Opening NEF files in Photoshop CS4

[0ptics]

Hello!

So I recently received my Nikon D3100; it's my first DSLR and I'm a complete beginner in photography but love it as a hobby. Anyways I took a few sample shots with the camera and I choose to shoot them in "Image Quality: NEF (RAW) files". I have Abode Photoshop CS4 and know the basics to it, but it wouldn't let me open the NEF files. So I did some research and people were saying that NEF is Nikon's version of RAW and you can only open it in ViewNX 2, but is there someway of converting it or opening it without degrading the image into Photoshop CS4? I love CS4 and am completely comfortable using it, thus I'd prefer using that over ViewNX 2.

Also some people suggested converting the files into JPEG/TIFF, would that be a poor decision? One of my friends is a amateur photography and he told me "if you using a DSLR, ONLY shoot in RAW" and overall photographers prefer/use RAW over other file types.

Thanks! The help would be much appreciated, again I'm a noob to photography so any extra help would be nice as well!
0ptics

 

[MTVision]

You can open NEF files with photoshops camera raw. You might need to update your camera raw. Or you can download adobes DNG converter. It will convert NEF files to DNG (digital negative) and then you can open them.

 

[MLeeK]

You can no longer update CS4, so you will have to download the Adobe DNG converter. DNG is adobe's standardized raw-you don't lose anything in the conversion, it's still raw.

 

[0ptics]

Ahhh thank you both! Ya I just downloaded the converter CS4 is opening them ! But when I open a file, the image is in a separate pop-up, "Camera RAW 5.6 - D3100" and it gives me the options of exposure, contrast, RGB histogram, etc., what is this pop-up? Aren't I able to do all of these functions with CS4's tools already?

I also noticed that the DNG was about 9mb will the RAW was about 12mb, does the loss in data affect pictures that much?

Thanks!

 

[MLeeK]

That pop up is the raw editor-Adobe Camera Raw. That is where all of the magic of raw happens. You want to adjust and tweak everything you possibly can there. At home I think I still have a tutorial for ACR CS4. If you send me a note I will send it back to you when I get home.

 

[ann]

If and when I process a raw file i save as a tiff file rather than jpeg, as tiff is not a lossy file.

I would suggest you do what your comfortable with; the idea that YOU MUST use raw isn't necessary true. Yes you have more control with raw, but you may not want all the work involve.

Basically i shot both at the same time, and if I am happy with the jpeg and am not doing a lot of heavy editing it is fine. ON the other hand, if i am doing a lot of manipulating then I will use the raw file as it deals with "heavy lifting" and the jpeg is limited.

I tell my students, shooting my cat is a jpeg function, making art, raw is the function.

 

[KmH]

I also noticed that the DNG was about 9mb will the RAW was about 12mb, does the loss in data affect pictures that much?

Thanks!

No image data was lost. In the conversion the file was compressed losslessly.

I save as PSD instead of TIFF, because PSD has a slightly smaller file size and is an Adobe file format.

Here is a list of the cameras supported in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and the release level of ACR each requires: Camera Raw plug-in | Supported cameras

CS5 (Photoshop 12.0)/Lightroom 3 uses ACR 6
CS4 (Photoshop 11.0)/Lightroom 2 uses ACR 5
CS3 (Photoshop 10.0)/Lightroom 1 uses ACR 4
CS2 (Photoshop 9.0) uses ACR 3
CS (Photoshop 8.0) uses ACR 2
Photoshop 7.0 uses ACR 1

 

[MLeeK]

while I do agree 99.99% with Kieth-it's lossless, it may be that you are losing some proprietary Nikon information. I do know that Nikon's Capture NX2 (or whatever version it is on) works with Nikon raw images in a way that no other software can. It is the program that Nikon makes you pay for and I have seen why Nikon really pushes it. It is designed by Nikon to work 100% with Nikon Raw images. Adobe is taking the Nikon raw image and backwards manufacturing the software to work on it. Nikon doesn't give Adobe the blueprint which gives the Nikon software the edge in editing their own raw images.

