'the files are from a camera which is not recognized by the raw format support in lightroom' error message [Unable to open Canon 5D Mark III Raw files in Lightroom 3.6]

[sarahb6575709]

Hi yall. I have a canon 5d mark 3 - I have a new ( to me) computer - I installed lightroom 3.6 on (and updated to version 10.13). I copied my raw files onto my desktop using a card reader (they showed up as cr2 files and I can see thumbnails but when I double click from desktop they are not able to open). I then tried to import image files from desktop folder into lightroom and I get the above message - the files are from a camera which is not recognized by the raw format. I think it is bc of the cr2 files but nowhere on google can I find a solution. I am running Mac High Sierra OS. HELP!

[John Waller · Accepted solution]

Lightroom 3.6 is too old to open Canon 5D Mark III Raw files. That camera was first supported in Lightroom 4.1.

Cameras supported by Camera Raw

So you'll never be able to open those Raw files in Lightroom 3.6.

You have a couple of options:

1. Join the Cloud Photography Plan for $9.99/month and get the latest version of Lightroom CC, or
2. Download the free Adobe DNG Converter and batch convert all Raw files to DNG format. Then open the DNG files (not the Raw files) in Lightroom 3.6.
   Digital Negative (DNG), Adobe DNG Converter | Adobe Photoshop CC

[Rob_Cullen]

Edit: John just got in first as I typed

The Canon 5d mark 3   requires a minimum Lightroom version of 4.1, so 3.6 will not recognize the raw photos (only JPGs).

You could subscribe to the Photography plan that includes Lr-Classic-CC (now at v7.5) and Photoshop,

See Minimum requirements- Lightroom Classic system requirements

Or you could use the free Adobe DNG Converter software to convert your CR2 files to DNG raw files then import to Lr v3.6.

See the [Downloads] paragraph at- Digital Negative (DNG), Adobe DNG Converter | Adobe Photoshop CC

[JohanElzenga]

He could also buy Lightroom 6, the last perpetual license version.

[dj_paige]

JohanEl54  wrote

He could also buy Lightroom 6, the last perpetual license version.

True, and I always point out that Lightroom 6 is now completely unsupported by Adobe, and will never ever ever be updated.

[JohanElzenga]

dj_paige  wrote

JohanEl54   wrote

He could also buy Lightroom 6, the last perpetual license version.

True, and I always point out that Lightroom 6 is now completely unsupported by Adobe, and will never ever ever be updated.

Yes, but having used Lr 3.6 so far (the version that Napoleon's photographer used at Waterloo), he must be kind of used of that by now...

[dj_paige]

He might be used to it, but probably doesn't know that LR 6 is also unsupported, he might think that since it is newer version, it is supported (which it is not).