How to select the selects
One issue I handwaved over is the fact that if Aperture can’t render the RAWs you can’t view the image. They thumbnai somewhat okay (delta losing rotation data), but you can’t view it.
One approach is to use Derick Story’s “New Version from Master JPEG” trick, which works great for preview, but you end up with a second image, and that image is a JPEG, not the RAW.
My approach is to just view the JPEGs as an icon preview in Finder (largest size) and then hitting space-bar (quick look) a lot. It’s very cumbersome but gets the job done. You can also use the largest thumbnail in aperture you can get away with in Aperture.
Other solutions
The other trick I’ve found hinges on the fact that the E-30 and the E-Px series use the same RAW format. someone wrote an Applescript that will rewrite the ORF metadata to an E-30. This will deceive Aperture into importing the image just fine.
The issue I see is that the camera data is wrong, so there is no distortion correction in your images. Also, if Aperture decided to support E-P1 in the future (and they will, because these cameras are popular), then you will not have any lens distortion fixes available even if you regenerate the RAW version. But at $7 it’s worth a try—it’ll be much easier than running exiftool on your own.
Then there is an old trick of modifying the Raw.plist that I used to do with my Panasonic LX1. It turns out that Apple has made it exceedingly complicated. Added to the mix is that the “EP1” is three characters and the only other three character Olympus RAW is the E-30 which is the base RAW for the translator! If you figure out how to get it to work though, I’d be interested in how.
Another alternative is, of course, Lightroom in that at least it is updated reasonably frequently.
You make a compelling argument for a separate applications for raw conversion and photo management though! If only there was a good DAM application for OS X…
Regards,
Rob…
I believe Lightroom supports RAW plugins (I know you can integrate DxO into Lightroom, for instance).
Lightroom works on the Mac, was originally written for Macintosh. I just don’t use Lightroom.
And… as if you had just asked for it, Aperture 3 is announced!
So I noticed. 🙂
My recent post LH-3 Lens hood for the 35mm F1.2 NOKTON
Ty
How do you get Catapult to load? I am having problems and you had mentioned in another post that you used some supplemental software.
I have the EP2 and see that Aperture 3 does not support it still. Interstingly if you read Kirk Tuck a real evangelist for the EP2, he feels that the JPEGs are so good, he is avoiding RAW. He also loves using the EP2 in a square format.
Once you have played with Aperture 3, give us your impressions.
I can think of a few issues.
1) All plugins are 32-bit (currently), you have to launch Aperture 3 in 32-bit mode to use Catapult
2) Database could be crapped out. Hold cmd-option and rebuild database (if you've moved to Aperture 3, that's not the problem).
3) Plugin prefs are busted. Go delete them (they're either in ~/Library/Application Support/Aperture or in ~/Library/Preferences).
Quick impressions on Aperture 3:
– Has way more than I expected, leapfrogged both Lightroom and iPhoto in features.
– The brush and presets are amazing (and going to create a 3rd party market for those things)
– Notebook users are going to love the new project export/import
– Wish they had RAW roundtripping (though I own Catapult)
– Wish they had support for external RAW plugins like LR
– Hope they open up an API that allows the editing tools to be extended by 3rd party (so that presets == actions)
– Can't wait until 64-bit plugins. This is a bit frustrating
– Wish they had "quick view" render from JPEG even if RAW is unsupported. Argh! So close you can taste it!
So how do you load Catapult? I am on Snow Leopard and I am having problems
Instructions here (+ compromises/limitations).
Here is a free app that does the same EXIFtool rewriting thing I mentioned above. Remember, it rewrites your RAW so you lose lens support.