Why won't Maxim open CR2 files?

[bloodhound31]

I have a heap of Venus Transit photos to stack. Deep Sky Stacker won't do it. Maxim DL Essentials won't open the CR2 files from my Canon. Registax keeps coming up with error code 5 or out of system resources. Then freezes my computer. Bloody annoying.

Any recommendations for stacking only nine Venus transit images?

Baz.

[mill]

Photoshop maybe, but then you have to do everything yourself.
But with only nine images it is ok.

CS5 should do it and you could also use DNG Converter which is free, from Adobe.
You have to have the camera raw plugin for CS5 to open CR2 files.

[bloodhound31]

Bummer..don't have CS5.....

[mill]

Then download dng converter from here and you can convert your raws.

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=5310

[bloodhound31]

okey dokey. Thanks mate. :thumbsup:

[Bassnut]

Convert to TIFF with the canon app and then load into Maxim (or anything else)?.

[bloodhound31]

Unfortunately that takes a 22Mb file and turns it into a 60Mb file at 8 bit, or 120Mb at 16bit. I'm having memory issues with the stacking programs at 22Mb each...

[naskies]

You can download a free 30-day trial of Photoshop or Lightroom (better for batch conversions)... more than plenty for a once-off conversion.



The stacking software needs to convert your image files (whether RAW or TIFF) into raw bitmap data at some point anyway. The main difference is the amount of disk space you use up.

You can reduce the memory consumption by cropping your photos tightly around the Sun with a 1:1 aspect ratio (e.g. when exporting from Lightroom) so that each image and the final output are smaller.

[bloodhound31]

Man this is frustrating. I've already downloaded Registax, Austostakkert and DNG converter last night in an attempt to stack only eight frames.

Why is this so bloody hard? Could it be that my PC, (which was top of the line when I bought it a few years ago) just can't handle it and I'm beating a dead horse? :(

[mill]

How big are the files each?

[bloodhound31]

As a CR2, 21Mb. Converted to TIFF, 60Mb @ 8-bit, 120Mb @ 16 bit.

The Adobe converter I was recommended turns them into DNG @ 17Mb, but the stacking programs only have PNG selections.

[mill]

Just tried irfanview on a CR2 file and it opens it.
Then you can save the file as anything, tiff, fits, jpg etc.
Download from here and don't forget to download the plugin pack also -->> http://www.irfanview.com/

[bloodhound31]

OK, so now I have finally managed to convert them to PNG files. Loaded them into registax and this is the first and only thing I can get back from it. :mad2:

[bloodhound31]

Thanks Martin for stacking the CR2's for me. I put the stacked TIFF through Photoshop and had a play with it. Here's what I came up with.

[swannies1983]

What canon do you have? The cr2 files from my 400d are around 8MB. I was able to use Registax 3 or autostakkert to stack 9 transit shots.

[bloodhound31]

5DMKII. It's not the program, it's my system memory resources. Just getting old and chockablock.

[mill]

And the tiff files that i got after conversion are 64Mb each.
The image looks pretty good :thumbsup:

[bloodhound31]

Cheers and thanks mate! God bless you for going to the effort to help. :thumbsup:

Baz.