Pentax K20D PEFs and iPhoto

[greg555]

I have been using iPhoto 08 to import the photos from my K20D using the USB cable. It has been working well but a couple of times there were files it couldn't read.

The Unreadable Files box pops up at the end and says "The following files could not be imported (they may be an unrecognized file type of the files may not contain valid data)." I currently have 4 files this has happened to, out of about 900 PEF shots I have taken.

I have manually copied them to my hard drive for later recovery. If I double click them then Preview tries to open them. I see a low resolution image (from the embedded JPEG I assume) then the picture disappears as it is overwritten with black blocks.

Has this happened to anyone? Do you have a workaround?

Thanks - Greg

 

[GoCubsGo]

It sounds like there is something going on with the transfer of data. When you get the photos on your hard drive and open them with something other than Preview can you see the photos or are they completely gone? If they're not there then I would say the camera didn't write the file properly and the images are gone for good. This has happened to me when I have used bargain basement CF cards.

 

[greg555]

I don't have any other software (yet). I'll have to install the Pentax-supplied SW and see if it can read them.

Thanks - Greg

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

Also,

I am a Pentax shooter, and I've gone with .DNG for my RAW filetype, it's universal and I've yet to run into a program that couldn't read that filetype.

The K20D also has the option to shoot in .DNG for RAW shooting.

SLC

 

[greg555]

PEF files take less space on your hard drive and SD card so that is why I was trying to use them.

I installed the Pentax programs this afternoon and used Photo Browser to save the bad files as DNG. Then I was able to import all of the into iPhoto without problems.

So it must be a bug in the way Apple reads (some) PEF files.

Greg