Nikon RAW (NEF) file viewer and lens testing with a D70 before buying

[todd_west]

I'm planning to get a D70 in a couple months, but am debating about

which lenses. I would therefore like to shoot some lens tests so I

can see how various lenses I'm considering compare to ones I already

own. Finding a store with the lenses I'm interested in, getting a CF

card to shoot on, and doing this with the store's demo body is no big

deal, as is bringing in my lenses.

 

The problem I am struggling with is I would like to compare RAW

results as those are the most accurate. However, without a D70 to

get a serial number off of I can't exactly download and install Nikon

View and I doubt a store would let me install the copy from their

demo camera on my laptop. Not that bringing in the laptop would be a

big deal.

 

Does anyone have suggestions for ways of getting NEFs off the camera,

onto a laptop, and software for viewing them? The trial version of

ACDSee seems like it will support this, but that doesn't do any good

if the NEFs are still stuck on the CF. So far the best idea I've

come up with is to shoot in JPEG fine with minimal compression and

hope I'll be able to download the data by way of a friend's 10D. But

I have no idea if Canon and Nikon's filesystems are compatible.

[chris_leck]

You could remove the CF card from the camera and insert it itno the CF slot on your laptop. The CF card should look just like a disc drive and you could copy the files to you hard drive without any specialized software.

 

Photoshop CS will open D70 raw files. I think that Nikon View's browser is faster and easier to use, but View is not actually required for anything.

 

Do you really need a camera serial number to install the demos of Capture and View? (It's been a while and I've forgotten.) If so, why not load the demos then use the serial number from the camera you are testing? It's not like you're pirating software or anything.

[everitt]

If you have Photoshop CS, the latest versions of the camera raw plugin support D70 NEFs (Look to see that you have camera raw version 2.2 or higher).<P>

<P>

You can also download a trial version of Nikon Capture 4 <a href="http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_prod_lvl1=42&p_prod_lvl2=45&p_cat_lvl1=22">here.</a><P>

<P>

This will allow you to read and convert your NEFs.

[todd_west]

<p>I currenlty have neither a CF drive or Photoshop. Not to sound picky, but spending $~550 for Photoshop CS to decide about buying a $1000 camera is not exactly attractive. (I'd much prefer to offload colorspace management onto the lab I work with than get into digital darkroom stuff anyway.) $35ish so for a USB CF reader, on the other hand, is no big deal. I'd not realized they'd gotten so cheap. (Duh!) Thanks.

 

<p><i>Do you really need a camera serial number to install the demos of Capture and View?</i></p>

 

<p>I don't know about installing, but you need a serial number to download any of them. Including the trial version of Nikon Capture Jason linked. Yay Nikon.

[olivier_koning]

As Jason points out, get the trial version and bite the bullet, buy the $100.00 software, it's worth it. The 18-70mm sold as a "package" is an excellent lens by the way, I've used it for magazine work with excellent results. After years of shooting film, I was a bit reluctant to try digital (I hated the "look" of it, especially printed in magazines), but I have to say I've been very impressed with the D70. Can't wait to try it with other lenses (probably an 85mm to start with).

[ci_p]

Here is the serial no from the first (now deceased :-() D70 I had -- 8004342. Maybe you can do something useful with that?

 

I was in the same situation as yourself, and phoned up nikon to ask what they suggested. They sent me a CD of nikon view to give it a go. They said the reason for the SN requirement was to reduce the support burden from non nikon customers. So instead of a software support call from a non-nikon customer, they dealt with a support call from a (prospective) non-nikon customer and sent them a free CD.

 

Also, get a USB CF reader. They are very cheap (10usd?) and very useful.

[kevin_w.]

Another possible solution is to get Photoshop Elements 3.0, which now supports RAW files. The D70 is not one of the listed cameras, but the RAW update for CS might also be usable on Elements. Check with Adobe first if you go this route.

 

That said, testing on JPEG High would be good enough for me.

 

Kevin

[neil_parker]

You can download a full working trial version of photoshop from adobe. No limitations

other than it expires after 30 days.

