open raw and get jpg?

[tasmo2]

I think I might be doing something wrong. I have photoshop CS5 ... and when I load my photos on the computer with iphoto they are still in raw format (it says NEF instead of jpg). But when I open into CS5 it opens it in jpg instead. Am I doing something wrong or is it supposed to do that?

[ritewinger]

I'm only guessing, not familiar with iphoto, but why not load directly into bridge? Then when you open it should send the file to ACR.....

[zappo]

Seems like the photos are processed in iPhoto before they are send to PS. RAW files should open in Camera Raw, maybe there is an option somewhere in iPhoto to prevent the processing, otherwise open the pictures in Bridge, oder the new MiniBridge.

[inkista]

Might want to look at iPhoto5's FAQ on the Apple website.

[luvpugs]

I'm having the same problem. I read the FAQ but I guess I'm completely missing it because I still don't understand why my NEF file is not opening as an NEF file in Lightroom. It shows as an NEF file in iPhoto when I view the photo info but when I go in to LR and hit 'import", it imports all my photos as jpg's rather then NEF files. I only took my pictures using RAW, no JPG. Also, my camera works with my iPhoto. It uploads just fine, shows it's a raw file, etc. I'm just having a problem loading my raw files in to LR. Any help sure is appreciated!!

[CheaperKings]

Originally Posted by luvpugs

I'm having the same problem. I read the FAQ but I guess I'm completely missing it because I still don't understand why my NEF file is not opening as an NEF file in Lightroom. It shows as an NEF file in iPhoto when I view the photo info but when I go in to LR and hit 'import", it imports all my photos as jpg's rather then NEF files. I only took my pictures using RAW, no JPG. Also, my camera works with my iPhoto. It uploads just fine, shows it's a raw file, etc. I'm just having a problem loading my raw files in to LR. Any help sure is appreciated!!

I usually just import into LightRoom straight off the mem card...

[inkista]

What the FAQ is basically saying is that once you open a file for editing in iPhoto, it becomes a JPEG copy based on the RAW file. The RAW file is left alone, and you can always re-access it, but you can never open it directly from iPhoto. Even passing it through to an external editor will do this (which is what you're experiencing). iPhoto is dumb. It's meant for jpeg family snapshots.

As CheaperKings says--don't use iPhoto. Just import directly into Lightroom.

I use Lightroom as my main import/cataloging tool, and just export the photos I want to sync up with my iPod or whatever as jpegs and then import the jpegs into iPhoto.

[luvpugs]

Thank you CheaperKings and inkista for the feedback. So, even though I can open up the photo in iPhoto and it shows that it's an NEF file, any changes I do, whether it be editing in iPhoto, moving to a folder on my desktop or importing it to Lightroom, it's going to convert it to a JPG. Your right inkista, that's dumb. I guess I'll just have to, like you both said, upload them in to LR, make any changes that I want and then export them all to iPhoto. I have all my pictures in iPhoto from before I started getting in to photography so I'd like to keep using it to store all my photos. I'll just have to flip it around from what I'm doing now when it comes to importing photos from my camera to my computer. Thanks again!!

[kdp]

• select your photo(s) in iphoto
• go to file: export
• Kind: Original
• hit okay button
• choose folder where you want your photo(s) to go
• hit okay

When you open in Bridge, they should show up as NEF files.

[JaxD]

A quicker way is to make sure in your iPhoto Preferences under Advanced, you have ticked the box "Use Raw when using External Editor".
Then just right click on the image you want in iPhoto (just the thumbnail, not when open in full screen) and double click "Edit in External Editor".
The RAW file will open in Photoshop.. (Well, it does for me.. )