What software

Just bought a new Nikon and I'm saving in TIFF. My old Photoshop Elements won't open them and I'm seeing some bad reviews on Elements 2019, anybody here using it or have a suggestion on editing software.

 

Thanks

Adobe has a free converter to .DNG format. My guess is that you should be able to use your version of Elements with the .DNG files.

I shoot in JPEG and save as TIFF using Elements 8.

Whether you save in TIFF or JPEG in the camera, the results are always 8-bit color depth. Unless you are in a hurry to meet deadlines, you have more to work with if you save in a raw format with 14 bit (saved as 16) depth. If your image software won't handle raw files now, something in the future will, and you'll be ready. In the meantime, you can use Adobe Raw Converter to convert them into DNG files with little or no loss, and process them in legacy (even primordial) software.

Just bought a new Nikon and I'm saving in TIFF. My old Photoshop Elements won't open them and I'm seeing some bad reviews on Elements 2019, anybody here using it or have a suggestion on editing software.

Hold on, you're saving TIFF or it's a raw; major difference. Elements should have no issues opening a TIFF. Your Nikon is what model; I know of none that save a TIFF but rather a proprietary raw or a JPEG. But I'm not expert on Nikons. IF you mean a raw, then just convert to DNG using the free converter.

Adobe Digital Negative Converter

My Nikon D300 can save in TIFF.

My Nikon D300 can save in TIFF.

Elements should have no issue opening it; it's an openly documented format. Now unless Nikon can't write a TIFF correctly....?

I have owned Nikons which had the option of saving either TIFF or JPEG images, with or without RAW images. TIFF and JPEG received the same processing, with the same appearance, but TIFF took much longer to save and were much larger than either alternative. To me, RAW files are the negatives while TIFF and JPEG files are the drug store prints. You can accept the default processing of RAW files in Lightroom, but you still have the "negatives" if you want something more.

As others have said, probably best to change the camera to save in Nikon's Raw format, I believe that's .nef As for software I'm really liking Affinity Photo and for cataloging software I'm playing between Darktable and Digikam.org

Whether you save in TIFF or JPEG in the camera, the results are always 8-bit color depth.

 

JPEG is an 8-bit per color (24-bit per pixel) standard. However, TIFF can support either 8-bit or 16-bit (48-bit per pixel) color. The bit depth would be up to the camera manufacturer.

TIFF images produced in a Nikon camera are 8 bit. This option has long been considered a poor choice. You get JPEG quality at three times the file size. For a 42 MP Sony A7Rii (or iii), it's the difference between 47 MB for RAW and over 270 MB for TIFF. Much of the processing time (and heat generation) in a digital camera can be attributed to data transfer.

I stand corrected.

I can't speak for all cameras, but the OP asked about a new Nikon. When I make master images (corrections locked in place) from RAW files, I generally use 16-bit TIFF files, but also standard JPEG files if size (e.g., for electronic submission) is important and nor further processing is likely to occur. There are variations allowed for TIFF files, including compression and multi-page options, which aren't universally compatible. I doubt these options are used in cameras, but there's always a chance. It's also possible for headers to be corrupted so that they can't be opened in Photoshop either.

The issue the OP raises is opening a TIFF in Elements. AFAIK, at least older versions of Elements didn't support high bit (16-bit) files so that may be the problem:

Elements: Problem with 16 bit files | Photoshop Family Customer Community

Might try opening via ACR or, simply working with the Nikon raws perhaps after conversion to DNG.

There are variations allowed for TIFF files, including compression and multi-page options, which aren't universally compatible.

That's called bugs ;); the format is fully documented and all such features should work if the software is properly written to read a TIFF.

The issue the OP raises is opening a TIFF in Elements. AFAIK, at least older versions of Elements didn't support high bit (16-bit) files so that may be the problem:

Elements: Problem with 16 bit files | Photoshop Family Customer Community

Might try opening via ACR or, simply working with the Nikon raws perhaps after conversion to DNG.

 

It would have to be a horrendously old version of Elements to be unable to open a 16-bit file; I'm pretty sure Elements has been able to open 16-bit TIFFs for at least a decade. Once the file's open, then yes, you'll find that many filters don't work on 16-bit data, which is what the linked article discusses; if you want to use those filters, you'll have to convert down to 8 bits (which Elements can do). But I've been working with 16-bit images in Elements for many years, first using ACR to convert and (for the last few years) using Canon's DPP to convert my RAW images to 16-bit TIFFs which I then open and edit in Elements (currently using Elements 12).

Try the software that came along with the camera probably Nikon's Capture NX-D.

all such features should work

 

Yeah, that's the catch all right.

 

As an aside, many of the very earliest (expensive) consumer digital SLRs used TIFF format for their "raw".