Fastest NEF to TIFF batch converter

I'm batch converting a few hundred Z7 NEF's to Tiff using PS CC 2019. So far it's does about 100 per hour on my iMac. I don't have my external SSD connected so there is some speed loss there. Perhaps I just need to suck it up but I'm wondering if there something besides PS might be significantly faster since I will be doing this regularly. I haven't used Nikon's software for a long time. Does anyone have experience with batch NEF conversion with Nikon software?

I'm batch converting a few hundred Z7 NEF's to Tiff using PS CC 2019. So far it's does about 100 per hour on my iMac. I don't have my external SSD connected so there is some speed loss there. Perhaps I just need to suck it up but I'm wondering if there something besides PS might be significantly faster since I will be doing this regularly. I haven't used Nikon's software for a long time. Does anyone have experience with batch NEF conversion with Nikon software?

Found Pearl Mountain Image Converter, that you can try out. Please let us know if it's any good.

Found Pearl Mountain Image Converter, that you can try out. Please let us know if it's any good.

 

Sounds like an interesting option, unfortunately Windows only.

Lightroom is pretty good at converting RAW to TIFF or JPEG. Select as many as you wish, and have a cup or coffee or a nap while it runs. Photoshop makes a lot of use of cache when you load a bunch of images, which slows things down a lot. With Lightroom, the slowest operation is saving the TIFF, plus you have complete control over any adjustments or enhancements.

 

I've been scanning a lot of negatives with a Sony A7Riv, which produces 123 MB RAW files. I then convert them to TIFF or JPEG (to lock in the ajustments). 100 conversions takes less than 5 minutes.

Edited April 12, 2021 by Ed_Ingold

unfortunately Windows only

Too bad. How about this one. Good luck. Question: Why bother to convert?

Too bad. How about this one. Good luck. Question: Why bother to convert?

I am converting the files in order to stack them and I find the quality of the final stack much better when i pre-convert rather than feeding raw files to the stacking software whose raw conversion is somewhat of a black box.

Edited April 12, 2021 by Edwin Barkdoll

I think I found part of my problem - I was specifying LZW compression, which increased the file size over uncompressed TIFFs by nearly 50%. Without compression both PS and Nikon Capture NX-D convert 100 NEF's to TIFFs in about 10 minutes; which is much more manageable.

I am converting the files in order to stack them and I find the quality of the final stack much better when i pre-convert rather than feeding raw files to the stacking software whose raw conversion is somewhat of a black box.

Do you mean merging files or something else? I don't merge often but I just used NEF in Photoshop in the past when I did and the results seemed fine. Maybe I am not so picky on technical details. ;)

Do you mean merging files or something else? I don't merge often but I just used NEF in Photoshop in the past when I did and the results seemed fine. Maybe I am not so picky on technical details. ;)

Yes and no? I've not used PS for focus stacking but I know people do. My impression is that dedicated focus stacking software gives one better control of the process. This is a "quickie" (= no tweaking to get rid of halos, etc) stack of about 300 images.

 

There is a program called Graphic Converter (Graphic Converter for Mac and Windows - Download Free Trial version) that I have used for years for graphics formats conversion.

 

I have no idea how fast it is, or if it meets your specific need, but you can try it for free (still, I think)