Best NEF converter?

[LordHaveMurci]

The NEF converter I had on my PC seems to have vanished!

What’s currently the best (free) option to convert NEF to RAW? Unless there are any decent (free!) Windows programs to edit NEF?

[driver67]

LordHaveMurci said:

The NEF converter I had on my PC seems to have vanished!

What’s currently the best (free) option to convert NEF to RAW? Unless there are any decent (free!) Windows programs to edit NEF?

NEF is Nikon's RAW Format.

You could download NX Studio here, which is Nikon's own editor. It will export to TIF etc and allows you to process your images.

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Imaging...

You could also download Adobe DNG convertor which will convert the Nikon NEF to Adobe DNG.

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/camera-raw/using/adobe-...

Cheers,
Dougie.

[LordHaveMurci]

driver67 said:

NEF is Nikon's RAW Format.

You could download NX Studio here, which is Nikon's own editor. It will export to TIF etc and allows you to process your images.

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Imaging...

You could also download Adobe DNG convertor which will convert the Nikon NEF to Adobe DNG.

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/camera-raw/using/adobe-...

Cheers,
Dougie.

Adobe DNG, pretty sure that’s what I had - cheers!
Will download that again

[codenamecueball]

LordHaveMurci said:

Adobe DNG, pretty sure that’s what I had - cheers!
Will download that again

But why? Does your editing program not support NEF?

[LordHaveMurci]

codenamecueball said:

But why? Does your editing program not support NEF?

No, I still have PS CS3!!

Turns out I’m an idiot & Adobe DNG is still on my PC :doh:

[driver67]

LordHaveMurci said:

No, I still have PS CS3!!

Turns out I’m an idiot & Adobe DNG is still on my PC :doh:

Should still download NX Studio and give it a go, it has great RAW processing facilities for it's own cameras if your not on the Adobe Subscription Model.

Mines runs out on the 28th of this month, luckily Mum has just sent me a £100 Amazon voucher for Xmas so just waiting on the annual Merry Xmas from Adobe.

Affinity Photo is always a brilliant option if you don't fancy subscriptions.

Cheers,
Dougie.

[C n C]

driver67 said:

LordHaveMurci said:

No, I still have PS CS3!!

Turns out I’m an idiot & Adobe DNG is still on my PC :doh:

Should still download NX Studio and give it a go, it has great RAW processing facilities for it's own cameras if your not on the Adobe Subscription Model.

Mines runs out on the 28th of this month, luckily Mum has just sent me a £100 Amazon voucher for Xmas so just waiting on the annual Merry Xmas from Adobe.

Affinity Photo is always a brilliant option if you don't fancy subscriptions.

Cheers,
Dougie.

Yes, but the OP is using the non-subscription Photoshop CS3, and the Adobe DNG converter is free - enabling him to convert NEX files to DNG, then use CS3 as normal to process the RAW DNG files.

I do the same with PS CS6 and DNG converter for newer Canon RAW files not directly supported by the old PS CS6. Simple batch process to convert a folder of native Canon RAW files to DNG, and Photoshop CS6 then has all the functionality not only to process the DNG RAW files, but to also carry out all editing requirements etc.. I really wouldn't want to change from Photoshop CS6, and this solution works really well. The last thing I'd want to do is start using Canon's RAW processing application before then loading into Photoshop.

[Simpo Two]

Isn't Nikon NX free, and capable of processing NEFs as much as you wish, and saving them as JPG?

I have it, but don't use it and being retired just shoot JPG these days. It's near enough and anything that isn't gets wrangled in PS.

[C n C]

Simpo Two said:

Isn't Nikon NX free, and capable of processing NEFs as much as you wish, and saving them as JPG?

I have it, but don't use it and being retired just shoot JPG these days. It's near enough and anything that isn't gets wrangled in PS.

Yes, I understand that it's free, and I'm guessing that if all you want to do is process the RAW file with shadows/highlights/exposure/white balance/basic cropping, and save to JPG then it is probably absolutely fine (as I'm sure the Canon equivalent is).

Personally, I often use other photoshop functionality (layers, dodge/burn, denoise plugins etc..) so prefer loading up the DNG/RAW file directly into PS rather than saving a JPG, then loading that into PS for further processing.

I also like the fact that when loading the DNG files into PS (through Camera Raw), any reversible adjustments (white balance, crop, exposure compensation etc..) to the DNG image are saved directly into the DNG file, so your DNG RAW file is a single file, whereas changes to the native CR2 file (for Canon) are actually saved as sidecar XMP files, leaving you with 2 files rather than just the one. It's a more elegant solution.

As you say though, it's whatever suits your own workflow, and if you're happy shooting JPG in camera, then obviously that's absolutely fine. Personally I really like the added flexibility of shooting RAW, which can be especially useful in trickly lighting situations.

Each to their own.


I think though, that as far as the OP was concerned, they are used to the DNG conversion workflow, working with PS CS3, and as he's said that he's found the DNG app on his computer, he'll continue to use that.