# Lightroom 3 wont let me import .cr2 RAW files?



## guitarguy4034 (Aug 12, 2010)

I'm a fairly new LR3 user and just came back from a trip where I shot around 3'' RAW photos on my Canon Rebel XS (1'''D). When I try to import them into LR, I get a message saying LR doesn't support the files? I don't need any upgrades.
I attached an image of what the error looks like.

The photos are .cr2 and it doesn't work when I select the Copy As DNG setting either. I'm on a Mac. What do I do?

Please help! 
Thanks.


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## dj_paige (Aug 12, 2010)

Your camera should be supported. So, my first thought is to check and make sure you have really installed Lightroom 3 and not some earlier version.


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## guitarguy4034 (Aug 12, 2010)

It definitely is lightroom 3..


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## clee01l (Aug 12, 2010)

Can you use a card reader instead of the camera connected? It could also be a bad USB cable Try using a different one. Next, can you copy the image files to a place on your local HD and try importing from there? There is probably something squirrelly about the camera/cable/computer connection


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## guitarguy4034 (Aug 12, 2010)

I tried converting it with Adobe Bridge and it wouldn't convert to .DNG
I imported the photos into iPhoto, and tried to export to LR but that didn't work because all the raw photos were black. 

Anyone have any idea what is going on here?


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## Brad Snyder (Aug 12, 2010)

Any chance you can upload a raw file copy somewhere for us to play with?


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## clee01l (Aug 13, 2010)

[quote author=guitarguy4'34 link=topic=1'698.msg72''5#msg72''5 date=1281645'19]
I tried converting it with Adobe Bridge and it wouldn't convert to .DNG
I imported the photos into iPhoto, and tried to export to LR but that didn't work because all the raw photos were black. 

Anyone have any idea what is going on here?
[/quote]I think iPhoto is not the application to use for RAW images. I will restate my earlier question: Can you copy the CR2 file from the card to a physical place on your HD and then import thast into LR?  Do not involve iPhoto in the copy process.

Also back to an earlier question: Can you try a different cable to connect the camera? Do you have a card reader to use and bypass the camera?


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## guitarguy4034 (Aug 13, 2010)

@Brad. I tried to upload the image to my desktop, using the Apple Image Capture, and it came out as a black image, though in the program the thumbnail showed the full photo. It's a .cr2 file, I screencapped a picture of the photo in Image Capture as a thumbnail and in my finder. 

@Clee I tried a card reader, with the same problem :(


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## clee01l (Aug 13, 2010)

One other thought that I hesitate to mention. You could have a corrupt card.. Can you try a few photos on another card to eliminate the card from the list of suspects?  It could be:
the camera, 
the card,
the cable. 
One by one, replace the card, the cable and finally the camera (with the card reader).  Should you detemine that the card is bad, it might be possible to use some recovery tools to recover images from the card. So do not lose hope yet.


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## guitarguy4034 (Aug 13, 2010)

Really appreciate the help and hate to deny another of your suggestions, but the card/camera are both fine. I have uploaded many photos before this problem and all the photos I have on it now, that are jpg, upload fine.


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## clee01l (Aug 13, 2010)

[quote author=guitarguy4'34 link=topic=1'698.msg72'27#msg72'27 date=1281671189]
Really appreciate the help and hate to deny another of your suggestions, but the card/camera are both fine. I have uploaded many photos before this problem and all the photos I have on it now, that are jpg, upload fine. 


[/quote]It is either the Camera, Card, Cable or computer. I think we can eliminate the software if you have installed it properly and have successfully uploaded images in the past.. Therefore you are overlooking something. Go back and review each of these areas for failure again and try to remain open often we tend to discount the obvious. (as I am often reminded over and over).


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## guitarguy4034 (Aug 13, 2010)

it might be important to note that this is the first time I am actually importing RAWs directly to LR. I actually used aperture in the past and had to export my entire library to LR.


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## guitarguy4034 (Aug 13, 2010)

Sorry for the double post put I tested some things out and I've figured out why I have this problem. 
On my camera there are two raw settings RAW+L and just normal RAW. For some reason Lightroom wont accept the RAW+L files, even when I take new ones. 

That said, anyone have a clue why?


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## Mark Sirota (Aug 13, 2010)

This is reminiscent of a problem we've seen before, where cameras plugged straight into the computer are viewed through the camera driver, which masks the file type somehow. In the past, these problems are "fixed" by using a card reader rather than plugging the camera in directly. But the OP says he's done that and it made no difference.

I think getting a copy of one of the files (read from the card reader, not straight from the camera) would be very helpful.


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## guitarguy4034 (Aug 17, 2010)

@Mark thanks for the advice. For some reason my card reader (Lexar multi card reader) isn't even being recognized by my computer. When I turn it on and plug it in, it doesn't pop up anywhere, even in LR. :(


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## clee01l (Aug 17, 2010)

[quote author=guitarguy4'34 link=topic=1'698.msg72329#msg72329 date=1282'69397]
@Mark thanks for the advice. For some reason my card reader (Lexar multi card reader) isn't even being recognized by my computer. When I turn it on and plug it in, it doesn't pop up anywhere, even in LR. :(
[/quote]Usually a USB card reader does not show up until a card is inserted. If that is not the case, then can you try a different cable? Next step after that would be for some knowledgeable Mac person to get involved.


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## kalie (Jul 15, 2011)

I got exactly the same problem on my computer. I just converted from Windows to Mac, and have just installed Lightroom 3.4 on my Mac. I got all my pictures on a separate hard drive, and this was formatted and the pictures on it imported via Windows. Importing the pictures from this drive into Lr was no problem.
 I tried several solutions including all you mention above. Finally I tried importing the new pictures from the camera via Lr into the harddrive on the Mac. This solved the problem for me. It seems Mac can read but not write to a windows disc. 
I don´t know if this can be your problem as well??


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