"Unsupported Image Format" all of a sudden, with previously workable files

Folks,
I've got an issue that seems very strange indeed.
Months ago, I bought a Pentax K20D. I also bought a 17" MacBook Pro and Aperture. Camera and Aperture played well together.
I encountered the known issue with white spots on the image when using the 2-second timer for long exposures. I read about how the Pentax firmware update 1.01 changed the EXIF Make information, causing Aperture to be unable to read the K20D PEF RAWs. So I waited.
When Aperture 2.1.1 was released (and I think the Apple RAW update), I installed both of those. When I heard through this forum that the updates fixed the problem, I also updated my camera's firmware and confirmed that it worked.
So smooth sailing for a few months on Aperture 2.1.1, OS 10.5.3 (or .4, I forget), and K20D firmware 1.01.
Then I bought a Mac Pro 8-Core with 10.5.4 on it. I sold the 17" MacBook Pro. I used the Migration Wizard to move my user account from one machine to the other, but did a fresh install of all applications. (I've been an Apple tech for the past 7 years, and have various certifications. I know the user transfer process isn't perfect, but it should have the following results... read on)
Now, in Aperture 2.1.1 on 10.5.4 with all updates, PEF RAWs taken with K20D firmware 1.01 that were previously edited, manipulated, etc just fine on my MacBook Pro say "Unsupported Image Format" in a big reddish-black box when I try to view the master. If I switch to Quick Preview, it displays just fine, but is un-adjustable. Additionally, any NEW images I copy from my K20D show in the Import window as being 0x0 pixels (or occasionally 160x120 pixels) and will only show a tiny preview or "Unsupported Image Format." All PEF RAWs taken with K20D firmware 1.0 are just fine.
So here's what I've done:
1) Tested a fresh install of 10.5.4 on another HD in the Mac Pro. Installed Aperture 2.1, updated to 2.1.1. This should be perfectly clean. It gives the "Unsupported Image Format" error with any new images from my K20D. Copying the library from my other partition gives the same problems as described earlier.
2) Tested a fresh install of 10.5.3 on another partition in a Macbook Pro. Installed Aperture 2.1, updated to 2.1.1. Applied the Apple RAW update and iLife enhancements. It gives the same errors as before.
3) Tested a fresh install of 10.4.11 on another partition in a Macbook Pro. Installed Aperture 2.1, updated to 2.1.1. This worked perfectly for all PEFs and DNGs.
4) Took a month-old backup (from when everything was working just fine) of my Aperture Library and loaded it into all of the above configurations. Same results!
So what is the deal here? Aperture all of a sudden can't read images that it itself was able to edit a month ago? How come it works just fine in 10.4.11? This seems really messy. I have essentially lost a lot of the work I've put in.
I can use DNGs moving forward, but my past work is now messed up, and the DNGs are almost 75% bigger than the PEFs!
Anyone have any ideas for resolution or should I just call Apple?
Message was edited by: MonsieurBon

If it's any consolation, I had the EXACT same problem today; just opened Aperture 2 and my entire library of images shows "unsupported image format' -- the thumbnails are still intact but clicking on any image suddenly shows the red screen.
Same situation, these images were previously editable and accessible. We had a power outage an hour ago and initially I thought my library had crashed, but I was not actually using Aperture 2 at the time of the outage so I don't think that's the case.
Given the relatively sparse attention Apple gives to these forums, I don't expect there will be a quick response.
I have Leopard 10.5.4 installed, I don't have access to another version of the OS to see if I can get it work. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't there a series of Software Updates recently? I click on these without really checking the apps that are affected; could Aperture have been one of the apps 'revised' by the recent update?

Similar Messages

"Unsupported image format"- Has nothing to do with RAW images-

I have a very weird problem with one of my Aperture 3 libraries. This only seems to apply to one library, all the others I tested seem to work just fine.
This library was created on my MBA and transfered to my iMac when I returned from my trip. It worked fine until yesterday.
When I open an image (thumbnail looks just fine) the photo briefly shows the large view with the "Loading" indicator at the top. When the loading indicator goes away the photo is replaced with the "Unsupported image format" display. After that the thumbnail is gone too. This happens for most, but not all images in this gallery. I can restore the thumbnail and other previews from the raw NEF photos by choosing "Reprocess Original".
I have already tried all the options the Aperture debug menu offers (start with Option-Command), this didn't help…
When I open the library in the Finder (Show package contents) I can drill down to the "Previews" folder and see the photos that Aperture wont display. They seem jsut fine and all file permissions seem to be set correctly…
Has anyone ever experienced this problem? I really don't know what else i could try, short of deleting this library and importing all the images into a new one, losing all my edits, of course… Super annoying…
Thanks and kind regards, Hans
Edit: The raw photos are from my Nikon D700, which has been supported by the RAW importer since forever. i dont think that has anything to do with the original files, especially since Aperture can recreate the previews from the raws…

