What is an NEF file Format, and how do you open it?

What are .NEF files?

NEF means Nikon Electronic Format, a RAW file extension commonly used in Nikon cameras. An NEF image file can be identified by the .NEF file extension at the end of the file name. It is the most stable format for storing digital images without losing resolution levels.

The file format ensures that the original images are preserved because images captured using NEF hardly encounter any quality loss or a reduction in resolution intensity. NEF are RAW images or digital negatives, which can be saved to a camera's memory card as lossless or unprocessed formats.

NEF files are unique from other formats like JPG or PNG because their images are in RAW and unprocessed when saved. The settings, including tone, sharpening, white balancing, and hue, are hardly saved in the RAW image data. The file format is also called Nikon Electronic File.

The NEF file format supports non-destructive editing, allowing high control and standardization. This makes it versatile and ideal for professional photographers. 

The file format ensures its file settings are retained in the instruction set, making it impossible to interfere with the primary RAW image data, irrespective of the number of times users process their images. As such, NEF files are very stable and do not encounter any compression artifacts. 

History of NEF image files

The NEF raw file format was created and introduced in 2003. The former Nikon film shooter and Nikonian Blue Knight created the first draft PDF of the NEF format in 2003. However, NEF is exclusive to Nikon cameras, implying it is Nikon's RAW file format. 

RAW image files, occasionally called digital negatives, contain all the NEF image data captured and stored using a Nikon camera's sensor and the image's metadata, including the camera's identification, settings, lens used, and additional information. 

The NEF file is written to the memory card in lossless compressed or uncompressed form. Certain Nikon Camera Limited models, like the D50 and D70s, support lossless compression, which ensures that the NEF file sizes are reduced to almost 50-60% of the original size.

Nikon RAW file format was created to allow shooters or users to extract the maximum image quality and resolution levels from their cameras and enable the original image to be processed in many different ways based on how photographers intend to use the photos. 

The NEF raw file format is widely used in digital work, especially photography. Photographers opt for the NEF file format when quality reassurance matters in photography. Users consider it the most secure format for storing their images without worrying about loss in quality or resolution during upload.

What are NEF files used for?

NEF files are used in digital photography. Nikon photographers are the most common users of NEF files because the file format allows them to capture images with their Nikon cameras and save the raw data in NEF files. NEF files contain digital photos taken by Nikon cameras.

Pros and cons of NEF files

NEF RAW file format captures, preserves, and saves all Niko camera information, including data and metadata. The quantity and quality of image information stored by NEF files allow users to derive mutual benefits but also face the demerits of using the file format in digital photography, as discussed below.

Advantages of NEF files

1. Comprehensive Information: NEF files capture and store detailed data and metadata, such as 12-bit and 14-bit, ensuring a greater tonal range than the 8-bit files saved in TIFF or JPEG format.
2. Compatible with most editing tools or software: The NEF RAW file format is a Niko Camera product but is supported by most file editing programs such as GIMP, Photoshop, Lightroom, ImageMagick, and CorelDRAW among others, making its editing easier.
3. High-quality images: The NEF RAW files deriving from Nikon digital cameras are original, info-rich, unprocessed, or uncompressed, but they support a lossless method that preserves all data and ensures that the resulting photographs are both high-resolution and high-quality.
4. Unprocessed: NEF files do not apply in-camera processing to the image data, resulting in flexibility when using the image file at the next stages. 
5. Non-Destructive Editing: NEF RAW files allow for reverse editing. Even if a photographer has cropped an image and altered the contrast and saturation, he/she can return to the image and delete the changes made to return to the original image captured at the beginning. 

Disadvantages of NEF files

1. Larger Files: The NEF RAW file format is detailed and supports lossless compression, resulting in larger files requiring more storage or memory card space. The compression technique's unprocessed nature ensures that no image data is deleted or lost during processing.  
2. Special Editing Software: Although NEF files are highly compatible with most computer systems, they require specific software like Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop to open or edit them. These tools are expensive, not easily accessible, and require learning.
3. Difficulty Transferring or Sharing: Although proprietary, NEF files are RAW, retaining more details and offering further leeway for adjusting features such as color balance and exposure. Thus, the files are difficult to share or distribute because of the non-uniformity of NEF variations in various Nikon camera models.

How to Open or view NEF Files

To open or view NEF files, use programs like IrfanView, AfterShot Pro, GIMP, Adobe Photoshop, Able RAWer, Nikon ViewNX2, Lightroom, Photos in Windows, and Preview in macOS. To open a NEF file using the computer's default photo viewer, do the following:

1. On your PC, navigate to locate your NEF file
2. Right-click the file > Select Open with 
3. Click Choose another app from the menu option
4. Select and click Photo Viewer (the desired application). NEF file will Open.   

Alternatively,

Use Photoshop to Open and View NEF files by following the steps below:

1. Download and install Photoshop on your PC
2. Launch the Photoshop program, then go to File > Open 
3. Navigate and choose the NEF file on the PC, and Click Open.

Note: If the NEF file can't be opened in Photoshop, navigate to Help > Updates. This ensures the Camera Raw plug-in is updated.

How to Create and Edit NEF Files

NEF format requires specialized programs to create and edit, including Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. Using Photoshop, do the following to create:

1. Download and install Photoshop on your (Ensure your Adobe Camera Raw is also installed and updated).
2. Launch Photoshop, select File > Open > Navigate to find your preferred (i.e. PSD, etc.)
3. Return to File > Save As. In the dropdown menu, select the .NEF file type and Click Save.

Note: If the created NEF file originated from an existing image, the new NEF will be a separate file.

Once created, you can edit the NEF file as follows:

1. Launch Photoshop, go to File > Open > Locate your NEF, click Open
2. Go to "Layer" in the Menu bar and choose  “Add New Layer”.
3. Go to 'Image > Adjustments > Make the required changes: levels, contrast, exposure etc. 
4. When done, go to File > Save As, under the dropdown menu, select .NEF and Click Save.

Note: Photoshop is a powerful tool with different photo editing features, such as contrast, brightness, color, and saturation adjustments. It also allows you to add creative effects like filters and special lighting.

How to convert NEF files with Convertjack

You can convert NEF files to JXR, JPEG, BMP, TIF, TIFF, PNG, JPE, or JPG using Convertjack. To achieve this, visit our NEF file converters and follow the following three steps.

1. Upload the NEF file
2. Select the format you wish to change to.
3. Click Convert and download the converted file.

Note: You can also do batch conversion if you have multiple files to convert.