Can't read NEF!?

[d70ser]

Hi,

Forgive my ignorance (I'm new to digital photography and just bought

a D70s), but what needs to be done to the NEF files so that

the "Kodak picture station" at my local pharmacy can read the files

and print them. Do they need to be converted to JPEGs? If so, how do

I do this (have photoshop)?

 

Thanks,

D70ser

[errol young]

If your PS can read them then just load one and use Fine/Save As. In the Type pull down chose JPG.

 

I can't read my NEF files from my D70s either. But up to now I do not use NEF. I can read my D70's NEF files.

[jenmartin]

I *just* had this same problem over the weekend. You can convert them to JPEG's using Photoshop, but you need the Camera Raw plugin. If you are using Photoshop CS, make sure you download version 2.2 instead of the most recent version. You can download them here

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=39&platform=Windows

[ShunCheung]

If you are just printing family and friends type images at your local pharmacy, you can just use NikonView to covert your NEF into JPEG. The current version should be 6.2.6 and is free at various Nikon web sites.

[ravi_swamy]

Since you are just starting out you should stop using NEF (the Nikon RAW format) and set your camera to JPEG. NEF/RAW is for experts who want to tweak their images a lot. It's quite useful but the files are huge compared to JPEGs and it requires that you understand more about image processing.

[terry_rory]

I would recommend using NEF from the outset otherwise you are not using the full cabability of your camera. You can view the NEF images using 'my pictures' on Windows simply by downloading the Windows RAW thumbnail and Viewer here.... http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d48e808e-b10d-4ce4-a141-5866fd4a3286&displaylang=en

 

... afterwards you can download Nikon Viewer 6.2.5 (and then upgrade to 6.2.6) from the Nikon Technical Support site. You are now equipped to view and convert RAW (NEF) files. You can view the NEF files in 'my pictures' and open with Nikon Editor (part of Nikon View) and convert to TIFF (8 bit or 16bit) or JPEG and adjust WB/resize/sharpen etc at the same time.

[Richard Williams]

If you have PS CS2, upgrade to <a

href="http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html">Adobe

Camera Raw</a> (ACR) 3.1 - you should then be able to deal with D70s

NEFs directly and save as jpeg or tiff. If you have PS CS, see <a

href="http://www.nikonians.org/dcforum/DCForumID86/6925.html#8">here</a>.

If you have a PC you might want to try <a

href="http://www.pixmantec.com/products/rawshooter_essentials.html">RawShooter</a>

instead. Make sure that your final output is sRGB, not Adobe RGB (set in

camera or convert to later). <br>

<br>

As mentioned above, Nikon View is a decent free option (better than

Picture Project) from Nikon tech support websites, but note that all

the Nikon software packages automatically install their own (very

basic) PS plugins which tend to take over from ACR - if you've

installed any Nikon software and don't want this behaviour, move

plugins with 'Nikon' in their name out of the PS directory tree. If you

have PS7 or earlier, then you can't use ACR but you can still use the

Nikon View plugin.. <br>

[lex_jenkins]

You're going to get several seemingly contradictory suggestions here because everyone has a certain preference in working style.

 

So here's mine...

 

I almost always shoot NEF and JPEG-Fine simultaneously. The NEFs are for archival purposes and in case a particular image needs extra attention.

 

The advantage to shooting JPEGs is that you can preset tone compensation (contrast), sharpening, color balance and other parameters in the camera. So if you want to make prints directly from those files you can do so pretty easily at DIY kiosks (Fuji/Aladdin and Kodak types, for example) and get good results.

 

If you shoot only NEF files you'll have more post processing to do before a hi-rez JPEG is suitable for printing via a Kodak or Fuji kiosk. Sometimes it's less hassle to use the in-camera settings if you're confident in your ability to do so and know that these JPEGs straight out of the camera can deliver good prints.

 

The NEFs aren't affected by the parameters set for the JPEGs so if you happen to need to work a little harder in post processing to get a good print, you still have the NEF file available.

 

Sometimes I'll shoot only JPEG-Fine if I know I'm going to need more shots per card and I'm confident in my in-camera settings. But that limits your post processing capabilities.

[bill_stice1]

I also have a question about NEF Files. I am using Photoshop CS and the file opens in Photoshop just fine. When I choose file save as to save it as a JPEG there is no JPEG option. There are six or seven other options but not JPEG. If I scan a file from a slide and do a file save as there are many more options as well as JPEG. I have downloaded and installed the latest RAW plugin for Photoshop CS and it doesn't change the options I have. Is there a setting that I need to change? Thanks!

[bill_stice1]

Please ignore my previous post. I read Richard's post above, moved the Nikon plugins out of the Photoshop folder path and it solved my problem. Should have read more carefully the first time. Sorry!

[alan_olander1664878205]

You can't shoot NEF+JPEG/Fine with a D70s, only NEF+JPEG/Basic. JPEG Basic wouldn't be very good to print from.

[James Kazan]

Richard Williams<BR> I am curious, you stated, "Make sure that your final output is sRGB, not Adobe RGB" Is that only if you're using the program Rawshooter? Or is it for a different reason<BR>Thanks<BR>Jim

[Richard Williams]

Hi Jim. No, it's because a typical consumer minilab or digital kiosk (I don't know about the Kodak Picture Station specifically) usually won't know how to handle Adobe RGB correctly. You're likely to end up with very dull colours in the prints if you don't give them the sRGB files they expect (most compact digicams use sRGB). I'm sure there are exceptions to this, though.

[ed_rooney1]

"because a typical consumer minilab or digital kiosk (I don't know about the Kodak Picture Station specifically) usually won't know how to handle Adobe RGB correctly. You're likely to end up with very dull colours in the prints if you don't give them the sRGB files they expect (most compact digicams use sRGB). I'm sure there are exceptions to this, though."

 

Richard and James: The assumption here is that we should choose the sRGB color space because we all want to get bunches of store-made prints. Personally, I want every frame I generate to have the possibility of being reproduced in a magazine. That's the standard. For that purpose, we should be using Adobe RGB 1998. This is what DISC recomends (http://www.disc-info.org). DISC is the industry standard for digital images. Most of my personal snaps are done on a pocket-size Canon, not my DSLR Nikons, and I print myself.