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nef extension than to open. What is the NEF file extension? What is the NEF format

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NEF Raster Image File Format

NEF (Nikon Electronic Format) files are RAW files of photographs taken with Nikon cameras. The metadata of such files contains information about lenses, settings, camera, etc. RAW files describe images that are not yet ready to be processed, printed, or edited by bitmap editors. RAW files are a record of data captured by the camera's sensors. In this case, NEF files recorded in the camera's memory are saved either in uncompressed form or in lossless compressed format. NEF files are the digital equivalent of film negatives.

Technical information about NEF files

Changes can be made to NEF files without any consequences for RAW files. File processing in the camera itself (changing white balance, shades, tones, sharpness) in the NEF file does not occur. These are just instructions that are written into the file. They can be changed at any time without any reduction in the quality or content of the file. NEF files can contain 12-bit or 14-bit data, allowing for a larger gamut of colors (compared to 8-bit JPEG or TIFF images). NEF files contain metadata as well as thumbnails and a JPEG version of the file for quick viewing of the file. NEF files can be edited and saved as NEF, JPEG, or TIFF files for more convenient storage, sharing, printing, and editing.

More information about the NEF format

NEF is an abbreviation for Nikon Electronic Format and is used exclusively on Nikon cameras, a NEF file is a Nikon Raw image file. Like other RAW image files, NEF files store everything that was captured by the camera before any processing is done, including metadata such as the camera and lens model.

The NEF file format is based on the TIFF format.

This file format is sometimes referred to as electronic file Nikon. The same abbreviation is used for other technological terms such as network efficiency ratio.

How to open NEF file

Mobile devices can also open NEF files. Google Snapseed is one example of an application that supports this format; You can get it for iOS and Android. Another NEF viewer for iOS is Adobe Photoshop Express; You can also get this Adobe app for Android.

How to Convert NEF File

NEF file can be converted to several formats using a free file converter, or by opening the NEF file in an image viewer/editor and saving it in a different format.

For example, if you use Photoshop to view/edit an NEF file, you can save the opened file on your computer in formats such as , RAW, PXR, PNG, TIF/TIFF, GIF, PSD, etc.

IrfanView converts NEF to similar formats including PCX, TGA, PXM, PPM, PGM, PBM, JP2 and DCX.

Adobe DNG Converter is a free RAW converter that supports RAW conversions such as NEF to DNG and works on both Windows and MacOS.

A free online NEF converter is also available. Apart from Pics.io, there is Zamzar which converts NEF to BMP, GIF, JPG, PCX, PDF, TGA and other similar formats. Online RAW Converter is another online REF converter that supports saving the file back to your computer or Google drive as JPG, PNG or WEBP; it can also serve as a lightweight editor.

More information about NEF files

Due to the way images are written to a Nikon memory card, the NEF file itself is not processed. Instead, changes made to the NEF file change the instruction set, meaning that any number of changes to the NEF file can be made without any negative impact on the image.

Nikon has some more details about this file format on their Nikon Electronic Format (NEF) page.

Still can't open NEF file

NEF file extension, most likely means that you are dealing with a Nikon image file, but you should be careful when reading the file extension to make sure you are really dealing with a Nikon file.

Some files use an extension that is written a lot like ".NEF" but has nothing to do with that format. If you have one of these files, there is a very good chance that none of the NEF opening tools listed above will be able to open or edit the file.

For example, a NEX file can be easily confused with an NEF file, but it's not related to an image format at all, but is a Navigator extension file used by web browsers as an add-on file.

A similar case with NET, NES, NEU and NEXE files. If you have any file other than the NEF file, research the file extension (on Google or here on Windows School) to see which applications support opening that particular file or converting it to another format.

