Adobe Camera RAW and NEFs

[mcg]

While opening a NEF in Photoshop, I received a message stating that Adobe Camera

RAW has been overridden by a Nikon NEF plugin, and that this would process the

NEF, and to just to remove the plugin if I wanted Adobe Camera RAW to do it instead.

 

I was just wondering - which do you think does the better job? Or does it really

make no difference at all? Perhaps it comes down to interface, as the Adobe one

looks like it gives you a bit more control over importing the NEF files.

 

Do I get the same end result, whether the NEF is processed by ACR or Nikon (i.e.

it basically comes down to interface preference), or is there a actually a

subtle difference in the processed image?

 

Comments most welcome!

[Richard Williams]

There can be significant differences in the processed image, at least with the default settings. I really like the results from the Nikon plugin (which benefits from Nikon's own device profiles and can read the in-camera settings ignored by ACR), but it offers minimal control over raw processing. If you disable the Nikon plugin in favour of ACR, you can still access Nikon's raw converter via Nikon View (free), Picture Project (free), or Capture (not free). Nikon View gives you the same controls as the NEF plugin. Picture Project has no true raw adjustments in the main application, but has a good batch converter. Capture has full adjustments comparable to ACR. All three applications can save to 16-bit tiffs you can then open in PS, but for some reason the Photoshop plugin installed by Picture Project is limited to 8-bit conversion (the others install 16-bit plugins).

[dave_gottardi]

Richard:

 

In your response to Moray you say "If you disable the Nikon plugin in favour of ACR..." My question for you is "how do you disable it?".

 

I had Photoshop CS2 loaded on my PC, and was happily opening NEF files using ACR. Then I decided to install Picture Project and its own plug in now overrides ACR. I uninstalled Picture Project from my PC, but the Nikon plugin is still overriding ACR!

 

How do I restore ACR? And secondly but not as important, how do I then use Nikon's raw converter without screwing up Photoshop again?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Dave