NEF Image quality in D7000

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mspriyan

New member
Hi All,

I got my D7000 with the kit lens (18-105) last week after considering its features and seeing positive reviews in the forum.
I clicked first few images in JPEG format and it was good.

Then went out for first shoot out with D7000 over the weekend. At that time i changed the setting to capture images in NEF format and the color management to Adobe RGB. When i viewed the image in the LCD it was looking good.

First i tried to open the image in Capture NX2 and it gave a warning that the NEF file could not be opened.

So downloaded trial version of bibble5 and the image opened. But after converting to JPEG (went by the default setup) the images seem to have a kind of grey tint.

How should i do the PP?

Latest update: One of the NEF got opened in Capture NX2 (not sure why others are not opening) and the converted image using NX2 looks better than bibble5
 
M

mspriyan

New member
LensWork said:
What version of Capture NX2 are you using? Try going here to download the latest version.
Click to expand...

Thanks lenswork. I was having 2.2.0 (which came with my D90). After updating it i was able to process the NEF's taken with my D7000 :)

The images converted using Capture NX2 was excellent (and much better than one converted by bibble5). Any idea why the difference is.
 
bluenoser

bluenoser

Banned
mspriyan said:
T The images converted using Capture NX2 was excellent (and much better than one converted by bibble5). Any idea why the difference is.
Click to expand...

Well products like View and Capture are Nikon products and as such nothing will do a better job of converting Nikon's proprietary NEF files. Other software makers can only *guess* at the various aspects of Nikons RAW files where Capture and View are perfectly calibrated to extract the very best out of those RAW files. Some non-Nikon software products are better than others at converting NEF files but for straight conversions - nothing beats Capture or View (as you have already seen! :)).
 
L

LensWork

Senior Member
bluenoser said:
Well products like View and Capture are Nikon products and as such nothing will do a better job of converting Nikon's proprietary NEF files. Other software makers can only *guess* at the various aspects of Nikons RAW files where Capture and View are perfectly calibrated to extract the very best out of those RAW files. Some non-Nikon software products are better than others at converting NEF files but for straight conversions - nothing beats Capture or View (as you have already seen! :)).
Click to expand...

+1

There you go mspriyan.
 
T

theregsy

Senior Member
I use Lightroom for RAW processing basically because I am lazy! and I can do everything in there at the same time, after reading this I might have to try Capture or View again.
Thanks all :)
 
M

mspriyan

New member
Using Capture Nx2

Singapore-CBD.jpg

Using Bibble5
Singapore-CBD-Bibble5.jpg


Note: Both the images are cropped
 
L

LensWork

Senior Member
Johnathan Aulabaugh said:
From what I am reading and looking at Capture is the one to have. I use PS raw to edit and convert. Anyone with CS4-5 use capture over RAW?
Click to expand...

I open all my NEF files in Capture NX2 first, perform any needed corrections, then use the "Open With" command to open them in PS as a TIFF for any additional "enhancements", if needed. I was told by a Nikon Tech Rep several years ago that there are proprietary algorithms in Capture NX/NX2 to "decode" NEF files for maximum image quality as well as the ability for non-destructive editing of the original image, and that while other programs such as Lightroom, Adobe Camera RAW, etc. can open NEF files, you are leaving something on the table by doing so. He further stated that no matter how good the other software developers claim their processing of NEF files are, because of Nikon's embedded, proprietary coding, none of the others are as good as opening the file in Capture. I've been drinking the Nikon Kool-Aid for nearly 35 years, so when a Nikon Tech Rep tells me such, I believe him (he is also a personal friend of mine).
 
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Johnathan Aulabaugh

Johnathan Aulabaugh

Senior Member
LensWork said:
I open all my NEF files in Capture NX2 first, perform any needed corrections, then use the "Open With" command to open them in PS as a TIFF for any additional "enhancements", if needed. I was told by a Nikon Tech Rep several years ago that there are proprietary algorithms in Capture NX/NX2 to "decode" NEF files for maximum image quality as well as the ability for non-destructive editing of the original image, and that while other programs such as Lightroom, Adobe Camera RAW, etc. can open NEF files, you are leaving something on the table by doing so. He further stated that no matter how good the other software developers claim their processing of NEF files are, because of Nikon's embedded, proprietary coding, none of the others are as good as opening the file in Capture. I've been drinking the Nikon Kool-Aid for nearly 35 years, so when a Nikon Tech Rep tells me such, I believe him (he is also a personal friend of mine).
Click to expand...
I downloaded the 60 day trial and gonna see if I can tell a difference. One thing I can see already is that for me at least the controls of raw are much easier to manipulate, although thats with less than an hour playing with it.
I just got back with a new batch of images so I am going to play with them a little in both.
 
F

fotojack

Senior Member
When I got both my cameras, they didn't come with NX or NX2 or any kind of software, for that matter. Does anyone have a copy they'd be willing to part with and send by snailmail? :) I'd love to see how NX works. I hate doing trial versions of anything......that's why I'm asking. :) The major reason I'm asking is because I can't afford to buy it! My D200 was a gift from a very good friend (photographer) who has about a dozen Nikons on his shelf! lol The D40 I picked up from a starving student who sold it to me for $150. :)
 
Johnathan Aulabaugh

Johnathan Aulabaugh

Senior Member
As I stated earlier I downloaded the capture nx2 trial and while I am still getting used to the interface, I am starting to see some really really cool advantages to Capture. I do have to say that the noise reduction control is very very touchy though. I just spent about 5 min in raw doing small touch up stuff and then did the same thing in capture. Same time, but with really nice results.
 
C

crisscross

Senior Member
Make life even easier for yourself(ves)!

Get free Nikon View NX2 & Nikon Transfer. Set Tarnsfer to run when camera connected by USB; set folders, back up etc & OK. When transfer is complete, Transfer self-closes and opens (or adds to open) View folder.

Preview & 1st weed out in View. command O opens (including starting up if needed) Capture NX2.

As soon as an edited NEF is saved, the new edited version is displayed in View.

NB the D7000 LCD magnifies way beyond 100%, so never entirely clear what you have until in View where 100% is available at a touch with basic exif and or histo also on toggle buttons

Unless you have the same sort of mind as Adobe programmers, there is nothing PHOTOGRAPHIC you can't do in Capture NX2. You do have to go elsewhere for copy and pasting and massive clones and making photographs look like paintings by an old master who has been on the bottle too long.
 
C

crisscross

Senior Member
PS Capture NX2 can also not do unskew/transform nor host FocusMagic for correcting small movements. But even after doing that on tifs elsewhere, I bring the tif back into Capture and resave as NEF so that the edited tif can be binned and final tweaks continued in Capture
 
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