DNG converters

[Redbriars]

I have just purchased a Nikon D7200 to replace my D50 which fell into the water.

I use ACDSee Pro 8.1 software for editing and management and it works excellently for me and my skill level. However, they do not yet support RAW/NEF files for the D7200 (they do for the D 7100) and I am having a lot of trouble converting from RAW/NEF into DNG (which the ACDSee people say they support).

I have downloaded the Adobe Converter and they say that they can convert D7200 NEF files but the software does not recognise the files when I point to them.

One possibility is to use the Nikon software and convert NEF to TIFF, which the ACDSee software does support. I have the option of converting to 8 bit or 16 bit TIFFS. Would I notice a difference?

When ACDSee Pro recognises the NEF files natively it sure makes the workflow easy.

I would be pleased to receive advice. Thanks . . . Alan

[Manfred M]

First of all, welcome to CiC. If you wouldn't mind clicking on the "My Profile" tab and at least adding your first name to your profile. We tend to be a fairly informal group here at CiC and go on a first name basis.

First of all, your problem is fairly common. I know I had my D800 for a month or two before Adobe had put out an update to their raw engine that would handle my camera, so the only choice I had was to either use jpeg or use the software Nikon put out (View NX2) and do my raw conversions to TIFF and then edit them.

I haven't used ACDSee in years, so have no idea as to how this software is set up. I use Photoshop CC 2015, so assume that they handle things is a roughly similar way when it comes to bit depth. As for 16-bit versus 8-bit; if you are shooting raw, 16 bit is really the only solution. I expect that you have set your camera to produce 14-bit raw files? If you use 8-bit, you may as well just shoot jpeg only, as you would be throwing away most of the colour data that your camera records.

[Shadowman]

I have just purchased a Nikon D7200 to replace my D50 which fell into the water.

I use ACDSee Pro 8.1 software for editing and management and it works excellently for me and my skill level. However, they do not yet support RAW/NEF files for the D7200 (they do for the D 7100) and I am having a lot of trouble converting from RAW/NEF into DNG (which the ACDSee people say they support).

I have downloaded the Adobe Converter and they say that they can convert D7200 NEF files but the software does not recognise the files when I point to them.

One possibility is to use the Nikon software and convert NEF to TIFF, which the ACDSee software does support. I have the option of converting to 8 bit or 16 bit TIFFS. Would I notice a difference?

When ACDSee Pro recognises the NEF files natively it sure makes the workflow easy.

I would be pleased to receive advice Thanks . . . Alan

In the first dialog box, after opening the DNG converter; are you selecting a file or a folder? You have to select the folder where the NEF files are located. Once you select the folder and choose how you want the files converted and where you want them stored, the program will begin the conversion process and show you a percentage completed.

[dje]

One other thing - just check you have the latest version of the DNG converter by going to the Adobe web site. It's 9.1.. and according to Adobe's supported camera list it does support the D7200.

Dave

[Ido]

If all else fails and you are still left with the TIFF conversion being the only option, 16-bit would be the safest bet. It takes up more room on the hard drive, obviously, but its flexibility should be as close to the original NEF as you can get.

[xpatUSA]

As we lightly skim the surface of DNG, owners of non-CaNikon might benefit from these links:

http://www.barrypearson.co.uk/articles/dng/dng_not_native.htm

http://www.barrypearson.co.uk/articles/dng/safety_extra.htm

http://www.barrypearson.co.uk/articles/dng/linear.htm

Barry sure knows his stuff.

As a Sigma owner, I tried DNG long ago but the disadvantages outweighed the advantages considerably and, since then, Adobe has abandoned Sigma completely with respect to updating after the SD14/DP2 models. Can't blame Adobe really, Sigma seems to change their X3F format with each new model and without bothering to change the extension.

Oh, the price we pay for marching to a different drummer . . .

[Redbriars]

Thanks to all who responded. It turns out that Dave was right, and I was using an older version of the DNG converter. I think that I had clicked on search results in Bing and landed on a download page for an older version of the Converter, but once I navigated to the main download page I was served the latest version of the Converter and it did indeed convert D7200 NEF files to DNG.

Some of the info I picked up while researching this issue included some suggestions that corporate Nikon is not co-operating fully with Adobe on NEF formats, perhaps preferring that users use the Nikon proprietary software. That's too bad.

I also found (on Wikipedia, I think) that the DNG format is based upon TIFF, with extensions to embed Metadata. Supplied Nikon software will convert NEF to 16-bit-TIFF so I seem to have several choices.

For workflow I have found that I can save both RAW + Fine jpeg and so can view the jpegs and convert only the few NEF's that I want to manipulate at this point, and when my software catches up with D7200 NEF's I will have my library of my NEF's to play in.

Thanks to all who helped . . . Alan

[Manfred M]

Some of the info I picked up while researching this issue included some suggestions that corporate Nikon is not co-operating fully with Adobe on NEF formats, perhaps preferring that users use the Nikon proprietary software. That's too bad.

That is an old story and the other part of it was that Adobe was demanding things from Nikon that Nikon was not willing to do. So far as I understand, this issue was resolved some years ago and ever since the release of Photoshop CS4 or CS5 (I can't remember which one) and the new Camera Raw Engine, the issues were resolved and the poor RAW conversions Nikon photographers were complaining about disappeared. I never used to use ACR for "critical" work and relied on either Nikon's or a third party converter.