NEF in Photoshop

[taprice]

I shot a bunch of photos for work in RAW just to see the difference and I cannot getthem to open in CS2.  Is there a plug-in that get installed with the Nikon software or is there somewhere I can get a plug-in online?  Pardon what may be a silly question but I've always been happy with Jpegs and not really ventured to this territory before.

[sduford]

Yes, Adobe Camera RAW  is the utility that gets installed with PS and translates the files from NEF to Photoshop format.

Perhaps you have an older version that doesn't support the D80 format. You should go on the Adobe web site and download the latest version.

[taprice]

Thanks Sly, I'll head over there right now...

[taprice]

Thanks for the tip Sly.  I downloaded Camera Raw 3.7 from Adobe and it works great.  I figured there was a good reason that I could edit them at home on Elements 2 and not on CS2 at work. 

[Boxxerace]

NEF is the way to go if you have a setting or photograph that is really important to capture well.   The format grants you much greater flexibility in editing and general quality since the camera does not process the image like it may with Jpegs.    I will mention that some of your RAW images may come out less saturated when you first open them.   The information, however, is there.   It's all a matter of a few adjustments. 

[Ben]

I almost always shoot JPEG+NEF.  When you first look at a unprocessed RAW file compared to the same JPEG you're like, WTF!  There is a very distinct BLAH to the RAW files but as Aaron stated with some minor adjustments you can really make them stand out.

[mokai]

Yea I shoot RAW exclusively and I really like it..The ability to take a photo that just was not quite exposed right or the white balance was off and correct it is great..You never know when you might get that money shot..Its a nice security blanket..

And yea the RAW's do look bland right out of the camera..

[Boxxerace]

I almost always shoot JPEG+NEF.  When you first look at a unprocessed RAW file compared to the same JPEG you're like, WTF!  There is a very distinct BLAH to the RAW files but as Aaron stated with some minor adjustments you can really make them stand out.

Also, if you will notice, the default color profile between Adobe and Nikon's Raw software is different.    If you open the Raw file in Nikon View, you will see the 100% saturated image, just like the JPEG.   However, you can get the Adobe RAW to function the same way.  The caveat in my post is that I am slightly grey in how I accomplished this feat.    - Yeah, welcome to being Aaron. 

I am almost certain that 1) you have to have all the updates and 2) some of the color profile settings had to be changed in Adobe Bridge (which regulates Photoshop).   Sorry fella's, I will have to go and look at what I did.   

[Ben]

Open Bridge>edit>camera raw prefrences> then check all the boxes under default image settings.

[Boxxerace]

Open Bridge>edit>camera raw prefrences> then check all the boxes under default image settings.

See... that's why we pay you the big bucks! 

[Ben]

See... that's why we pay you the big bucks! 

Speaking of.....I haven't seen any of the checks yet.

[Boxxerace]

See... that's why we pay you the big bucks! 

Speaking of.....I haven't seen any of the checks yet.

I am printing the bills as we speak!

[Ben]

Now you hurt my feeling.

[Ben]

Since we are on the topic of NEF why does my D300, when shooting in RAW 14bit uncompressed single shot, sound like the shutter is shooting 1/30 even though it is 1/200?  Or is this my imagination?

[Boxxerace]

Now you hurt my feeling.

 

How about now?   

I would recommend that you loan me your D300 so I can examine it all summer.