Why won't Maxim open CR2 files?

[ASIGN_Baz]

I have a heap of Venus Transit photos to stack. Deep Sky Stacker won't do it. Maxim DL Essentials won't open the CR2 files from my Canon. Registax keeps coming up with error code 5 or out of system resources. Then freezes my computer. blumming annoying. I converted the CR2 files into large JPEG's and tried to combine them in Maxim DL Essentials again, but it just locks up and says, "Program not responding".

Then I tried downloading Autostakkert but I find it doesn't open CR2 or JPEG files.

Any recommendations for stacking only nine Venus transit images?

Baz.

[carastro]

I always use DSS to stack CR2 files. Are you sure you have selected RAW files from the drop down menu in DSS?

I can also stack Raw (CR2) images in Registax 5, though I have only asked it to stack maximum of 8 at a time otherwise it tends to crash.

I can also open CR2 files in Maxim DL5.

I wonder if anything weird has happened to your files.

If you still can't get it to work, try uploading your subs to dropbox or something so we can have a "go" at it.

Carole

• Carole
  

[Captain Tweaky]

All RAW files vary from one camera model to the next. So the RAW (CR2) for a Canon 450D is different to the 500D or the 50D and then the 550D etc etc. For some reason it would appear that your software is not recognising the flavour of RAW file you are creating. One way round this is to download a free utility from Adobe called Adobe DNG Converter and you can then convert the RAW CR2 files into an Adobe Universal File Type called DNG. Absolutely all the file data is retained, it is just converted into a standard file type that Adobe would like to become a standard similar to PDF for documents (except you don't need a reader for DNG!)

Hope this is of some help - Yours aye

[ASIGN_Baz]

Thanks guys.

I just used DPP to convert them all to JPEG and stacked them manually in Maxim DL Essentials. It came out OK and after a bit of a play in PSE6 it looks alright.

What I am doing now is converting the RAWs to TIFFs and I'll have another try to see if there is any difference.

If that doesn't look better, I'll try what you suggested next.

Cheers!

Baz.

[steppenwolf]

The TIFFS should work much better than JPEGS - save them as 16bit as this will make the most of your original RAW data.

[ASIGN_Baz]

The TIFFS should work much better than JPEGS - save them as 16bit as this will make the most of your original RAW data.

Can't do it mate. Out of memory....

[A320Flyer]

I had this probem way back and I remember emailing customer support. Apparently Maxim will not stack images unless it knows what type they are ( ie Lights, Darks etc) Maxim get this info from the Fits Header attached to each file. To get it to Stack CR2 files you need to open each file individually, select FITS Header from the View menu, select the Edit tab, select IMAGETYP from the Key Name box then type "Light Frame", "Dark Frame" etc as appropriate into the Value box. Save as a Fits File. Do this for each of your files and Maxim should stack them fine. Worked for me. If you use Maxim to sequence all of your exposures, the correct type is added automatically to the Fits Header and you dont need to do this.

Bill

[ASIGN_Baz]

Thanks Bill, but I still can't do it. My computer has no memory resources left. I'm up for a new computer or I'm going to keep running into more and more problems as I get back into astrophotography this year.

Thanks for the info though mate.!

Cheers!

Baz.

[Wobbly Bob]

New baby, new computer it all adds up Baz. Try the DNG convertor mate, worked for me.

[ASIGN_Baz]

New baby, new computer it all adds up Baz. Try the DNG convertor mate, worked for me.

Yeah, I did that mate, but my computer has no memory resources left. Spat the dummy and froze again. A new computer would be oh so nice! On top of funds for the new observatory and trying to get a solar scope and camera in there, all before November's solar eclipse! Yeah right....