HELP !! Just purchased Sony A99 and Cant Open in Preview

[rollsman44]

  The Raw Files 1.ARW opens in Portrait Professinal and I tried to click on 1 file image and select Open With   Preview and says it can't recognize this file.  When it does open in Port Profess it looks Muddy ( the images)  Any suggestions?    Thank you

[howardm]

Since you're talking about Preview, I'll assume you are on a Mac.  Support for the A99 was incorporated at v4.02 of the raw compatibility under Lion.

So, it sounds like you are either behind on installing raw updates or you have a significatnly old version of the operating system.

[rollsman44]

Thank you. I needs to check the Version on my camera. I will report back

[howardm]

I meant the version of the operating system on the computer, not the camera.  I kinda doubt it's the camera's 'fault' but anything is possible.

[rollsman44]

  I did check the camera firmware and it should be 1.2 and its 1.0  I need to check my computer as well. Is it possible that the camera version can cause this problem?  Thank you

[rollsman44]

  Just checked my Mac and its Lion 10.7.5 version. I believe this is more than required to use the A99. Please correct me if I am wrong.  Thanks

[howardm]

I believe you're wrong

According to  http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201070

you need 10.8.3 or better

[rollsman44]

 Thank you Howard. I checked it out. Whats involved with me updating my system to 10.8.3 ?  I am not sure how to do it and where to get it from. Will it cause me any problems with my system now if I update it to 10.8.3 ?   Is there an alternative instead of updating?  I do appreciate your time and your knowledge.

[rollsman44]

Cant I open my images in say, LR instead of Preview? Thank you.

[kers]

Apple is always trying to push people ahead

They would love you to have their latest Yosemite system that still has enough bugs i read... even with WIFI...
Also they gently remove older software so you have to have the latest system...

Do you have iPhoto? for that is required to be able to install these raw compatibility updates...
if you have updated iPhoto to the latest possible version on your system then try the raw compatiblitiy updates as mentioned. ( software update will get them for you)
If you have to upgrade to 10.8 - if still possible... that is no big deal- just download it from the Appstore and install it with all the software updates

If Apple does not  'sell' 10.8 anymore try Mavericks ( 10.9.5)- it is still their most stable system at the moment.
If they do not 'sell' that either you are forced to try 10.10.2 yosemite i guess

-
I think Lightroom will be able to open the files anyway.... Also try installing Sony camera software... the problem is usually the thumbnails, not the rendering of the complete image...
Install the 30 days free Lightroom version to see if that helps...

cheers.. pk


PS

if you upgrade your system do not forget to make a  (timemachine) backup first...

[howardm]

while I love to dump on Apple & Microsoft & Adobe w/ the best of them, what we're talking about is a
at least a 3-4year old version of the OS.  Adobe short-circuits backwards compat. w/ ACR and MS just
ended Win7.

if you want to get annoyed, I'd say blame the camera makers for the current unsustainable situation of
new raw formats for every d@mn camera.

I think you could probably obtain/download 10.8 if you wanted wo too much difficulty.  Also, there
is (and will accelerate) new software that has a minimum of 10.8.x

[Jim Metzger]

As a workaround I believe you could download Adobe DNG Converter and process your files into DNG. Pretty much any program can deal with DNG's. I did this years ago when my Nikon D2X was not supported.Apple and Adobe were much slower to update their software to deal with new raw formats back then.

Hope this helps

Jim

[howardm]

There's no hard reason to update if you can live w/o Preview or iPhoto support.

OSX 10.7 will just treat it as a 'foreign file' that it doesn't have the ability to display.

Recent versions of LR, PS or most any raw processor can handle the A99

[rollsman44]

  Thank you everyone for all the valuable info. I called apple and I can Upgrade to 10.8 but I have to make sure that all the other softwares that I use is compatible to 10.8  I will live w/o preview and I can go to LR 4 which I am using now. It works. I am deathly afraid to go to Yosemite or even Maverick. I will just stick to what I have for now. Greatly appreciate all your help,

[kers]

  Thank you everyone for all the valuable info. I called apple and I can Upgrade to 10.8 but I have to make sure that all the other softwares that I use is compatible to 10.8  I will live w/o preview and I can go to LR 4 which I am using now. It works. I am deathly afraid to go to Yosemite or even Maverick. I will just stick to what I have for now. Greatly appreciate all your help,

hello,
There is not that much difference between 10.7 and 10.8

10.8 is valued as the perfection of 10.7.. so do not be afraid to go the10.8...

10.9 and 10.10 have made some  fundamental changes. So might introduce some little problems
software on 10.8 is as far as i know completely compatible with 10.7

and if you make a backup you vcan always go back if you need to...

cheers,
PK

[rollsman44]

  Thank you Kers. 

[ColourPhil]

Hi,
I'm not sure if Apple will easily allow you to 'upgrade' to anything but the newest and 'greatest'!
Especially now that upgrades are free.
Good Luck,
Phil