The NEF format can be classified into two main categories:

• file with NEF extension (full Nikon Electronic Format) - a raw graphic fragment obtained using a digital camera Nikon. NEF is a standard camera data storage format (Nikon Electronic Format) and is one of the most popular Nikon raw image formats.

The raw image fragment is the main copy of the data obtained through the lens of a highly sensitive Nikon sensor, which has not been subjected to additional digital processing by a digital filtering system.

The NEF extension is based on the widely used format, which also requires negative post-formatting.

Being a large binary file, NEF can occupy up to several tens of megabytes of disk space. However, depending on the user settings of the Nikon camera, auto-generation of the format can be performed in either compressed or uncompressed form.

To play an extension, it is not at all necessary to perform post-processing; viewing and editing the format can be carried out on a wide variety of OS platforms (including Windows and Mac) using various devices. There are also a wide variety of free online services available for “developing” NEF images.

• NEF format is an encrypted Nero association file. Nero became popular among a wide range of users as a software utility designed for copying optical discs and supporting various Windows multimedia tools. In part of this software, NEF is used as a backup recording file (backup).

Programs for opening and editing NEF

To play back a NEF data file on a Windows OS platform as a raw Nikon image, use one of the following software plugins:

You can open or edit the NEF format in Linux OS using the Google Picasa utility.

This format is also adapted for working on Mac OS using Nikon ViewNX, Apple Aperture or Snap Converter plugins.

The encrypted NEF file, which is a backup recording file (backup), can be played exclusively through the Nero plugin.

If an error occurs when opening the NEF extension, the reasons may include the following:

• the file is damaged or infected;
• the file is not associated with the OS registry (an incorrect application for playback was selected);
• insufficient device or OS resources;
• damaged or outdated drivers.

Converting NEF to other formats

Based on the fact that the practical scope of the NEF format is limited exclusively to post-processing of images obtained from a camera Nikon, broadcasting it to other formats is extremely rarely in demand. However, if there is a need for this, to organize the conversion process you can use the same software utilities as for playback, for example,

NEF is a type of RAW format that is taken directly from the camera sensor and is the original image that the camera receives.

NEF cannot be viewed using applications common to most users and will require the use of special programs to open it.

Picasa, XnView, Faststone Image Viewer programs work with NEF images. These applications allow you not only to view the image from the camera, but also to transform the raw document. The photo can also be opened in Photoshop. Download any of the above programs to your computer from the official website of their developer and install, following the instructions on the screen.

You can also install Nikon View, which will allow you to read a photo with this extension. Compared to Picasa and Faststone, this app from the developer certainly has more editing tools and NEF-derived shooting tools, but it's a paid program.

You can install Nikon View from the official Nikon website or using the disk that came with the camera.

After installing the program, double-click on the .nef file to perform the open operation. If the file launch fails, select the newly installed program manually from the proposed list of applications.

Changing and saving NEF to JPG

Wait for the NEF file to appear in the selected editor window. Using the tools of the selected program, edit the brightness, contrast and color parameters of the image. Once the editing operation is complete, go to the "Save As" option on the top bar of the application window to convert the document and save it on your hard drive.

In the new window, specify the options for saving the image file. For the “Name” field, enter a custom name for the photo. Click on the drop-down list in the “File type” field and select the extension .jpg or .bmp to save all the settings made in the image in a format that will be opened on any computer and mobile device. Click on the “Save” button and wait until the saving procedure is completed.

To convert the format, you can use a special NEF to JPG converter. Go to the NEF to JPG website and then download and install the program. Launch the application and in its window specify the path to the NEF file on your computer. After that, click on the Convert button and wait until the operation is completed. Save the received document on your computer. Conversion complete.

Sources:

• NEF to JPG
• how to translate nef format

The .nef format is a specific format for photographs obtained using Nikon technology. You can open it with several professional photo editing programs and a number of free applications.

Many users of modern photographic equipment are faced with the need to open and convert specific formats in which photographs are saved. A striking example is modern Nikon cameras, as a result of which images are saved in the .nef format. This format allows for maximum image quality, which is the main reason for its use. However, ordinary users face significant problems, because after copying photos to a computer, they are unable to open and view them. Standard applications and image editors simply do not support the specified extension, so they cannot open images.

Using professional programs to open the .nef format

A common way to open and convert images in the .nef format is to use professional image editors. They support all image extensions, including those formats that are created only by certain techniques. Files in this format are quite heavy, since the images retain maximum quality, but after opening in a professional editor, their size can be reduced during conversion. The most common paid program for opening the .nef format is Adobe Photoshop. In addition, a special professional program called Nikon View is sometimes used. The disadvantage of these editors is their cost, since for the average user it means incurring constant additional costs, while the programs themselves are only needed by professional designers.

Using free programs

There are several free alternative application options that allow you to open photos in .nef format. Please note that when using them, the ability to convert files is often limited. One of the simplest and most popular programs of this type is FastStone Image Viewer. It is characterized not only by a guaranteed positive result, but also by simplicity and ease of use. This program should be installed on your own computer, and then place all the files that need to be opened in one folder. After this, just open the installed program, select “Open” from the “File” menu, and select all the images in the folder.

