How to edit raw from Nikon D800 with older photoshop or lightroom??

[hellobob]

<p>I'm using photoshop cs3 which, as I understand it, is not compatible with the Nikon D800. I am shooting in raw and want to edit my images as far as contrast, temperature, brightness, white balance, etc. as I do with my D300. With D300, I convert the nef to a dng with the Adobe camera raw 4.4 dng converter after I have downloaded the images. They don't show until I shut down Bridge and start again which then shows the dng files as images.<br /> So, how can I do something similar with raw images from a D800?<br /> I did just buy Adobe Lightroom 4.0. Will this program allow me to convert the nef files to dng and then edit contrast, temp, white balance, etc. as I do with bridge to photoshop? Can I just edit the D800 raw in lightroom as I have done in the past with Bridge and photoshop cs3?</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>You can also use the completely free View NX2 from Nikon, which knows how to read the D800's NEF files, and will let you non-destructively edit exposure, white balance, contrast, etc ... and export the results as JPGs, TIFs, or just leave them as updated NEFs. Did I mention it was free?</p>

[mark_sirota1]

<p>You can do the same thing that you're doing today with your D300 files, using the latest DNG converter (<a href="https://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=5486">Windows</a> | <a href="https://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=5485">Mac</a>), which is free. Convert your D800 raw files to DNG, then open them in an older version of Camera Raw or Lightroom.</p>

<p>You can also just use LR4. You should take the free update to 4.2 as well. A release candidate for 4.3 is now available, or wait for the production release of 4.3.</p>

[hellobob]

<p>Well, thank you for the info, Matt. Looks like there is a disc NX2 in the D800 box so I guess I will install that.<br>

What would be the benefit of using Lightroom now, if any? Organization or are there more editing choices with Lightroom?</p>

[mark_sirota1]

<p>Lightroom's develop options are the same as modern Camera Raw. You haven't seen the latest Camera Raw, which is considerably more capable than the old version you've been using. Lightroom also provides workflow, organizational tools, and output tools.</p>

[hellobob]

<p>Mark, that sounds great! I have a job tomorrow for which I was planning to use the D300 and edit as I know how to do. If I download the new DNG converter you are recommending, will that change the old converter I am using for the D300 or will I have a choice of using either one depending on which camera the raw files were produced in?</p>

[mark_sirota1]

<p>Unfortunately, I don't know. Specifically, I don't know whether it's possible to have two versions of the DNG converter installed on the same system, and it may matter whether it's Mac or Windows.</p>

<p>That said, if you install the new one, it'll work on old files too. The controls will have changed from your ancient version, but you can get some of the old behavior back by selecting an older Process Version.</p>

[hellobob]

<p>Ok, that means I'll shoot/edit tomorrow's job in my known method and deal with the D800 and the updated DNG after I finish the job.<br>

Thanks again for the info which will make life easier.</p>

[hellobob]

<p>Matt, "You can also use the completely free View NX2 from Nikon, which knows how to read the D800's NEF files, and will let you non-destructively edit exposure, white balance, contrast, etc ... and export the results as JPGs, TIFs, or just leave them as updated NEFs. Did I mention it was free?"<br>

Do you know if I install the NX2 will I still be able to edit my D300 pics in my old method with DNG converter? Would like to have the D800 as a backup tomorrow but would not like to have to edit D300 images in a new manner until I learn how to do so.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>RJ: If you DO install View NX2 from the CD in the box, proceed directly to Nikon's web site to download the latest update to it (or, just download the entire latest version from there and get it over with). The CD in the box is almost certainly a stale version.</p>

[richsimmons]

<p>If you install and update View NX2 you don't need to convert to DNG. Also, if you use Lightroom 4 you won't need to convert to DNG either and might be able to export, non-destructively, to Photoshop directly from Lightroom. You can also export from NX2 to PS directly too.<br>

You can also use the tethering option with Lightroom 4.2 with the D800.</p>

[mark_sirota1]

<blockquote>

<p>If you DO install View NX2 from the CD in the box, proceed directly to Nikon's web site to download the latest update to it (or, just download the entire latest version from there and get it over with). The CD in the box is almost certainly a stale version.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The same goes for LR -- if you haven't installed that LR4.0, don't. Just download the latest from Adobe, then use the serial number from your box to register it.</p>

[twmeyer]

<p>If you have LR4, just use that. I'm pretty sure 4.2 can handle the D800... if not I would think the 4.3 beta certainly would.</p>

<p>I can't imagine why you would choose to process a large number of (big) files through a DNG converter and CS3, when you've got LR4 on the same computer. You'll be done in a fraction of the time... t</p>

[hellobob]

<p>Tom, Thanks for the advice. I only wrote of using cs3 because I have not used LR4. Now I must learn how to use LR4.<br>

ANY GOOD TURORIALS? My work process has been: shoot raw>convert to dng>edit expo-contrast-brightness>open in pscs3 for crop, straighten, levels, saturation, whatever needed and save as jpeg.</p>

[digitaldog]

<p>The latest version of LR should handle the D800 and you'll end up with PV2012 which is worth the price of the upgrade <strong>alone</strong>. Or just convert to DNG and use the older version of Photoshop (with the ugh, older processing algorithms). </p>

<p>You can still use CS3 and LR4 the only 'restriction' is the <em>Edit in Photoshop</em> command. That accesses the older version of ACR in CS3 to render, and you'd want to use the newer processing within LR4. Just Export from LR, <strong>then</strong> open in CS3, no issues. As long as you stay away for the older ACR (the same would be true here if you used a Smart Object with raw data in CS3), you're fine. </p>