Nikon D5200 For Dummies by Julie Adair King

Author:Julie Adair King
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Published: 2013-04-09T04:00:00+00:00

Figure 6-6: Control other aspects of the program’s behavior via the Preferences tab.

Processing Raw (NEF) Files

Chapter 2 introduces you to the Raw file format. The advantage of capturing Raw files — NEF files on Nikon cameras — is that you make the decisions about how to translate the original picture data into an actual photograph. You can specify attributes such as color intensity, image sharpening, contrast, and so on — which are all handled automatically by the camera if you use its other file format, JPEG, also detailed in Chapter 2. You take these steps by using a software tool known as a Raw converter.

The bad news: Until you convert your NEF files into a standard file format, you can’t share them online or print them from most programs other than Nikon ViewNX 2. You also can’t get prints from retail outlets or open them in many photo-editing programs.

To process your NEF files, you have the following options:

Use the in-camera processing feature. Through the Retouch menu, you can process your Raw images right in the camera. You can specify only limited image attributes, and you can save the processed files only in the JPEG format, but still, having this option is a nice feature.

Process and convert in ViewNX 2. ViewNX 2 also offers a Raw processing feature. Again, the controls for setting picture characteristics are a little limited, but you can save the adjusted files in either the JPEG or TIFF format, and TIFF is better at holding onto the original image quality than JPEG.

TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format.

Use Nikon Capture NX 2 or a third-party Raw conversion tool. For the most control over your Raw images, you need to open your wallet and invest in a program that offers a truly sophisticated converter. See the first part of this chapter for a review of Capture NX 2; the other programs mentioned in the same section also offer good Raw converters.

The next two sections show you how to convert Raw files using your camera and ViewNX 2. If you opt for a third-party conversion tool, check the program’s Help system for details on how to use the various controls, which vary from program to program.

Processing Raw images in the camera

Through the NEF (RAW) Processing option on the Retouch menu, you can create a JPEG version of a Raw file right in the camera. Follow these steps:

1. Press the Playback button to switch to playback mode.

2. Display the picture you want to process in the single-image (full-frame) view.

If necessary, you can shift from thumbnails view to single-image view by just pressing OK.

3. Press the OK button.

The Retouch menu appears atop your photo, as shown in Figure 6-7.

4. Use the Multi Selector to scroll to the NEF (RAW) Processing option, as shown in Figure 6-7.

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