NEF Codec, from Nikon, is for processing RAW (*.NEF: Nikon Electronic Format) images in Windows Vista. The program can be used by owners of SLR cameras D3X, D3, D2XS, D2X, D2HS, D2H, D1X, D1H, D1, D90, D80, D70S, D70, D60, D50, D40X, D40, D700, D300S, D300, D200, D100, D5000, D3000, and compact COOLPIX 8800, COOLPIX 8700, COOLPIX 8400, COOLPIX 5700, COOLPIX 5400, COOLPIX 5000. The program simplifies the processing of RAW images and makes the process similar to processing JPEG and TIFF files. The program has a Russian interface.

This version adds support for NEF (RAW) images taken by the D300S and D3000.

System Requirements: 32-bit Windows Vista® Home Basic/Home Premium/Business/Enterprise/Ultimate (Service Pack 2); 32-bit version of Windows XP Home Edition/Professional (Service Pack 3)

Installation procedure:

  • Create a new folder on your hard drive and give it a name.
  • Click Agree - Start Download to download the installer to the folder you created in step 1.
  • Double click the downloaded file to launch the installer.
  • Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
  • * If you have already installed version 1.6.0 or earlier on your computer, you need to uninstall NEF Codec . You can uninstall the previous version by following the on-screen instructions provided by this installer.

    Successful installation confirmation: Microsoft® Windows Vista® Service Pack 2 (32-bit)

  • To open Windows Photo Gallery or Windows Live Photo Gallery, from the Start menu, point to All Programs, and then Windows Photo Gallery or Windows Live Photo Gallery.*
  • Microsoft® Windows XP Service Pack 3 (32-bit)

  • To open Windows Live Photo Gallery, from the Start menu, point to All Programs, and then Windows Live Photo Gallery.*
  • From the File menu, choose Add folders to album and add the folder containing the NEF images. A list of thumbnails will appear.
  • In the thumbnail list, select and double-click the NEF file. Make sure this file is displayed in full screen view.
  • *Note: Windows Live Photo Gallery can be downloaded from the Windows Live website.

    Removal procedure:

  • From the Start menu, select Control Panel.
  • Open the Uninstall a program window
  • Select NEF Codec from the list of installed programs and start the uninstall procedure.
  • Follow the instructions on the screen to uninstall the software.
  • For many readers, until this moment, it remained a mystery what the .nef format is and how it can be opened. I honestly admit that I did not know about the existence of the nef format until the moment I encountered it by accident. It was like this - a friend of mine, a photography enthusiast, took some photos with his Nikon.

    My friend sent me the photos by mail, and I immediately wanted to see them. But the first time I could not open them, since all the files had a strange extension.nef I began to understand, and this article became the result of this process.


    How to open nef files

    It’s worthwhile to understand right away that when shooting, professional Nikon cameras save a photo in their own special format, which is called .nef, the size of such files is relatively large, since saving is at maximum quality.

    Since this is a graphic image, a special graphic viewer is suitable for opening it. At the moment, there are several programs that work with such files:

    • Adobe Photoshop
    • Nikon View

    But their disadvantage lies in the fact that this software is paid, and is not cheap. I decided to use a long-proven and free application called FastStone Image Viewer, which is endowed with powerful functionality.

    What needs to be done to open nef files? As a rule, it all comes down to the following actions:

    • install the FastStone Image Viewer application on your computer
    • we group all the files that we need to open into one of the folders
    • in the program using the procedure File - Open select all selected files from the folder
    • enjoy the result

    I think that after reading this short instruction, you will have no questions about how to open the .nef format and work with it. Good luck!

    To understand how to open the NEF format, you need to figure out what kind of extension it is. Users of Nikon cameras face it. NEF stands for Nikon Elektronik Format.

    Files of this type are unique to Nikon cameras. You can open them using a special editor of the manufacturer Nikon View, or Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.

    In modern operating systems, the question of how to open a NEF file is not relevant, since opening codecs are built into the system. Additional software is required only for editing and modification.