There has been problems with the last Raw update released a few days ago especially with Nikon cameras.
Have you updated your system software in the last day or so? Is it possible you updated on one system but not another.
And for what its worth norbertmuc's question was valid from a troubleshooting standpoint. If something worked at one point and stop working at a second point it is fair to ask what happened between those two points. He might have been a bit brusque but I don;t think he was accusing you of anything.
And of course there are many things you can do to a library to break it.

"Unsupported Image Format" in Aperture and iPhoto....

I recently purchased a Nikon D7100 and when I try and upload the RAW pictures to Aperture 3 and iPhoto it gives me the error message "unsupported image format". It only happens with the RAW files, JPEG's are fine. Is this a problem with the program?

You are just going to have to wait until Apple adds support for the D7100 RAW format.
Allan

After loading Lion I cannot open some pictures. I get Unsupported Image Format. It tells me picture was taken with Canon EOS Rebel with unknown lens

After loading Lion I cannot open open some pictures in Aperture. I get Unsupported Image Format, all files even the ones I can open are .JPG. Also it tells me picture was made using Canon EOS Rebel with unknown lens.

You mention that 'most' of your files are DNG. Try
running the effected files through Adobe DNG
converter again and then import your reprocessed
files to Aperture and see if the problem persists.
I had a problem with a batch of D2x files converted
to DNG which had been metadata tagged by
PhotoMechanic (the evil app).
B.T.W. You mention that you had been using Bridge.
Are you getting any of the embedded XMP metadata
coming into Aperture during the import process?
Already tried that multiple times...no luck. I'm wondering though if it might be related to metadata as you suggest. I'm still trying different things to see what happens.
I was able to alleviate the problem on one set of images by painstakingly searching my external drive for the oldest backups I could find - CR2 files from before DNG conversion. I then ran those through DNG Converter and tried importing them again (this time, I embedded NO thumbnail, but I'm not sure if that made the difference - I think it was more likely a fluke in the original conversion that caused the problem). This time, it worked.
Now, the big problem is that I still have a couple hundred images for which I can't seem to locate the original CR2 files. I don't typically keep them after conversion, as I don't have the space for both.

Canon G7x and unsupported image format icon with RAW files.

When RAW files downloaded from Canon G7x get "Unsupported Image Format" message. Using iMac with 10.9.5 and Aperture 3.5.1. This is a new camera and is not on the supported list. Is there a way around this? Now that Aperture is static will new cameras continue to be added to supported list?

The only way 'around' it is to upgrade to the required Aperture and/or OS version. So you will need to wait for that to happen. In the meantime you could shoot Raw+JPG, use the JPGs now and when (and if) the camera is supported (or you move to a different program) you will have the Raw files.
As for camera updates in Aperture, no one here can say what Apple intends, we;re just users here like yourself and even discussing this is technically against the TOU of these forums.
But I think it is safe to assume, as Apple will continue to support Raw processing and that the Raw processing is done at the OS level and they have said they will support Aperture at least through Yosemite's life cycle that any new Raw format added to OS X will reusable by Aperture. But that's only a guess.

Nikon D5000 RAW "Unsupported Image Format"

Well here's another one for the Unsupported Image Format category. I just received a Nikon D5000 took a hundred or two shots in RAW format only to find after importing them to Aperture a row of thumbnails. Now if only after clicking on a thumbnail for viewing it displayed the image and not "Unsupported Image Format".

all set with adobe raw 5.4, i grabbed the converter because the plugin is a p.i.t.a. and the installer isn't very friendly if you delete the plugin and try to start over. available from the labs at: http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/CameraRaw5.4
i wouldnt expect apple to add compatibility till 10.5.8. its a big name and soon to be popular machine. so i would bet on it. but when that comes, id also bet to be a long time from now.

