Pentax Raw Viewer

Does anybody know of a good raw processor for the Pentax raw files as the one that Pentax offer is just garbage. Ron

Does it need to be free or you happy to pay for better software?

Not sure how good the free programs are, there's been threads in the past about them. But my recommendation at the moment would be to try Adobe Lightroom 3 Beta - its free to use until the final version is released (?? June ??)

Many here also like Silkypix, it's just what you're used to and like.

There are also some free programs, i had a small list but lost it.

as far as freebes go, 3 leap to mind

UFRAW - A little basic, but has a good batch mode, integrates well into GIMP and if you like long exposures it can do dark frame subtraction to save you some time in the field (useful for astro photography).

RawTherapee - Much more polished feel than UFRAW, excellent batch queue system although it's also pretty fast so unless you're running on a Netbook you'll probably never have to use it. My converter of choice.

FastStone Image Viewer More of a viewer with editing capabilities. Nevertheless, handy for "convert the whole darned lot to JPG" type batch jobs, and makes a very nice viewer for slideshows and the like


UFRAW and RawTherapee are both available for both Windows and Linux, FastStone is Windows native but runs well under Wine.

If you don't mind paying for quality software, Lightroom 3 and Silkypix are both highly regarded. I find RawTherapee is more than capable for what I need, but you may prefer the guaranteed stability and relative future-proofness of paid software.

Which version of the Pentax software are you using and what problems are you having Ron?

I don't mind purchasing a prog. the problem is that it wont open up picture folders it seems to do it at Random and stops responding. I have tried re-installing the software and have down loaded the latest version but still the same problem. Cheers Ron

You can use the free programs Mongoose mentioned and try out the trial versions of the ones you need to pay for, they all have a 30 Day trail.

I forgot to mention Phase one, that one also seems to be one of the better programs.

I woon't say that the Pentax program has the best user interface, but labelling it as garbage is a little harsh imo. It is after all built on Silkypix, a program praised by many in this forum.

I have used it quite a lot, and I have never had any problems with it.

Fair comment! you caught me at the point of throwing the laptop out the window..... with frustration! Best R's

Ron