# I cannot View RAW NEF files on my Adobe or Print them on pict bridge



## Paintmaster1982 (Oct 23, 2007)

Hello All

I have been having major problems. I have Nikon D40 which i bought to learn me the basics about DSLR photography and after reading a few magazines on photography they said the best thing to do is to shoot in RAW so its easier to photoshop at a later date. So i did this and when it came to open them in Adobe Photoshop it come up with an Error saying it cannot support RAW NEF files. They open fine in ViewNX which is a programme that came with the camera. 

Another thing. My camera and printer have PictBridge on them and again it wont let me print RAW NEF photos either.

Can someone please tell me what the situation is as they are fantastic photos and i dont want to lose them.

Cheers in advance 

Rob


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## PaulGTI (Oct 21, 2006)

Im not sure, but i think there is some sort of adobe / photoshop RAW pluggin you need to download.


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## chrisfoster1971 (Feb 16, 2008)

Yep your right there is a plugin you have to get to view raw in PS.


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## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

I recently downloaded the plug in for Raw for my Canon 450D, very straightforward - http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3896


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Photoshop doesnt open RAW files, and you'll need the Adobe Camera Raw software that is part of it, and make sure its properly updated or it wont be able to handle the NEF files. Is it a legit copy of PS? Many people have hacked copies that wont update so are stuffed when it comes to keeping them up to date to handle the latest manufacturer RAW files...

Its important to realise that RAW is not a file standard - eg EVERY manufacturer, and usually most models, produce a unique type of file, so the software you use has to be able to understand the source code for that particular image. Pictbridge is a joke of a way to enable fast printing of jpegs direct from cameras to printers - it wont handle RAW files as they are not images, just bunches of data that need to be converted into a simpler image file like a TIFF or JPEG before they can be used.

One issue is that as cameras age, and image file types move on, people will be stuck with RAW files from years and years before and no software will support those file types any more  Imagine in 10 years you wanted to reprocess original images from your D40 only to find it was so old that nothing supported that file type any more....


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## Paintmaster1982 (Oct 23, 2007)

Thanks those comments are very helpfull. Does it matter what type of photoshop i have as i dont have the latest version. Bigpikle you have explained it well thanks for that.
Ill keep you all posted on this

Rob


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## singlespeed (Sep 12, 2007)

Anything earlier than Photoshop CS3 won't open the NEF files from a D40 or D60 ( i know as I have a D60 and PS CS2).

Using the nikon codec, allows nikon NEF files to be viewed / opened using windoze photo gallery. However it doesn't help with direct opening into CS2 ( or earlier).
Download the codec from Nikon imaging

As Bigpikle mentioned, all RAW type files are different, so getting the Nikon NEF file converted to a standard TIFF or JPG means that older versions of photoshop can edit the files. I have just bought Lightroom 2.2 for sorting and basic editing of levels etc. This gives the option to save the file as a JPEG, which I can open in CS2 for more work with layers and masks.

Before LR2.2, i used Rawhide converter ( which is free ). This openes the NEF files and then you can adjust exposure and white balance etc to give a better picture. This saves as a large 16bit TIFF file, which can then be opened in photoshop. However, after editing in PS you need to alter the image to 8 bit before it can be saved as a JPG. Easily done by going Edit/Mode/8 bits, then file save as JPG
Raw hide converter


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## Paintmaster1982 (Oct 23, 2007)

so does that mean you lose the resolution in the photo? If so then why not just shoot in JPEG?


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## swiftshine (Apr 17, 2008)

If you have a suitable raw converter you can save the files as 16bit TIFF files, which are HUGE, and you don't lose much (if any) data.
However, for most purposes you don't need files that big. Only really if you are printing them really big.
As you were asking about Elements on the other thread, Elements 6 and 7 have Adobe camera raw included and should support the raw files from your Nikon. I know from a mate who uses Nikon that the provided raw software is pretty gash, but elements should do a decent job for you (I have a canon and the provided software is pretty good and I find it easier to use than Lightroom)

The reason to shoot raw in the first place is that it captures ALL of the available information instead of the camera discarding a lot of it when it processes it into a JPEG. This means you have more leeway when post processing to recapture highlights/lowlights etc. It also means you can save as a big TIFF file should you need to, though for most uses it's not really necessary. If you get it right with the camera in the first place then a JPEG is not so bad, but it is easier to cover up mistakes with a raw file and/or process a file with very large contrasts. You can also use a raw file for HDR type processing if you only took one exposure of a given image.

I wouldn't worry about losing data when converting your raw files to jpegs if you have the exposure, white balance etc correct, but just in case you want to go back and do more later I always convert my raws into JPEGS but keep the original raw file just in case.


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## Paintmaster1982 (Oct 23, 2007)

ah i see it makes sense..cheers for the info there. So do you rate photoshop elements 7?

Rob


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## Bunky (Feb 1, 2008)

Paintmaster1982 said:


> ah i see it makes sense..cheers for the info there. So do you rate photoshop elements 7?
> 
> Rob


I am still at PSE 4.0. The RAW plug in worked nicely for NEF.


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