I have a fujifilm X100, at first there were no issues viewing my RAW photos but now all of a sudden the pictures come up as "unsupported image format"

I have a fujifilm X100, at first there were no issues viewing my RAW photos but now all of a sudden the pictures come up as "unsupported image format". How do I fix this?

No, I did not do any updates between the time that the files were viewable and when they were not. I was actually without an internet connection for a few days when the problem started. I reported the bug to apple and have since been contacted by them asking for a few sample images so they can figure out the problem, so I'm hoping they come up with an answer for me.

Raw Files Appear Deleted or Corrupted Suddenly in Aperture with Unsupported Image Format Error

I have been using Aperture 3, latest update, for the past year. Today, I tried to import new raw files from my new Sony RX1r and, as far as I can see, all raw files in Aperture give the "Unsupported Image Format" and alert symbol in the library where not only new files should be, but also ALL PREVIOUS RAW FILES. These files do no even show up as existing in the iPhoto Library.
This is, needless to say, distressing, as hundreds and hundreds of photos seem lost. Also, the files show a reduced pixel size and file sizes all go to .5 Mb. Some of the photos seemed to show up initially and look fine until I tried to open them, then they all either disappear or show the Unsupported Image Format instead of the opened file. I have tried rebuilding the iPhoto library, but no help.
I have looked in these discussions and see similar problems with Aperture. Perhaps, Apple has not made an update for the RX1r from the RX1 for raw files, but why should all older raw files now be corrupted, especially those recently made with my Olympus OM-D? Had no problem with Aperture until this disaster.
Please help.
William

Just an update. Restarted computer and attempted rebuilds of iPhoto library a couple more times and finally files and photos mostly recovered, except for those I had tried to open. Aperture seems to have a problem, or a host of them, dealing with RAW files, and there is no update yet for the Sony RX1R for Aperture or iPhoto. Lightroom 5, on the other hand, seems to work great with these files directly, so that will be where all photos go for now. Will iPhoto and Aperture just become old archives? It is so infuriating that Apple does not allow for simple importing and exporting compatibility with such an excellent program as Lightroom 5 just to protect their somewhat poorly supported Aperture. I've been a staunch Apple supporter and user since the 80's, but having more doubts about the direction this company is taking.

What's with the occasional "Unsupported image format" errors?

I get this error randomly -- suddenly Aperture can't show me anything but a brief flash of the image, and then I get the maroon screen "Unsupported image format" error. Restarting Aperture returns things to normal. I've seen this in both version 1.5.6 and 2.
I can count on this occurring about every hour or so. This is quite frustrating. I use CR2 files almost exclusively, written from a Canon 5D.
Any ideas or workarounds for this behavior?

I was getting this all the time with 1.5, I have not seen it yet with 2. I think it's a memory thing, it happens more quickly if I am running Safari and other stuff. Sometimes quitting Aperture then starting again does the trick, more often shutting the machine down and rebooting clears it. I also have some very large tiff's in the library, Aperture can't (I've not tried it in 2 yet) cope with them, always the unsupported error message. These files are between 300mb to 1gig, sometimes it justs hangs on to the 300mb but mostly not. By the end of the day it was a real problem, I could only export images 2-3 at a time, if I tried to email 10 low res I would get either an out of memory warning or unsupported etc.
Something holds onto the memory somewhere either in Ap or Safari or all things running.
Kevin.

Unsupported image format with 3:2 or 16:9 aspect for Leica Digilux 3

I can import RAW files just fine with my Leica Digilux 3 dslr, but when I import RAW images using 3:2 or 16:9 aspect formats, aperture comes up with unsupported image format. appreciate any feedback.
as an fyi, it does it on a macbook pro and an imac

Allen,
there have been several threads with similar problems of broken references to raw images; in some cases even with managed raw images, that cannot be reconnected, for example:
Raw images all blank
One more reason to avoid managed libraries.
The "lsregister" command must exist on your machine. It may move around a bit, because there are many links in the path to current versions.
After the last update I found this direct path (MacOS X 10.8.2):
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchSe rvices.framework/Support/lsregister -R /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Library
To search the "lsregister" command in your system, try to open the "/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework" in the Finder and to navigate from there:
Typing "open /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework" into the Terminal will open a Finder window in the directory (as you probably will know )
Added: If newly imported raws are recognized without problems it is unlikely to be a problem of missing raw conversion registration. I am just concerned about the error message you get.
Regards
Léonie

