Digital Darkroom Help or Advice please: How to convert 9 raw files with no software!

[JamesD]

I have 9 .orf files produced by an E20.
My PC is dead (And not to be resurrected. It has joined the choir immortal.)
My new iMac has NO software on it yet.
iPhoto of course came on it, but iPhoto doesn't support the E20.
What's the easiest way for me to get these 9 files converted to jpeg?
(and ideally downrezed to 800x600 so's I can post them somewhere)

I will be getting who knows what installed in time on this machine.
Photoshop, a good raw converter, a good DAM, etc.
But have none of that yet, and just looking to have a way to do SOMETHING tonight or as soon as possible, at least for these 9 images.

Suggestions???

Thanks and best regards,

JamesD

[DoubleDAZ]

Can't you download Olympus Master 2 from their site for the Mac?

[saichiez]

Based on the situation you describe, there is only one thing you can do that I can think may work.

Email the files to someone who has a program that is known to read Olympus ORF files and will convert them. Since they are big files, they will likely need to be sent one at a time, due to bandwidth limitations that may occur at either end of the email route.

Ask someone to convert them, likely without any manipulation, to JPG and email the resultant files back to you.

You may already be aware of, and understand, the term "proprietary" as it applies to data files. Proprietary files are written to be exclusive to the originating programmers and whoever they license to view and modify the files. It's not necessarily a matter of simply "finding" any third party program that will open it.

On the other hand, often chance enters in, and some photo editing programs one may least expect will open a file. I was very surprised when I found that Google's Picasa would open my Olympus ORF files... least expected by me.

Complicating matters is that the people who write the software, also make it "proprietary" to specific camera's. That is patently insane.

The format that seems to be attempting to set a standard in this area is Adobe's .dng format. Off hand, the only mfr that I have seen use .dng out of the camera is Leica.

Back to your situation, however, perhaps someone on the board can offer a solution. I don't have the proper software on any of my computers that will work for you. Sorry.

Also, perhaps you can download Picasa from Google, if it comes for the iMac. You may be pleasantly surprised.

[johnblue3]

James,
Try taking them to a nearby KInko's/Fedx. They will have the latest version of Photoshop on site and will be able to save them as jpegs. They will probably charge you a fee for this, though.

[DoubleDAZ]

I will gladly run them through Olympus Master for you and email you the jpegs. I'll even resize them for you too and email you those jpegs too. PM me if you want me to do that and I'll give you my email address.

[thebinaryman]

Use UFRaw or any one of the many other free raw converters.

I believe if you download the macintosh package for the GIMP, it will include UFRaw. (open your photos with the GIMP, and they will pass through UFRaw, then you can edit and process and save in any format you wish.) There's free software for everything.

[rkrenn]

http://www.rawworkflow.com/instant-j...m-raw-utility/
Is a free utility that will extract the jpg from the raw file Mac and Windows versions.

Richard

[Timskis6]

Your camera will convert the .ORFs to .JPEGs by itself. Use the menu system to convert to JPEG.

[JamesD]

I have comments and thanks to several people who have responded to my post, but as I am still in process here (took time out for supper and nap):

TIMSKIS6 - How, how, how? Tell me, tell me, tell me?
Even though I have not used this camera much for several years, I thought I knew 'er pretty well. Did not know it would do this - orf->jpeg
Can you tell me how?
Where it is covered in the manual?
Or what the menu steps are?

And...bonus question: Can I do it picture by picture? Or do I have to do the whole card?

JamesD

[Timskis6]

Ahhh, I definitely misread your post, I thought you typed "E30" - not many people still have the E20 anymore! On the newer cams (at least as early as the E-1), you can convert ORF to JPEG in-camera. I haven't used the E-20 before, so I'm not certain about that. On the newer cams, it's in the menu system under the "play" icon - generally the second or third tab down, before the camera settings tab.

I checked the specs briefly on DPReview and it doesn't appear to be able to convert in-camera. Must be a new thing, bummer. Sorry for the mix up!

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/OlympusE20/page9.asp

[JamesD]

Oh well... sorry that you were mistaken and I can't do what you thought.

But...the good news is my faith in my scholarship and knowledge has been maintained.
(I really didn't think the E20 could do this trick.)

Thanks ever so much for your "participation" in my quest just the same though.

JamesD

[Godfrey]

Download the evaluation trial of Lightroom from the Adobe website. You have thirty days to use it for free. Import, edit and export your files however you want.

[happy_mac]

You could also download the free Adobe DNG converter. iPhoto should recognize the DNG format.

[Godfrey]

iPhoto will recognize mosaic-representation DNG files from most cameras ... not all, in my experience.

[JamesD]

Hello everyone.

I'm a little tardy getting back to this thread, but only because I got my wish fulfilled, and got busy working with my processed files!

Dave (DoubleDAZ) took my orf files that I eMailed him and converted them and mailed them back.

He even...my as shot white balance was a bit off and he developed a range of fine tuned white balances of each shot for me to choose from!
Talk about above and beyond!

There were some threads on the forum recently about people getting cranky around here, and the level of discourse going downhill, etc.
But I gotta tell you, THIS is the kind of FRIENDLINESS and HELPFULNESS that attracted me to this forum in the first place!

Thanks Dave! and thanks 4/3rds forum.

JamesD

[DoubleDAZ]

You're very welcome, always a pleasure to help out a fellow photographer, Jim.