There used to be a plug-in available for raw file support (i.e. Minolta, Nikon, etc.) that seems to have gone away since Photoshop CS includes it now.
However, Photoshop Elements does not support raw files. How can I get the plug-in? or is there a new Elements vsn coming out that includes raw file support?
That’s not offered any more for Elements. For a short period of time, it got put into the downloadable options (by mistake, I believe), but got quickly withdrawn when the one hand discovered what the other had done.
You might try E-Bay for a legal copy of the Adobe Raw Plugin. I was told for those upgrading to Photoshop CS that you are relinquishing your Photoshop license but not your Adobe Raw License since it is a separate program. If that is the case someone with the Adobe Raw Plugin could contact Adobe and legally transfer their license to you. Be cautious as always and check with Adobe before sending funds.
Just found out from Adobe technical support that definitely the plug-in is no longer being sold. Advised me to check w/ resellers who may be cleaning out their inventories (great idea, but unlikely to work).
Anyway checked under Google searched on "Minolta raw file" and came up with a couple of 3rd party plug-ins. One called BreezeBrowser costs $44.95 plus has "try before you buy" download. The other is called Silver-something and costs $299. Obviously I’ll give BreezeBrowser a try first….. Will certainly buy it if it opens files faster than Minolta Dimage Viewer and saves them faithfully w/ full color & detail.
Robert, I don’t know how well BreezeBrowser does for Minolta, but it’s my RAW converter of choice for my Canon files. And it’s a great browser to boot! If you download the trial version, remember that it’s somewhat limited in what it can do; the full version rocks!
Thanks. FYI, I found a great way tonight to improve RAW file handling.
I just installed my Minolta Dimage Viewer onto my new computer (2.8GHz P4 w/ 512MB RAM and 7200 rpm disk) and it worked much faster than it does on my 1.4GHz laptop w/ 5400 rpm disk and 512 MB RAM.
I tried Dimage Viewer vs. BreezeBrowser demo vsn and found that on my Dell flat panel display the Dimage Viewer image is noticeably sharper with noticeably better color than BreezeBrowser delivers when opening the same RAW image.
I’m definitely sticking with Dimage Viewer. I always liked the quality, just not the speed. Now speed is no longer a problem.
Guess the best recommendation I can give anyone right now is to get a fast cpu and use the camera manufacturer’s included RAW file program viewer. Should work just fine and you can always save as TIFF if you want to use Adobe. Maybe that’s why Adobe discontinued the Camera Raw plug-in, it’s not necessary any more w/ fast CPUs, can’t say for sure. I just know I’m happier now than I was just an hour ago.
Robert, that’s good advice for Minolta buyers and perhaps Nikon and a few others. However, Canon’s own software is so awful I don’t even have it on my computer anymore. They really should be embarrassed. Best choice for Canon owners is Capture One LE, which Ray Robillard just acquired and praises highly; I’ve been happy with BreezeBrowser but haven’t tried Capture One yet.
Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!
Related Discussion Topics
Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections
