No icon preview for PEF files on Mac

Hi all,

Since upgrading from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion on my Mac I've found PEF files no longer render a preview icon in Finder.

This is very annoying and I have been unable to find a solution on Google. I deleted my Finder Pref file but this didn't help.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
M.

Does your PP software (Aperture/iPhoto/Lightroom/etc.) can handle this format? If you have similar problem with your PP software then you should download the Digital Camera Raw package here.
I chose the DNG file format on my K20D and it works well with the Aperture v3.3.2 and the Mountain Lion's Finder.

All other programs can handle the files fine, including Quicklook; it's just Finder that does not render the thumbnails.

I may switch to DNG if Finder in Mountain Lion supports this format better then PEF.

I've just upgraded from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion and looks like DNG files are previewed in icon form, and coverflow, but none of my PEFs are! (even going back to *ist-D days all the way up to K5)

Just Googling and checking whether any other RAW formats are previewed in icon form.
Edit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5371 - should support all the PEF file formats, maybe not the 645D.
Edit: Tried Nikon .NEF, and Canon .CR2 raw formats and these preview fine! Looks like it's just PEF!!! Perhaps there's something left-over from SL...

...I haven't done the Software Updates on these machines (now works through the AppStore)... that may have something to do with it

To be honest, it's not something I've ever used (using LR + Picasa) so I cannot remember if it worked or not in Snow Leopard!

Matt

PEF preview icons don't work in Lion too. I started using Aftershot Pro this year and switched from DNG to PEF because it handles that format better. It seems that sometimes you just can't win...

Steve

Well, PEF previews should work in Lion & ML.
Some suggest running a Repair Disk Permissions (using Disk Utility) and that often fixes icon preview problems.

Just trying it and will report back...
Matt

I made a trial shot in PEF format with my K20D and I have to say that this format isn't supported by the Finder. I can look it if I hit a space button but the icon is an empty white sheet.
It is very interesting...

this has happened before...and got fixed..
link
and I suspect if enough people chime in :
link
but...
if the k-01 and k-30 are to gauge by, I'd say the pef format is going to be abandoned... by Pentax anyways... time to switch to dng..

Thanks Don... but the link I first gave ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5371 ) shows that ML does support the PEF (but not K-01 and K-30)

Have been digging around in the "qlmanage" command line... It seems something in QL isn't rendering the thumbnails for PEF files. Trying to find out how it's linked together

Matt

Maybe there's a QuickLook plugin needed/missing? You can download plugins to enable thumbnail generating for video formats (e.g. flv); maybe something similar applies to PEF?

Yes - I'm sure it's QuickLook related. According to Apple Developer, QL is responsible for the Cover Flow in Finder - and this isn't working for PEF

Googling for the issue in Lion, it appears that Sony ARW files are also affected.

I'm still looking
Matt

I got similar result by googling as Matt. The problem was well known in Lion too and the thumbnails don't work with .PEF, .ARW (SONY) and .RW2 (Panasonic) files.
I didn't find any stable solution to this problem.

Maybe I've found the solution on this forum.
You should remove the com.apple.finder.plist and com.apple.finder.plist.lockfile from the /Macintosh HD/your username/Library/Preferences folder, log out and in and after that it will work.
Some supplements: I didn't notice any changes until I moved the PEF file to new location. Then the OS X generated a new preview for the PEF file.

One of my machines has just started working!
I looked at a folder full of Canon CR2 images (in List mode), then when I went to look at PEFs it was working!

I had just been fiddling around with Finder preferences (Cmd+,) and Finder Display options (Cmd+J). Completely bemused by it all...

I've read reports that just changing the icon size causes PEF icons to start/stops rendering, but I've had no joy getting them working at all. Deleted the Pref files too.