NEF to ????

PNA

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I did a search, but nothing came up.

I shoot in Nikon RAW (NEF) , but unsure what format to save in after opening in Bridge. There's a host of formats to use and I'd like to understand the differences.

If I chose "open" from Camera Raw it remains an NEF file in PS, but after making adjustments, which one is the best to save?
I understand that once a save is made the NEF format is lost if not initially saved from the flash card. I'm after keeping the most information associated with the initial NEF.

Help.....:D
 
I would suggest that TIFF or PSD (Photoshop) would be the way to go. They are both lossless formats, so you can open and save them without degrading the images. These formats also allow you to keep layers in photoshop. They can get to be huge files though.

If you are done with the editing and all you need the image for is printing or digital display, then you would be OK to save it as a JPEG, which will be a much smaller file.
 
I agree with Big Mike. If you are going to do further editing after your done processing the raw, then save as a TIFF. Then do whatever post processing you have left on the TIFF and save to JPEG when you are completely done.

Like he said though, if you are done with editing once you are done with the RAW file then 1. Save the raw file so you have your settings/adjustments for later and 2. Save it as a JPEG for use on the web or printing.
 
I understand both answers, thanks.

Judging by you responses, I need to finalize the shot once and for all. It seems I want to go back and readjust and readjust never quite sure of the finished shot. I'm not a pro and most of my shots are snappers, so don't ask why the "perfection"(?).

I have starting saving in PSD to save the layers...now I must decide and commit to JGP for space reasons.

Thanks, Guys!
 
With my typical work flow, I often end up with several copies of my images. First I have the RAW files (the negatives, so to speak). I open the RAW files with Raw Shooter Essentials and then output them as TIFF files. That is my working file, which I open and save in Photoshop. Then I might save one or more JPEG copies for printing and web display.

If I find that I want to cut down on my stored data, then I might go back and delete the working TIFF (or PSD) files. They are the biggest files and take up the most space. I still have the RAW files, so I still have the image, I would just need to rework it, if I wanted to go back to it.
 
Open the image in Nikon NX. It can save (edits, layers and all) right back into the NEF file. It doesn't degrade or change the raw data, just tacks the changes it into the meta data of the NEF file. (no 10-different versions of the file issues) When done, output to JPG for printing.... or have NX throw it directly over to Photoshop.

Awesomeness.
 
Why would you print from a JPEG if you've got a perfectly good uncompressed TIFF you could print from?

Because it's a waste of bandwidth to even upload the tiff to the lab... Take an image and print 8x10's from a tiff, a jpg saved at level 12 compression, and from a jpg saved at level 10 compression. Odds are you won't be able to see any difference. If you do, it's because you're looking especially hard at a photo that compressed particularly poorly.

Printing from tiffs is pixel peeping on steriods.
 
Because it's a waste of bandwidth to even upload the tiff to the lab... Take an image and print 8x10's from a tiff, a jpg saved at level 12 compression, and from a jpg saved at level 10 compression. Odds are you won't be able to see any difference. If you do, it's because you're looking especially hard at a photo that compressed particularly poorly.

Printing from tiffs is pixel peeping on steriods.
Fair enough. I do my own prints, so bandwidth isn't exactly in issue.
 
Why would you print from a JPEG if you've got a perfectly good uncompressed TIFF you could print from?


Exactly what Mike said. Plus, a lot of online printers don't take tiffs. Not only that but even at 16x24 with a slightly cropped image on a mere 6mp D70s the JPEG quality was 10 times better than what I saw on the screen when printing from a high quality printing company. So I ask....why waste your time uploading an uncompressed TIFF when you can get just as good of quality from a compressed JPEG (unless printing 30x40 or something huge like that).

Edit: ^^ Sorry, that came off a bit rude which was not my intentions. That's happening a lot today for some reason....I need to go back to bed.
 
Fair enough. I do my own prints, so bandwidth isn't exactly in issue.


Well, that's definitely different then. If I did my own prints I would definitely just print the TIFF rather than convert to JPEG.
 

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