late, but I thought it may help someone else that stumbles upon the thread - it's quite high up on the "view raw on netbook" internet search results.

We have an Acer AOD 270 (n2600 / GMA3600) with Win7 Starter. Screen resolution is 1024x600.

Canon's RAW codec can be installed, so that you can see thumbnail images in folders, and also you can use MS Windows Live Photo Viewer (default Win7 image viewer).

I tried IrfanView previously, and it's OK for the embedded jpeg (with iffy aRGB and ~ 1/2 img size) but is far too slow to load the RAW data ~30s.

Canon's codec is installed via, what I see as, a butchered Zoom Browser installation. Because of this it will not let you install on a screen resolution less than 1024x768.

Follow these steps to *temporarily* get around that:

***changing registry can seriously screw up your computer. Only change things that are OK to change, and make a backup. Proceed at your own risk.***
(just have to put up a notice, but google "Display1_DownScalingSupported" and it's being used a lot.)


1. Go to Start menu, type in regedit in the search box.
2. Right click regedit, and run as administator if you are not on the administrator account.
3. Search for (Ctrl-F) Display1_DownScalingSupported.
The result will be from "My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\...." (see bottom left of regedit window.
4. Double click Display1_DownScalingSupported and change the value data from 0 to 1.
5. Reboot.
6. Right click desktop, choose screen resolution. Or else go through control panel, display etc.
7. Adjust screen resolution to 1024x768, and accept new settings.
**Your screen will look a bit squashed - like normal old 4x3 TV on a stretch 16x9 widescreen TV - fat people!**

You should now be able to install the Canon Codec (probably only from administrator account). It shouldn't moan at you about screen resolution or anything else.

Once it's installed it'll ask you to reboot. Do that.
When you log back in to your desktop, follow 6 and 7, but change resolution to 1024x600.
Follow steps 1 to 4, but change the data value back to 0, then reboot.

This process will work for anything that is not letting you install because of a too low screen resolution. However, because we only wanted a Codec here, and didn't need to use any extra software, everything still runs fine at 600 vertical resolution. Other programs, like Photoshop may not run fine, and will be pretty dodgy to try and use - so I wouldn't bother.

Windows image viewer loads up the image really quickly as a fit to screen, (but stills says it's loading). If you zoom to 100% 1:1 view, it will take about 5s or so to load the full resolution image, which is significantly quicker than the alternatives. Definitely usable.

Hope that helps.
 
Last edited:
footman said:
Interesting, I'll give it a shot(y)
Click to expand...

How did you get on?

There is no sensible reason why the Canon codec needs a minimum screen size. The only reason I can think of that it complains is because it is semi- tied to zoom browser, which is what Canon would normally use to browse RAW files. I did read Zoom Browser mentioned on Canon's site when I dl'd the codec.
Luckily it doesn't install that monstrous lump of crap, just the codec (which is kinda good).

Oh yes, by the way, if you happen to shoot RAW with your camera set to aRGB (Adobe RGB) colour space, then the files are tagged as "uncalibrated" in the EXIF for colour space, and the colour will be a little dull when viewing them.
If you shoot sRGB RAW then they will look more correct.

It *shouldn't* make a difference which colour space you choose in camera if you shoot RAW because RAW contains the RAW data, to be interpreted by a developer algorithm. All of the settings like white balance, colour space are all tagged into the info data of the file, rather than affecting the image data. This extra info data doesn't always appear in regular (windows) EXIF, but can mostly be seen in IrfanView info.

I have my cameras set to aRGB because I found the histogram to give better info as to highlight clipping. I set all the image settings (saturation, sharpness etc) based on the best info I can get in camera, rather than what looks good. I use Adobe Camera RAW to develop the files, so I have my own calibrated specific settings for the images that work that end.

Well that's enough off-topic waffle from me :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top