    What is the NEF format

    NEF files are a kind of RAW format. They are sometimes called digital negatives, as they contain an array of information about the image obtained from the camera's matrix. Such formats remember the parameters of illumination, white balance, aperture and shutter speed settings of the camera, while not imposing on the image the effects built into the camera. RAW are intended for further editing and processing.

    Unlike the common JPEG image format, the camera does not apply automatic processing to NEF files. Also, JPEG is an 8-bit file, while NEF is either 12-bit or 14-bit, depending on the camera. This means that it contains twice as much information, which makes it possible to work better with exposure, colors, shadows and other photo parameters.


    Three types of NEF file compression:

    1. Without compression - a large file with a lot of information.
    2. Compressed - smaller files. The difference in quality is not visible at first glance and is visible only upon closer examination. It is worse in such files than without compression.
    3. Lossless compression is a technology used in the latest generation of cameras. Such compression reduces the size of the file, while not reducing the possibility of editing and further full-size saving.

    RAW files are the name given to digital negatives. Due to the fact that manufacturers of photographic equipment have different analog-to-digital converters and matrices, the files containing their signals have different formats and require a variety of programs for viewing and processing. So, the NEF file can be opened either on software from Nikon, or on specialized software for working with photographs.


    How and with what to open NEF format

    There are no standard programs for opening NEF on most computers, so you will have to download additional software. Even if NEF opens on a computer without third-party programs, it will still be difficult to use these files. They are too large. This makes it difficult to transfer them on USB media and upload them to the Internet, since social networks have a size limit for uploading images. For Vkontakte, for example, this limit is 25 MB. NEF files may be larger.


    How to open NEF file on computer

    If double-clicking on the file does not help and the computer displays it not as an image, but as an unknown document, then the computer will not be able to open NEF without additional utilities.

    Programs for working with NEF are included with Nikon cameras. In any case, it can be downloaded from the Internet. The program is called Nikon View. Digital negatives can be viewed and edited there.

    Graphic editors also work with NEF. The most famous of them are and. These are programs for editing and color correction of photos. With their help, you can not only open the nef format, but also resave to other formats, change the volume of files, and convert as necessary. However, the packages of these programs are paid and sold by subscription. The analogue of this editor is the program . It differs in interface, but performs the same functions. CorelDRAW is also paid.


    To open NEF in graphic editors, you need to either transfer the file to the working area of ​​the program, or use the "File" tab. By clicking on it, a list of actions will appear on the screen, among which you need to find the "open" tab and specify the file you are looking for in the address bar. Some editors, such as Adobe Lightroom, do not have an "Open" tab. The same function is performed by the "Import" button located in the working area of ​​the program in the "Library" section.

    1. You can open and view NEF for free using the Google Photo service.
    2. On Android and iOS, you can open NEF using apps and the mobile version.
    3. On Mac OS, the NEF viewer is built-in and no additional utilities need to be installed. If you need to edit files, then all the same graphic editors as on Windows will do.
    4. On Linux, you can only open NEF with a paid program.

    How to open NEF photo in windows 7

    Until 2011, Windows didn't have standard programs to open NEF files. This could only be done with the third-party programs described above. In 2011, the company released a codec pack to fix this issue. On Windows 7 and Windows Vista released before 2011, NEF viewing is possible only after these codecs are installed. In later versions, they are built into the OS and open files without additional software installation.


    NEF to JPEG conversion

    If there is no need to edit digital negatives, but you need to quickly get a photo of a small volume, you can convert NEF to JPG without losing quality. For this task, the official viewer released by Nikon is suitable - a program or offline converters,.

    When converting NEF to JPEG, it is important to properly set the quality of the finished image. A window with this setting appears after pressing the "Export", "Convert" or "Convert" key (depending on the program). There is a window for choosing the format, quality settings and resolution.

    For quick online conversion, the Iloveimg.com service is suitable. However, with online NEF, image quality may suffer.

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    File extension .nef
    File Category
    Sample file (12.4 MiB)
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