 

[MTVision]

while I do agree 99.99% with Kieth-it's lossless, it may be that you are losing some proprietary Nikon information. I do know that Nikon's Capture NX2 (or whatever version it is on) works with Nikon raw images in a way that no other software can. It is the program that Nikon makes you pay for and I have seen why Nikon really pushes it. It is designed by Nikon to work 100% with Nikon Raw images. Adobe is taking the Nikon raw image and backwards manufacturing the software to work on it. Nikon doesn't give Adobe the blueprint which gives the Nikon software the edge in editing their own raw images.

I havent used capture nx2 but view nx2 (the free software that comes with camera) does the same thing. My NEF files look completely different depending on if they were opened in adobe or Nikons software. Is Canon the same way?

 

[MLeeK]

I have a feeling what you are seeing with ViewNX2 is the difference in the default settings for the most part. Adobe as well as View and every other software automatically have a few defaults programmed in and that's what they do for you before you do anything... ViewNX2 and CaptureNX2 are similar, but capture allows a real added element to working with the Nikon Raw images and their proprietary programing/encoding. I am sure they probably have a trial of it. Play with it, adjust the photos exactly the same in Capture as in View and Adobe and see what you get. I'd like to see a comparison!

 

[KmH]

My NEF files look completely different depending on if they were opened in adobe or Nikons software. Is Canon the same way?

It's that way with any different Raw converter.

Raw converters are not standardized, and each one has unique demosaicing and processing algoithms.

 

[KmH]

it may be that you are losing some proprietary Nikon information.

No doubt, the proprietary Nikon information in the file is lost (that's what proprietary means), but none of that data is image data.

It's all camera settings data, like white balance, focus point, and rendering data like the camera picture control settings.

 

[0ptics]

That pop up is the raw editor-Adobe Camera Raw. That is where all of the magic of raw happens. You want to adjust and tweak everything you possibly can there. At home I think I still have a tutorial for ACR CS4. If you send me a note I will send it back to you when I get home.

Ohhh ok ya I just wanted to make sure, but what is the difference between the "pop-up RAW editor" versus editing it regularly on CS4? I haven't done much research/playing around just cause I've been quite busy BUT yes that would be great if you could send me a tutorial! Also haha...this might sound extremely stupid and noobie, but what do you mean as "send me a note" as in an email through TPF?

And thanks for the clarification Ann, ya I've always heard that DSLR users should use RAW because its "better image quality", but personally I can't tell a difference; but now I know is because RAW allows you to edit the original image.

And thanks KmH as well for the clarification, ya I didn't see any chance in detail, just noticed the file size to be difference, the link was helpful as well!

Thank you all again!
0ptics

 

[MTVision]

The pop up raw editor edits raw images. You can edit in camera raw then send it to photoshop to finish up if you'd like.

 

[MLeeK]

That pop up is the raw editor-Adobe Camera Raw. That is where all of the magic of raw happens. You want to adjust and tweak everything you possibly can there. At home I think I still have a tutorial for ACR CS4. If you send me a note I will send it back to you when I get home.

Ohhh ok ya I just wanted to make sure, but what is the difference between the "pop-up RAW editor" versus editing it regularly on CS4? I haven't done much research/playing around just cause I've been quite busy BUT yes that would be great if you could send me a tutorial! Also haha...this might sound extremely stupid and noobie, but what do you mean as "send me a note" as in an email through TPF?

And thanks for the clarification Ann, ya I've always heard that DSLR users should use RAW because its "better image quality", but personally I can't tell a difference; but now I know is because RAW allows you to edit the original image.

And thanks KmH as well for the clarification, ya I didn't see any chance in detail, just noticed the file size to be difference, the link was helpful as well!

Thank you all again!
0ptics

The difference would be that in that pop up you can edit the actual raw, you are working with all of the raw data there and can do amazing things with it. When you get it into photoshop you are no longer working with the raw data and editing it becomes a bit stickier.

Yes, a private message. I will go look for the tutorial now for you!