Need PE 5 Help

[DizneyNutz]

I cannot get my Photoshop Elements 5.0 to open any of my Canon Raw files. They are stored in a Cannon .CR2 file extension and when I try to open them in PE 5, it says cannot open because it is the wrong file type. Am I missing a step somewhere. Has anyone had this problem and can offer me some advice. Thanks in Advance!!!

 

[photo_chick]

You need to go download the camera raw plug in from adobe's site (it isfree).

While you are there download the free trial of Lightroom, it is great for processing RAW files.

 

[DizneyNutz]

When I go to the Help link and click on plug ins there is a camera raw version 3.5 showing there And if I chcek for updates it says that there are no updates available.

 

[DizneyNutz]

I have saw some other info on some other sites mentioning using BRIDGE to open the photos. Is this necessary for using PE 5? What is Bridge? and how do I set PE 5 to open photos using it? I would have thought that Adobe had designed the program to work with the major camera type file extensions? What's up?

 

[photo_chick]

Adobe bridge is in my opinion a useless piece of poop. (ok, I won't tell you how I really feel about it) It is slow. BUt that is just me, I know people who love it. You don't need it to use the RAW plug in. I have not found a really good use for bridge, if anyone does please let me know.

Here is a link to the version 3.6 Camera Raw plug in for windows. (you got mac or windows?) They kind of bury it on their site. Is this where you ended up? It is the same plug in for CS2 and Elements.

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3554

all you do after you download it is drop it into the right plug in's folder for Elements.

Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 5.0\Plug-Ins\File Formats

THe latest camera RAW plug in covers all the major manufaturers. They only list the ones on the update page that are new for that release.

The have designed some software to work directly with camera raw with no plug in, Photoshop Lightroom. They make you pay extra for another piece of software if you don't want to deal with the plug in.

 

[DizneyNutz]

The newer version of Camera Raw is working perfectly. Thank You for all of your assistance on this Photo_Chick.

 

[DueyDooDah]

Note that 3.7 is also out there.

 

[photo_chick]

I did not realize 3.7 was out too!!! Since I got Lightroom I have not been checking for those updates.

Glad to help where I can!