littlewiseowl

I recently shot in raw and when I go to download my files they download as NEF's. My computer wont open them normally. I downloaded a converter but it darkens them. Please help!!!

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Welcome to UHH

I shoot Canon, but their should be software that came with your camera that will open the files as expected.

littlewiseowl

I have a View NS 2 disk do I need to open this for help?

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Install it and your troubles will be over.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

If you are using windows download and install the codec files from Nikon web site...

http://www.nikonimglib.com/nefcodec/

Microsoft has also up to date codecs but why clutter your disks with some you will never use?

klaus Loc: Guatemala City, Guatemala

To properly process NEF files you will need an editing program that not only supports the NEF file format but also your particular camera.

Nikon often updates and incorporates updates and changes to their NEF file format when they release a new camera. So, depending on the age of your editing software (and the date of the latest update) you might not be able to open NEF files with it correctly (or at all).

This being said your NEF files will open properly with the the ViewNX2 software that was bundled with your Nikon camera. It has basic editing functionality and supports NEF to JPEG or TIFF file conversion.

ViewNX2 is also available as a free download (latest version) from Nikon support:

http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18710

pixbyjnjphotos Loc: Apache Junction,AZ

Raw Therapee is an open source free software for processing RAW files. Free download - excellent program.

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

Download ViewNX2 from Nikon. It is free and will open the RAW (NEF) files. Is available for both PC and Apple

Bobbee

After the fact but, go into your camera settings and turn on RAW and JPG capture. It will record both. My Nikons, at factory setting, only capture JPG. Someone went in and adjusted things. Maybe a factory reset is required so you can get back to square One. On top of the camera s/b two controls with red dots above/next to them. Hiting these two together will reset the camera back to factory. If you have set things yourself you will loose these. So word to the wise.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

The free program Irfanview seems to be able to open NEF files.

Irfanview.com

dandekarv Loc: Lake Forest, Ca, US

Pa opens raw images

pehr50 Loc: S.I. NYC.

This Microsoft Camera Codec Pack download will allow you to view NEF files with windows photo viewer

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26829

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Please remember that a RAW file is not a photo file. It contains all the data to create a photo file. When viewing a RAW file on your computer you are really looking at a computer generated jpg version of the data using the processing that your camera would have chosen. The process, in a nutshell, for shooting RAW is as follows:
1 download RAW file to computer
2 open a RAW processor program such as Adobe Camera RAW
3 computer generates a temporary jpg with base information for viewing purposes
4 assign any changes you wish to make with the RAW tools
5 the computer keeps track of these changes inside an XMP file commonly called a sidecar file (recipe card if you will)
6 when your happy you export the results to a finished jpg file in the location of your choice
6a or send current results to a PP such as Photoshop to continue editing
7 your raw file is always left untouched in its pristine state the only difference is the additional sidecar file with all your changes stored inside and has the same filename as the original RAW file but has the xmp extension instead of the CR2 or NEF extension

To recap, your RAW file is only a bunch of ingredients that after processing will become an actual photo file either jpg or tif. The computer must process a temporary default jpg to be able to view on screen that you can accept or change as you see fit. Then you create the actual photo file.

Unless you like looking at 1's and 0's you can not view a true RAW file.

dandekarv Loc: Lake Forest, Ca, US

I mean to say Picasa