Program other than Lightroom to quickly review NEF’s (Page 3): IrfanView: Freeware, but Windows only FastStone: Freeware, but Windows only FastRawViewer: Haven't used that in a long...

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

IrfanView: Freeware, but Windows only
FastStone: Freeware, but Windows only
FastRawViewer: Haven't used that in a long time because I use LR, but last time I tried it it worked well

Since I use LR to view/edit/catalog my raw files I haven't really used anything else, but for Windows I used to have a codec that allowed File Explorer to view thumbnails of raw files and made it easy to view them. Win10 may have the codec built in now.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Rick from NY wrote:

Want to browse through Nikon raw files without Lightroom. Suggestions?

Faststone image viewer for Windows.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

DWU2 wrote:

While your definition of editing may be true for video, I think most people would use the term to mean post-processing of still photos. Try Googling "Lightroom editing" - you'll get over 50 million results.

It’s not my definition. That is how the term is used in video.

I also said “FYI which means “for your information”. But I see I’m wasting my time trying to give you information so I promise I won’t do it again.

photoman43

Rick from NY wrote:

Want to browse through Nikon raw files without Lightroom. Suggestions?

I use Nikon free software to do this as it is fast and it reads the imbedded jpeg in the nikon RAW file. The current version is Nikon NX Studio which is a browser and a RAW processor too.

Depending on your Nikon body, the older browser, Nikon View NX-i might be all that you need.

You cannot download both NX Studio and View NX-i onto the same computer. I believe NX Studio is needed if you have files from the Z 9.

Go here to download what you need: At the download page for each software there is additional info you should read to make sure download the right versions.

https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/index.html

kcooke Loc: Alabama

Faststone. It is now my favorite software for culling raw files before import into Lightroom. Works great and is screaming fast. I don’t use the feature but Faststone does allow editing of raw files and it’s free.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

kcooke wrote:

Faststone. It is now my favorite software for culling raw files before import into Lightroom. Works great and is screaming fast. I don’t use the feature but Faststone does allow editing of raw files and it’s free.

This is something that is frequently stated. Faststone is primarily an image viewer. While some editing ability is included in faststone, I do not believe it edits raw data.

Raw files include a jpg preview. Faststone picks that out and shows it to you. You can edit it. But you're not editing the raw data, you're editing the jpg preview.

Having said that, Faststone is certainly good for triage before import to your editing program of choice. Personally, I find LR to be the right tool for triage. I can load everything into it, go through the images and sort them into Junk/Meh/Possibilities. The Possibilities get a red color label. The Junk gets deleted. The Meh stays there because I can't bring myself to delete it since I might encounter a use for it (unlikely but nonzero possibility).

BebuLamar

If you don't want to use lightroom or PS then the best is Nikon NX Studio. Of course it only works with NEF files which you have.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

DirtFarmer wrote:

This is something that is frequently stated. Faststone is primarily an image viewer. While some editing ability is included in faststone, I do not believe it edits raw data.

Raw files include a jpg preview. Faststone picks that out and shows it to you. You can edit it. But you're not editing the raw data, you're editing the jpg preview.

Yes.

Q: Does it create a sidecar fine? Or does it write the changes to the raw container?

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

JD750 wrote:

...Q: Does it create a sidecar fine? Or does it write the changes to the raw container?

I don't use Faststone much but I don't believe it creates a sidecar file. And if it did, what good would that do? Sidecar files contain the recipe for editing an image with a given software product. There is no guarantee that that recipe would work with a different software product.

There are several software products that will write changes to the raw container (e.g. any software that edits dng files), but I am not aware of any that write changes to the raw data.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Strodav wrote:

I use win 10 and File Explorer, which reads .nef f... (show quote)

x2

Daniel E Loc: north Idaho

FastStone is excellent, faster than Bridge. It can insert watermark if desired.

acreutz

I use (on the MAC) FastRawViewer. It provides a variety of tools for examining the photos (histograms, etc.) and let's me move images to other folders. In my workflow I usually never discard a "reasonable" photo, but want to quickly move them out of the folder that will be imported to Lightroom. Thus my Lightroom catalog and image file disk is only about 5% as big as if I kept everything. It's fast, easy to use, allows seeing panels of images; enlarging images; etc. I inspect, reject, and then use LR. (It's great for seeing blown images issues, focusing issues, etc.)

RightOnPhotography Loc: Quebec,QC

Rick from NY wrote:

Want to browse through Nikon raw files without Lightroom. Suggestions?

FastStone Image Viewer. It will also allow you to do simplified post-processing and save the image as jpg. Excellent program and it's free.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

DirtFarmer wrote:

I don't use Faststone much but I don't believe it creates a sidecar file. And if it did, what good would that do? Sidecar files contain the recipe for editing an image with a given software product. There is no guarantee that that recipe would work with a different software product.

There are several software products that will write changes to the raw container (e.g. any software that edits dng files), but I am not aware of any that write changes to the raw data.

The sidecar would be specific to faststone.

I asked because if it’s not keeping a sidecar, or a library file, then it’s writing in the raw container which is not a good practice.

I tried it out a while ago, and I think it does create sidecar files. Maybe someone who uses it can confirm that.

DNG is adobes format. Writing to a DNG container is not the same as writing to a manufacturer’s raw container.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Rick from NY wrote:

Appreciate the suggestions to use Nikon software, but their programs pretty much suck.

You think the current version of Nikon NX Studio sucks?