Greetings, dear readers. Today's article will be of interest to all amateur photographers, and especially owners of Nikon cameras. If you are the owner of a Nikon digital camera (the model does not matter), you may have noticed that when you transfer the received images to your computer, they are in an unusual NEF format.

By the way, what is noteworthy is that the NEF photo format is used for RAW images that are created using digital cameras.

Photos in this NEF format take up a fairly large amount of memory, which makes storing them much more difficult. You may also have difficulty viewing them, because without special programs this cannot be done. To solve your problem, I have compiled a small list of free programs for opening photos in NEF format:

• FastStone Image Viewer;


• IrfanView;


• Picasa.

The problem with opening and viewing seems to have been sorted out. Now let's return to “heaviness”. The large amount of memory occupied by NEF photos can be reduced by converting. Let's take a look at three of the best programs that will allow you to convert NEF to JPG, JPEG or any other formats you prefer, as an illustrative example. So, let's begin.

PhotoScape

The first free program that will help us convert NEF format photos - PhotoScape. In general, it is a very popular and multifunctional graphic editor. If you like to take photographs very often, be sure to install the PhotoScape program on your computer.

Let's start converting. To do this, open the program and in its main menu select “ ConverterRAW».

A dialog box with the same name will open. Click the " Add" and select the required NEF photos from the folders on your computer that you want to convert to JPG.

After downloading, click the " Convert" Then confirm by pressing the button " Yes».

Now the actual process of converting NEF to JPG will begin.

In the photo below you can see that the original image weighed 34 MB, and the converted one weighed 2 MB. By the way, a very interesting article was previously published on satay, which describes detailed instructions on how to .

Download PhotoScape for free

(downloads: 1405)

XnView

Now let's move on to the second program - XnView. This program is a universal “viewer” of video, audio and photos. It supports several hundred different formats, including the one we need - NEF.

XnView should also be considered as a converter. The program can handle converting NEF photo format to JPG without any problems. By the way, in the previous article we described the process of converting image formats and other formats using the XnView program.

So, to proceed to the conversion, you need to run the program itself. Then upload the image itself (or several) using the button " add file"or simply drag and drop.

Have you loaded it? Then go to the “ Output».

In this tab you need to: select the folder in which the converted file will be saved; specify the name of the future file; the format you want to receive (in our case JPG).

After which you need to click on the “ Convert”, which will launch the process we need.

Converting one photo will take no more than a minute. In my case, at the end of the conversion, the new image weighs 600 KB, and the outgoing one weighs 32 MB.

Based on this data, XnView is still better than PhotoScape. Converted images practically do not differ in quality, but in terms of weight - XnView compresses the image into a little more than three times.

Download XnView for free

(downloads: 500)

Raw Therapee

This program is designed directly for editing images obtained from digital cameras (RAW images). At first I thought that such a multifunctional program would be paid, but it turned out that it is freely available on the Internet.

When you first launch Raw Therapee, you should not be intimidated by the English interface. The language can be changed in the settings by clicking on the " Settings", and then in the section " Select language» choose Russian. Then simply click "OK" to accept the changes.

Unfortunately, for reasons unknown to me, I was unable to change the interface language settings on my laptop. But on the work computer everything worked out fine.

Let's get back to converting our NEF image to JPG. First you need to select the photo itself. This can be done using a small window " Folders».

Now you need to right-click on the photo and select the command “ Put to queue».

After which the image will appear in the “ Queue" Let's go into it.

Then, after setting all the settings, press the “ Start processing».

Once the conversion from NEF to JPEG is completed, the image weighs 3 MB. But at the same time, the Raw Therapee program also automatically changed the brightness and contrast in the photo.

Download Raw Therapee for free

(downloads: 287)

Now you should draw your own conclusions and choose for yourself exactly the program that you like best.

Finally, I would also like to list a list of free online services with which you can also convert NEF format photos:

• Online-converting;


• RAW Pics.io;


• Office-converter.

Received from Nikon cameras. Most professional photographers shoot in RAW mode because it allows them to make changes to the image during post-processing. They can reduce noise, adjust white balance, and change low and high exposure levels without compromising image quality. Unlike JPEG or other compressed formats, which include preset values ​​for features such as white balance or brightness and color depth, RAW images give the photographer more freedom in shaping the final look of the image.

JPG is one of the most popular image formats in use today. Its main advantage is the ability to store good quality images in small files. This is possible due to the type of compression used. The mechanism of this type of compression prioritizes some parts of the image over others, preserving high-quality areas of the image that are most visible to the human eye.

How to convert NEF to JPG?

The easiest way is to download a good conversion program, such as Photo Converter. It works quickly and efficiently, allowing you to convert any number of NEF files at once. You will be able to quickly appreciate that Photo Converter can save a lot of time that you will spend when working manually.

Download and install Photo Converter

The photo converter is easy to download, install and use - you don't need to be a computer expert to understand how it works.

Add NEF files to Photo Converter

Launch Photo Converter and load the .nef files you want to convert to .jpg

You can select NEF files through the menu Files → Add files or simply transfer them to the Photo Converter window.

Select a location to save the received JPG files

Select JPG as the save format

To select JPG as the saving format, click on the icon JPG at the bottom of the screen, or the button + to add the ability to write to this format.

Now just press the button Start and the conversion will begin instantly, and JPG files will be saved to the specified location with the necessary parameters and effects.

Try the free demo

Video instruction