RAW-DNG converter needed

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Discussion

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

86,721 posts

271 months

Friday 2nd March 2018
quotequote all
I have a slight software issue...

For reasons I won't bore you with I use Win XP Pro, and about 10 days ago shiny new Nikon D500 arrived.

Adobe DNG Converter has several versions but none that will span the gap. For example v8 will work with XP but not recognise D500 NEFs, and v10 will recognise the NEFs but not run on XP...

Surely there has to be something that will read the NEFs and also run on XP? All ideas welcome smile

C&C

3,498 posts

227 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
Looks like you may be stuck with this one.

Even the Nikon software packages - NEF codec, Capture NX-D, View NX-i (that all support the D500) are only compatible with Windows 7 and later.

Basically Windows XP is no longer supported and developers are not updating software to run on it. Also as Microsoft are not releasing security updates for it (and haven't since April 2014) this means your system hasn't been patched for 4 years. This in itself is possibly not an issue if it's a standalone PC, but I'd be more than a little concerned if it's a device that has access to the internet.

You might have to look at updating to a more up to date O/S on this machine.

Your other alternative for addressing your current issue would be to try to get access to another machine running a more up to date version of Windows (or a Mac), run the conversion on that, then transfer the DNG files to your XP box.

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

86,721 posts

271 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
Thanks for the thoughts, which rather reflect my own. A cheap s/h laptop with Win 10 and adequate cogs inside is the most likely thing, though I'm so out of touch I wouldn't know what processor, RAM etc it would need to heft NEFs about.

One thing I have that does see D500 NEFs is 'Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer 1.0', dating from 2005. It's only a viewer not a converter but I wonder if that's a way in somewhow?

eltawater

3,155 posts

185 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
Anything with an i5 processor or above should be fine, it's what i have.

Make sure that you get a 64bit version of Windows installed and at least 4, preferably 8GB RAM. As i discovered recently with my own upgrade, most camera software producers have gone 64bit only. My ancient version of Lightroom 4 won't recognise NEF files produced by my d610, and the most recent versions which do all require 64bit Windows. As a stop gap measure I'm having to run a metadata editor over the files to change the camera model from d610 to d600 which Lightroom does import!

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

86,721 posts

271 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
Thanks, a good start.

One last try before the wallet comes out... someone mentioned UFRAW to me... does anyone use this? Unfortunately their site is down at present so can't try it...

FurtiveFreddy

8,577 posts

243 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
I just can't see an XP-based PC being anything other than frustrating if you try and edit/process raw images with it.

I've got two XP-based laptops left here and they're only used for the simplest of tasks.

Do the right thing and get rid!

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

86,721 posts

271 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
FurtiveFreddy said:
I just can't see an XP-based PC being anything other than frustrating if you try and edit/process raw images with it.
I've processed many thousands of RAW files on an XP-based PC for more than a decade quite happily and made my living from it smile

FurtiveFreddy

8,577 posts

243 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
I've processed many thousands of RAW files on an XP-based PC for more than a decade quite happily and made my living from it smile
Maybe I did too, but my memory isn't that good anymore biggrin

I just had to process 3,682 DNG files and render them into a video. Gawd only knows how long that would have taken with one of my old XP-based machines. It took long enough with a quad-core i7 and 12 GB of RAM, which is why I've just ordered my new PC. tongue out

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

86,721 posts

271 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
Well I agree my machine can't handle video of any size - it struggles with HD clips from my DSLR - but it was never designed to. If I wanted to edit video then I'd have to upgrade for sure. But stills, no problem.

Hey, you know those sites where you upload JPGs and they come back as PDFs? I need something like that... hey you can make DNGs... nuts

eltawater

3,155 posts

185 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
Have you tried HDRMerge?
That loads NEF files and exports as DNG. You'll just need to do them one at a time which could prove quite laborious...

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

86,721 posts

271 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
eltawater said:
Have you tried HDRMerge?
That loads NEF files and exports as DNG. You'll just need to do them one at a time which could prove quite laborious...
Can't find a way to download it without joining some geek forum... can you?

eltawater

3,155 posts

185 months

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

86,721 posts

271 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
Thanks, I got that far but wasn't sure which link I needed - do you?

eltawater

3,155 posts

185 months

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

86,721 posts

271 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
My word, that software is like pulling teeth... I eventually got a dark green DNG but it won't open in CS2 or C1 Pro, so a fail I'm afraid.

Unless UFRAW get back online it's laptop time.

Turn7

24,066 posts

227 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
quotequote all
FurtiveFreddy said:
Maybe I did too, but my memory isn't that good anymore biggrin

I just had to process 3,682 DNG files and render them into a video. Gawd only knows how long that would have taken with one of my old XP-based machines. It took long enough with a quad-core i7 and 12 GB of RAM, which is why I've just ordered my new PC. tongue out
Can I have your old one ? wink