Rongnongno Loc: FL

Yes, I know this has been discussed before but...

The trouble with NEF and a few other manufacturer's file format(s) is that some manufacturers like Nikon embed RAW information onto the RAW format. This information is read by their proprietary software (capture NX by example) and no one else.

This creates a 'double' standard. It does not do anything good or bad to the file or reduces the quality, it is annoying. The real difference is that when using something else than the proprietary software one has to process the picture all over again and in the process create a small RAW companion.

This is both tricky and a convenient way depending of how you deal with your pictures:
- To move your pictures and their 'corrected settings' you need to move the sibling file.
- To reset the pictures to their default, just delete the sibling file.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

I simply downloaded the codec from Nikon, and from then on I was able to open NEF files in the editor of my choice, where I make adjustments and edits, and save them to either TIF or JPG format. I don't know anything about sibling files! Have yet to see any show up. I can't imagine what I'd use them for, or how they could benefit my workflow.

If the proprietary software is causing you too much trouble, then don't use it. Instead, download the necessary RAW format codec and use non-proprietary software.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

I am not sure you understand the purpose of this entry...

It is to show that the RAW from Nikon is usable from ANY program BUT if you use the proprietary programs that usually come with the camera they will NOT allow for the transfer of the changes you make, hence the problem.

One typical example is that folks use the U-Point technology (NIK software*) to improve their pictures but then do not see their changes when using another software like PS to manipulate the image further for a photo montage (as an example).

The 'sibling' file of a RAW image capture is a *.XMP file, for info.

Also, anyone can convert from anything to anything, that is not the question nor an issue.

As to the CODECS, I hope we all know what those are and I also hope we all know that they need to be updated often or at the very least enough so that your camera pictures are usable... At the shell level that is.

In short your dismissive post offers nothing.

When I ask for comment(s) I ask for complementary information that can help understanding.

* Touted by Nikon as being the best in their literature. It indeed is a good software, as an add-on for Adobe but the pits is the time passed and lost lovingly preparing a picture to discover that all the changes are discarded BECAUSE the format is proprietary when using another 'normal' software like GIMP, PS CSx or whatever.

UtahBob Loc: Southern NJ

Bit scared to comment based on the last response :shock: but my issue with ViewNX2 is that if I make any changes, such as an exposure tweak, the program embeds a full size jpg which inflates the raw file size. I'd rather deal with the xmp than the larger file size - storage is cheap but managing it is not. So, for me, the Nikon software does do something bad to the file (maybe a full size jpg is better, but it's a raw, so you'll end up with a jpg or tiff anyway).

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Interesting, I was not aware of this until you mentioned it.

UtahBob Loc: Southern NJ

I think what happens is that if there is a change that affects the look of the file then the embedded jpg is changed but it ends up being a full size. So for the one I just tried 16mp, its 18.3 mb before and 24.1 mb after. I thought it changed after a gps addition but I didn't see that this time although this is the first time I used the pointer verses pulling in a track file. This is View2nx. Don't know if capture does the same thing - you'd have to test it.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

I'm rather dumb this morning - really don't understand what you are either stating or asking.

Using the Nikon software on the NEF any adjustments you make are NOT made TO the NEF file - the adjustments are stored in a companion file that lists only the adjustments. The NEF remains "pure". When you reload the NEF, it also loads and applies the adjustments you have made, which can be changed. If you adjust and "save as", say a JPEG, you now have two files - one NEF and one JPEG (or a TIFF - or both).

If you use another editor, say Gimp and load the NEF that is what you will load - the NEF, the adjustment file is proprietary to Nikon. The JPEG is the JPEG and can be loaded to anything that will read a JPEG.

UtahBob Loc: Southern NJ

I don't know if you are addressing the original poster or myself but I'll respond to my portion of this: If you only shoot raw and not raw+jpg so all you have on the card is a single nef file, that file will have in it an embedded jpg preview that can be used by programs to provide a preview of the raw file without actually opening it and processing it to an image. Kind of like the thumbnail in a jpg file. So what I was saying was that if you make an image adjustment (e.g. contrast) to the nef file while in View2nx, when View2nx goes to save that adjustment it changes that embedded jpg in the nef file to a full size jpg thereby inflating the raw file size. Without saving that adjustment, View2nx doesn't let me do anything else with the file such as converting (exporting) to tiff, etc. So when I want to use View2nx for anything, I always use a duplicate copy of the nef file so that I can trash it afterwards and keep my original nef because it is smaller. This is if I don't want to keep my adjustments.

I don't see any sidecar files when View2nx does the save. If I use the raw in Photoshop and make an adjustment to the xmp, I see the xmp file get created as it should but from what I can see View2nx writes its parametric adjustment directly to the nef file. If I take and adjust an nef using View2nx on a windows machine and save the adjustments and then copy just the nef file to a Mac, View2nx on the Mac shows those adjustments. However, if I open that nef in Photomatix on the Mac, Photomatix does not see those adjustment made by View2nx. Bridge on the windows machine is the same way, it doesn't see the adjustments either in the preview of the nef or when you try to open it in PS. It is unclear to me whether there are non-nikon programs that can read the nef and pull the View2nx adjustments.

From what I see, the nef (raw) is not kept pure by View2nx. If the file size changes, that's not pure. I first read about this raw file treatment by Nikon in Peter Krogh's book "The DAM Book" - digital asset management.

Anyway, that's my take on this portion of the topic. With regard to the original post, it might be a bit unclear as to what the commentary requested was - if you read the entire thread, the second post by the op is where it starts to come together as to what's being asked or stated.

Bob

jkm757 Loc: San Diego, Ca.

I edit my NEF files with Capture NX2 and import into PSE9. I've never had a problem with any edits not importing with the file.

authorizeduser Loc: Monroe, Michigan

You could download the Microsoft Camera Codec Pack from the Microsoft website. Covers many camera formats in install.