Sudden "unsupported image format" after using Dodge & Burn Plugin

After using Dodge & Burn plugin for first time (seems great) one of the images suddenly turned into "unsupported image format" in Aperture. Just happened to one but its a critical one so I need to figure it out. Any thoughts?
Thanks - Robert robert (at) robertholland (dot) com
<Edited by Host>

scott nichol wrote:
if you keep the console open when you're editing these photos and the "unsupported image format" message comes up, you'll notice that Aperture is throwing malloc errors on the console. this means that while its trying to load the image, it is running out of RAM. the core problem here is that Aperture can't address more than 2GB of RAM and i think the only way that Apple can address this problem is by moving to a 64-bit version of Aperture. it would be really nice if this issue was addressed in a 2.2 release sometime soon as this happens to me all the time now after round-tripping an image to Photoshop.
i would not expect to have to quit and restart a professional photography application every time i finish editing an image.
Good to know. But I don't expect a .2 upgrade to be 64bits, a next major version of Aperture is more likely to be 64bits (Aperture 3), considering AP 2 is at the end of its development cycle and a new major release is due before summer.

Intermittent "Unsupported image format" message with either CR2 or DNG

I am seeing "Unsupported image format" messages once files created by a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark iii (+stored in Canon's CR2 file format or when the same file is converted to Adobe's DNG file format+) have been imported into Aperture.
Some files will import and be viewable. However, most of the time the files are not viewable. This occurs even after updating Aperture to 1.5.6.
Is anyone else seeing problems with CR2 or DNG files created by Canon EOS 1Ds Mark iii?
Has anyone see a solution?

I think Support is confused with the Canon camera models.
10.5.1 supports 1D Mk III, but only 1Ds Mk II.
(http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306835
http://www.apple.com/aperture/raw/cameras.html)
I don't believe that 10.4.11 supports anything that 10.5.1 doesn't support. In fact, the docs at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306297 say "Adds RAW image decoding support for the following cameras: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50, Leica V-Lux 1, Olympus E-400, Olympus EVOLT E410, Olympus EVOLT E510, Canon EOS 40D" (the 1D Mk III came in the 10.4.10 update.)

"Unsupported image format" with my new Nikon D800E - please help.

I get this message: "unsupported image format" when I try to load photos from my new Nikon D800E. Aperture 2.1.4. Worked fine with old Nikon D300. I can get a thumbnail image in Projects, but that's it. Suggestions, please?!

Maria, the raw support for the Nikon D800E requires Aperture 3, see the technical specifications for the raw support in Aperture: D800E**, ** Requires Aperture 3 or later.
Apple - Aperture - Technical Specifications - RAW Support
You will have to upgrade to Aperture 3, to use the raw images with Aperture or shoot jpeg or use the software that came with your camera to develope the raw.
Regards
Léonie

Strange bug - some images showing up as 'unsupported Image Format'

This could be possibly be the last straw with Aperture for me.
I was 'happily' going through my latest shoot when all of a sudden one of my NEF files opens up and I get a solid dark red screen with the text 'Unsurpported Image Format'.
It's the same RAW format as all the other images and the thumbnail is showing fine. I'm getting the same message with several random images.
Has anyone else experienced this?
I guess I need to restart my mac again! Arrrghhh!

this is a bug, but it seems to happen radomly.
aperture would sometimes complain that some of my NEF, PSD, and TIFF files are unsupported Image Format.
sometimes clicking on another project and then back to where i was corrects the problem, and sometimes it just won't do it. when this happens i restart aperture. i think restarting aperture is the least frustrating work-around.
daniel
dual 2.7 ghz powerpc g5 Mac OS X (10.4.3) 8 gb ram and all other standard parts from apple store. such as the xt800 card.

Nikon D300 - Unsupported Image Format - intermittently!!!

Suddenly, I get intermittent displays of the maroon screen with Unsupported Image Format when displaying .NEF files which have worked fine before.
I see that others may have had this too...but could not find a definitive cause or solution...yet.
I am on latest version of everything with all patches installed, including the camera raw support 2.4

Try quitting and restarting Aperture... I bet the issue goes away after a restart (at least for a while).
Check the console logs (Applications/Utilities/Console.app)... click the "show log list" button, and select all messages, and then search for 'Aperture' and see if there is any log info indicating a problem. I suspect the RAW engine is reporting something's awry.

"Unsupported Image Format" all of a sudden, with previously workable files

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for