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RAW NEF Format

rafael

Member
Hi all,

I recently bought a Nikon 8800 camera and I am quite happy with it. Unfortunately I cannot read the NEF files with any application on my computer. I have downloaded the latest raw plug-in for photoshop (v 2.4) and it says "Disk error" when i try to load one nef file. Also acdsee does not display these files. I run XP with SP2 installed (I also downloaded a patch to see the nef files in explorer which works but the quality is really poor). Even the SW coming with the camera (Picture Project) refuses to edit the nef files and shows only a poor preview.
Anybody with an idea?
Thanks
 
Rofael
I recently bought a d70 and have been shooting in raw(nef).I have been using picure project and wile the edit functions are very limited I ame able to edit and view the Nef files just fine.
using photoshop cs I have no problems editing ,viewing or saving these files in other formats.
I'm also using XP sp2.


I would also post for help on steves digi cams for more help.
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/


you might try downloading nikon capture 4
I'm using verion 4.i.0
 
Rofael
I recently bought a d70 and have been shooting in raw(nef).I have been using picure project and wile the edit functions are very limited I ame able to edit and view the Nef files just fine.
using photoshop cs I have no problems editing ,viewing or saving these files in other formats.
I'm also using XP sp2.


I would also post for help on steves digi cams for more help.
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/


you might try downloading nikon capture 4
I'm using verion 4.1.0
 
Hi Rafael,

First, I would suggest you install the Nikon Capture Demo program that came with your D70. The trial period for that is 90 days, but will let you use it fully and decide if you want to invest in the $100 full version which I do suggest.

Secondly, did you download the Raw file plug-in from www.Adobe.com ? If the file is corrupt, I suggest you download it again, because the file does work. Just make sure it says Nikon D70 as one of the included. Make sure it is for the correct version of Photoshop you own.

Thirdly, I do have ACDSee version 7, and it too does read the raw files, though personally I wouldnt edit the raw files in that program. My first choice would be Capture, followed by Photoshop, and lastly ACDSee as Capture was made specifically for the Nikon Raw files and is a very powerfull editing program.

Hope it helps,

Paul
 
[Thank you all for your replys, The problem is that I do not have a D70 but a coolpix 8800. I have read before that with the D70 it will work. My problem is with the coolpix 8800. I have downloaded the adobe plug-in in which 8800 is not listed (there is only 8700). However I am not able to edit the nefs with any other software and the previews are really bad. I think there is a small preview in the nef file itself and I somehow see only this.

Any idea about the coolpix 8800?

Thank you

]
 
>The Adobe Camera Raw Plugin (version 2.4) should work with your CoolPix >8800 - it does work with my CoolPix 8400, and I have heard from others >that own the 8800 that it works with the 8800 as well. So, look at issues >around installation, etc., as the problem is not with the plugin itself >(unless you have a corrupted file - you may want to download again...) or >with your camera. In case you installed Nikon Capture, you need to >uninstall that in order for the Adobe Camera Raw Plugin to work, or at >least put a tilde (~) in front of the Nikon Capture Plugin file to disable it.
 
Rafael, check the cd programs you received with the camera. Put disk in drive, go to start meny and choose my computer if you are using windows. left click once on the drive that holds the disk and select it. Now right click and choose explore ( the reason for not double clicking the drive is to bypass the auto load program that will beging installing nikonview program). You should see a directory called Nikon Capture. Now double clickon that and choose the setup program in the directory, and install the 3 month Trial version of Capture).

My Coolpix 5700 came with Nikon Capture, and so did a friends Coolpix 8700. Dont see why it would not be on your disk. Its worth a try.

Paul

P.S. Forgive me if you are advanced enough and I did not need to walk you through how to check the contents of the drive. As there are so many members with different levels of experience, I thought I might as well mention the basics.
 
> Posted by Rafael Zalman (Rafael) > > [Thank you all for your replys, The problem is that I do not have a > D70 but a coolpix 8800. I have read before that with the D70 it will > work. My problem is with the coolpix 8800. I have downloaded the adobe > plug-in in which 8800 is not listed (there is only 8700). However I am > not able to edit the nefs with any other software and the previews are > really bad. I think there is a small preview in the nef file itself > and I somehow see only this. > > Any idea about the coolpix 8800?

I just took delivery of the sister camera, the CP8400. They share most of each other's DNA. I too was a bit worried about the lack of mention of these cameras by Adobe. However, I have the most up-to-date RAW loader and it works just as well as with my old camera.

Nikon has always supplied semi-brain dead software with their cameras, NikonView and now PictureProject. Which can be used in a limited way with RAW. So far, I have not been impressed by it, so exclusively use Photoshop CS.

RAW is a 12-bit per channel (Red, Green & Blue) while most software is only capable of handling 8-bits per channel. Photoshop CS has 16-bit per channel workspace where RAW comfortably fits with four bits to spare. With CS, almost all basic operations - color balancing, dynamic range adjustment and even layering can be carried out without every having to drop down to 8-bits per channel. Very nice!

If viewed in a program that is only 8-bit per channel aware, you see an embedded thumbnail 160x120 pixels, which naturally looks lousy if enlarged to screen size.

More software is becoming available with extended bit depth. IfranView will allow viewing of CP5x00 files, but not CP8400 files in the current version. I have heard that ACDSee 7.0 also supports RAW now. However, it is Photoshop CS that has finally made RAW a completely viable format here.

RAW offers little or no visible advantage when shooting under ideal light. I doubt that one would see a difference in a print from RAW and Extra quality, all else being equal. However, with mixed light or light of uncertain spectrum, Photoshop CS allows one to open several copies of the image, balancing each area optimally and using layers and layer masks to assemble a beautifully corrected image. One can also open several instances at a variety of exposure settings to gain considerable shadow detail when shooting under extremely contrasty lighting conditions.

Of course, a bit of skill is involved in doing so.

larry! http://www.larry-bolch.com/ ICQ 76620504
 
[I can understand the message of larry. However, my plug-in for Photoshop is able to read s&les of nefs downloaded from the net. The only files that are not working are from my camera
sad.gif
(. In other words, I can see any nef besides the ones that my camera is providing. Thats somehow frustrating and I was hoping more from Nikon.]
 
> [I can understand the message of larry. However, my plug-in for > Photoshop is able to read s&les of nefs downloaded from the net. The > only files that are not working are from my camera
sad.gif
(. In other > words, I can see any nef besides the ones that my camera is providing. > Thats somehow frustrating and I was hoping more from Nikon.]

Rafael,

Have you tried Nikon View to see if you can view your NEF images? If you cannot, then perhaps there is something wrong with the camera.

Nikon View offers a crude editor that will allow you to convert from the native NEF format into tiff or jpg formats.

There is also Nikon Capture. It is the NEF editor created by Nikon specifically for their file format.

Perhaps you can upload a NEF image (taken specifically by *your* camera) to a web server and one of us can see if we can view it with our various software?

Please forgive me if I have repeated any suggestions that might have already been given.

grasshopper
 
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