[plattro]

You can also try a trial version of <A HREF="http://www.bibblelabs.com">Bibble 4.0</A>; it's shareware with a fully functional 14 day trial period.

[everitt]

<I/>...than get into digital darkroom stuff anyway...</I><P>

<P>

If you don't want to do much or any post-processing, then you should probably not shoot RAW to begin with. That's the beauty of RAW, it allows you huge flexibility w.r.t post-processing... If you want something more or less straight out of the camera.. shoot JPEG..

[briany]

wrt getting the files off the camera, why not use the USB cable to transfer directly from the camera rather than worrrying about a reader? You'd said that bringing the laptop wouldn't be a problem, and I would imagine the store would have a USB cable lying around, if not the one from the D70 you use.

[todd_west]

Rob, Neil, Kevin, Ci, Oliver, thanks for the responses. I'll snag Bibble or the Photoshop trial.

 

<p><i>Maybe you can do something useful with that?</i></p>

 

<p>Yep. :-)

 

<p><i>why not use the USB cable to transfer directly from the camera rather than worrrying about a reader</i></p>

 

<p>Judging from what information I've been able to dig up, you need device drivers installed for the camera to do this. <b>If</b> the camera registers itself as a removable drive and uses the mass storage class drivers, this isn't necessary.

 

<p><i>If you want something more or less straight out of the camera.. shoot JPEG..</i></p>

 

<p>I'd rather hand my lab the RAW, giving them the greater processing flexibility and more information to work with. I don't make prints often from small format, but when I do I want every bit of quality possible since it all looks lousy next to a print from 4x5 sheet film. :-)

 

<p><i>That said, testing on JPEG High would be good enough for me.</i></p>

 

<p>Same here, so far as lens decisions go. Though NEF is naturally preferable, particularly when it comes to making an evaluative test print or two.

[charlie_johnson1]

Todd,

 

You said, "I would therefore like to shoot some lens tests so I can see how various lenses I'm considering compare to ones I already own."

 

Thats a big part of your question right there. You already own some lenses, I am assumming Nikon AF's. I went the D1 route because of lens compatibility issues. The D100 and D70 will not fully function with my 1990's Nikon AF lenses. The D100 and D70 like the newer DX lenses Nikon has developed. If you own any MF Nikons, forget the D100 or D70, they will not work properly with the bodies. Read the Tech Notes and Specs from B&H Photo as well as the information from Nikon's Website. My old Nikon AF's: 50 f/1.8, 35-70 f/3.5-5.6 and 70-300 f/4-5.6 D. They work fine on my newly aquired D1, but will not work properly on a D100 or D70 from what I read in the specs.

 

As far as using the CF card and software, get the PhotoShop Album and Elements or go for PhotoShop CS. The PhotoShop software is much more usable than the Nikon Capture and View from what I have read and researched. Card readers are cheap. SanDisk makes one for a Laptop PCMCIA slot for around $15.00 or you can get a USB 2.0 style that can read from 1 to 16 different types ranging from $20.00 and higher. Great thing about the software and card reader, you can use them with lots of things, not just one brand or model of camera.

 

Oh yeah, don't forget the FLASH. I just had to fight my way through Ebay to get a SB-80DX flash to work with the D1. My old SB-22 which is 100% compatible with my Nikon 4004s, don't like the D1 as well. Yet another thing you have to deal with.

 

You can test all you want, but if each peice of the system doesn't work well together because of compatibility issues, alot of money will be waisted in a hurry.

 

My $0.02

 

Charlie, KD5AWS

[briany]

Charlie's answer about his older Nikon AF lenses is 100% INCORRECT. As you probably know, the D100 and D70 have full compatibility with Nikon AF lenses - I've used it with 50 1.8, 70-300, 80-400, and 18-35. They'll also work with MF lenses, but since they can't meter with them, it's not the most practical solution.

 

With regard to your question about device drivers, winXP will mount the D70 automatically as a USB removable storage device. This is extrememly useful for travel, as I can just plug in to any XP computer and view/DL/burn my images.