D600 + SD card + Nikon Transfer problem

<p>I bought a D600 on Saturday. I've taken about 50 pictures with it and uploaded them using an SD card reader/writer through Nikon Transfer/ViewNX2 without any problems. Last night I uploaded pictures off the camera in 2 sets, and the software isn't recognizing the images from one of those sets.</p>

<p>I don't remember the exact sequence of events. I had some trouble with the automatic upload from the 1st sequence (I think), and that is the set that I can't see. I can't launch the picture utility in View NX 2 or import them into Lightroom. The message in View NX 2 says "an invalid file has been selected. Only NEF images taken from a Nikon camera may be viewed." The jpg preview is there, but not the nef file.</p>

<p>I called Nikon support and he said it is the SD card. But I don't see anything in the manual that says the SD card is not supported in the D600. This is the SD card, purchased in July: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/828325-REG/SanDisk_SDSDRX3_016G_A21_16GB_SDHC_Memory_Card.html</p>

<p>I think it has something to do with Nikon Trasfer or View NX2. Nikon support told me to update View NX 2, and I did, but I still can't access the nef files. </p>

<p>Any suggestions?</p>

<p>Never mind View NX2 or Transfer ... can you find the files using the computer's operating system? Are they present both on the card (the NEFs and the JPGs) and in whatever folder you copied them to on the computer? If the files are there but appear unreadable, the View NX2 versioning issue seems like a contender. <br /><br />What happens when you make a fresh copy of the card's files, in a new folder on your computer, using the file system itself (not Transfer) to copy the files over? Can you then look at the freshly copied NEFs, using View NX2?</p>

<p>Upload twice? You did not try to put images from your computer back on the SDHC card for editing in the camera by chance, did you?</p>

<p>- - - - -<br>

Are you sure your copy of Lightroom is the latest, and that it will 'edit' D600 files? Nikon has changes in .NEF files that make software in the 'have to catch up' mode most of the time.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>You should be able to view the NEF images downloaded in Nikon View NX2. The latest version in the US is ver 2.5.1. and I know it reads D 600 NEF images as I use it all the time with my D 600 images. I bet the View NX2 disk that came with your camera is not the latest version. Go <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com">www.nikonusa.com</a>, look for software support, click on "download latest versions" and follow the directions very carefully. Depending on which version of View NX2 you have, you might have to download two updates. You can find the version you have by clicking on "Help" in the top task bar of the program. If you are on windows, you may have the option of 32 bit or 64 bit. Read the directions carefully. Joe Smith</p>

<p>Lisa, if you are on windows, I would download View Nx2 2.5.0 and then the update, 2.5.1. If you have already done this and it does not work, something went wrong. Uninstall the program, and start over again.</p>

<p>I use Downloader Pro from Breeze Systems to download my images. You can try that program (for free, I believe for 30 days.) Then use View NX2 to look at the images. And you can download Nikon Capture NX2 to view them too and process them--free for 30 days I believe. Current version is 2.3.4in the US. <br>

What operating system is your computer?<br>

Joe Smith</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Let's see if I can sort through this.... first, I'm on Windows 7. I've never had this problem before and didn't have it with D600 images I uploaded before last night. The images are no longer on the SD card because I deleted them as I uploaded them. </p>

<p>One more bit of info. When I plugged in the SD card reader the first time, something happened (I can't remember what), and I think I had to manually open either View NX 2 or Nikon Transfer (which may have been the old version) to upload them. Then I think I took out the SD card reader (because the computer didn't take me back to transfer the other pictures), and this time the SD card reader immediately opened View NX 2 (or Nikon Transfer, whichever does that work now), and the upload went smoothly. I'm pretty sure the problem photos were in the first transfer. I've had to do this before with my D5000, and never had a problem.</p>

<p>Jerry: no, I did not try to put them back on the SDHC card. And I updated Lightroom to 4.2 over the weekend.</p>

<p>Matt: I can see the files in the folder as NEF files, and I can see the (I guess) jpg preview. As usual, when I click on it Windows give me the message that it can't open NEF files. Are you suggesting that I copy those files into a new folder? I did that, opened View NX2, tried to open the Picture Control Utility to edit one, and got the same message. Again, I can see a preview, but I can't get any farther than that on this one set of pictures. The other set I uploaded last night is fine.</p>

<p>Joseph, I had a newer version of View NX 2, probably 2.5.0 because I updated it recently. The Nikon Support person said to update that to 2.5.1, and I did that today. It sounds like you think the problem is a faulty installation of View NX2 2.5.1? When I look at the version, it says 2.5.1. But you think it didn't install correctly?</p>

<p>Fortunately, these are not critical pictures. If I lose them, it's fine. I just don't want it to happen again.</p>

<p>A suggestion: as USB hard drives get lower in price, you may consider getting a second one, and have your images on two hard drives before 'deleting' or 'formatting in camera' your camera images. Three or four SDHC cards are not a bad idea either...you can rotate the cards. If you ever need the images a day or two later, you will still have your .NEF files - intact.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>. The images are no longer on the SD card because I deleted them as I uploaded them.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>For starters You could try to recover them with using one of the many restore programs if you have not used the card afterwards..</p>

<p>ALso, if you can see the files but cannot open them ( the NEF FIles) it could help to install the latest NEF Codec from nikon ( version 1.15) if you have not done so recently. Version 1.15 was updated for the D600 NEF format. It might or might not help, but there is no harm in that anyways..<br /> THe codec you can find (amongst others) here : <a href="http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/61/~/current-versions-of-nikon-software#Anchor-16">http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/61/~/current-versions-of-nikon-software#Anchor-16</a> <br /> OR the Dutch version ( there are no different language versions, just locations,,,) here : <a href="http://nikonimglib.com/nefcodec/">http://nikonimglib.com/nefcodec/</a></p>

<p>Apart from that there is also an otion switch in the transfer page ( forth tab) that says something like : "Do not upload previously uploaded immages" or something similar, ( do not know the exact words of the english verion, just the Dutch one...) . This could prevent you from uploading the images for a second time if you would wish to do so....</p>

<p>Jerry, that's a good idea. I have several SD cards and 2 backup drives. But I've never had this problem before. With the D5000, I usually uploaded photos directly from the camera through the USB cable. It worked more consistently than the SD card reader. I just haven't bothered to take the cable out yet. My husband needs to update a driver on my computer tonight, so I will get his help to uninstall and reinstall everything correctly. I think I have an old version of Nikon Transfer that I need to remove, too.</p>

<p>C.P.M. thanks. I'll look at it again tonight when I have my "tech-guy" help me.</p>

<p>We uninstalled and reinstalled everything, and updated the NEF Codec, and I'm still getting the same message. I'll read through everything again tomorrow but I think it's likely the images are gone.</p>

<p>Thanks for all of your help. It's a good reminder to check everything before deleting, and fortunately, I didn't lose anything important.</p>

<p>If I use Nikon Transfer my D800 NEF files are unreadable and I received the same error message you have. I suppose it may do the same with D600 files. I have to use the latest version NX2 and use the transfer function on that software only.</p>

<p>Thank you, Sam. I think that's what happened here.</p>

<p>I did some checking Lisa and it appears that Nikon Transfer is no longer supported by Nikon. It corrupts D600, D800 and D4 files.<br>

I'm always deleting things I shouldn't; bad file management on my part.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>When I got my D800 the old stand alone Nikon Transfer software moved the files as a smaller image (about 1/3 the size). It drove me nuts until I de-installed it and got the latest version View NX which has the transfer software embedded. Problem solved.</p>