RAW help

[Sargee225]

I'm having trouble converting my raw images from NEF to use in photoshop.
Ive tried adobe DNG convertor but it seems to have issues after installing - ive tried about 3 times and all the same issue.

What are some other programs to convert

thanks

[ameerat42]

Sargee. What issues with DNG converter? Tell us operating system too.
Have you used ViewNX (or whatever it is now called since I'm not a Nikon user)?

I am one of those heathens who reckons a native raw converter is "best", eg View/CaptureNX,
DPP, etc. After that go and use Photoshop (if need).

[Sargee225]

Running windows 7

Error message comes up as

Adobe DNG Convertor.exe - Entry Point Not Found

The procedure entry point K32GetProcessMemoryInfo could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.

whatever that means
Looked at View NX2 but only gives me the option to convert to JPEG or TIFF (unsure what tiff is BTW)

Only had View NX2 for a couple of days so not too familiar with how it operates

[ameerat42]

First thing: do you have a file called KERNEL32.dll? Search your C drive for it.
If you do, then it could be corrupt, in which case... (I dunno).

TIFF stands for "Tagged Image File Format". Google it for a better description.
It can save in 8-bits OR 16-bits per channel, whereas JPG is only 8-bits. That means
TIFF(16) can accommodate a wider dynamic range than 8-bit files can. For example,
your NEF files are 14-bits per channel.

If this doesn't mean much, DON'T WORRY. Look it up at your leisure. You're trying to
generate (??16-bit) DNGs from your raws. I'm looking up that error, BTW, so this is a
preliminary reply.

Just the same, there are differing opinions about generating DNGs instead of converting to
Jpeg or TIFF. (Guess which one I do?)

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And...

Is your Win 7 32-bit, or 64-bit?

Your KERNEL32.DLL file might just be in the wrong place.

[Sargee225]

I may have figured out why it's not working, crappy computer is running Windows vista.
Might have to look at upgrading Windows or a new computer

[ameerat42]

In my searches on this problem today I did read there was an issue between Vista and DNG converter.
(Didn't take any notice of it though.)

Suggestion: until you do some upgrade, just run VNX2 and save as jpeg or 16-bit tiff as needed.

[Sargee225]

Looks like another excuse to buy a new computer

thanks for your help though

[ameerat42]

If it's still a good (powerful) basic machine, buy a Win 10 licence and upgrade it??? - Just a thought.
However, I shouldn't be a hypocrite and tell you not to get a new machine when I did just that!!!

[Mark L]

FWIW, I'm still running Vista and have had no problems with Adobe DNG converter.
Maybe it just prefers Canon RAW files.

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A random thought. Presumably you are downloading the latest version of the converter. Go back a few editions (it will still cover your camera) and try download that different release??

[arthurking83]

......

Looked at View NX2 but only gives me the option to convert to JPEG or TIFF (unsure what tiff is BTW)

Only had View NX2 for a couple of days so not too familiar with how it operates

I'm pretty sure that Ps can't natively open DNG files either(just like it can't open raw files at all)!!
It uses the Camera raw intermediary process, so the above comment about ViewNX2 is actually true of DNG files too!

That is, if you open a DNG file in Ps, it HAS to be opened and processed in ACR first, you then complete any initial steps for 'raw processing' in ACR, which when finalised, send the DNG as a tiff file into Ps for you to edit as you see fit.
But you don't work directly on the DNG file in Ps, just as you can't do so on any raw file of any type.

So the summary of this is that if you use VNX2 to save your NEF file as a tiff, and then send that into Ps to work with, you are achieving the exact same workflow as you would in trying to operate on a DNG file anyhow.

Note too tho, that once you convert the NEF file into a DNG file, it will lose some of the embedded metadata, which is usually some proprietary maker info of some type.
I can't remember exactly what metadata it eliminates(exactly), other than I remember it did so(on some experimental files I tried).

So be wary of the non native DNG format, and if you do try to resolve the issue you have, ALWAYS!! keep a copy of the NEF file as the original untouched capture file.

** note that the above statement may not be as true for some manufacturer's models that shoot DNG natively ... as it is in Nikonland I dunno, I don't have any of the Pentax DNG files I downloaded a while ago to see if there is any difference between PEF and Pentax created DNG files.


In ViewNX2 you can create an 'open with' shortcut so that if you do use it as your ACR alternative, you don't actually need to do anything in VNX2 other than view all your images only!
- that is, VNX2 simply becomes a viewer software, in this instance. But it's a lot more/better than that, and if you do any keywording/tagging of you raw files, I recommend you do so in VNX2.

Problem with ViewNX2 is that it's now 'old software' in that Nikon have ceased support, and so now it doesn't support newer camera models from Nikon. eg. some models are D810, D750, D7200 and maybe some other newbies too ... not exactly sure which/what.
But now Nikon have ViewNXi(basically a load of rubbish) and CaptureNX-D(lesser rubbish, but usable if you have infinite patience!)

In most respects, CNX-D is better than VNX2 as a processing/editing tool, with many more usable/useful tools. The only downside(s) of CNX-D compared to VNX2 is that:
1/. keywording/tagging feature has been elmininated or dumbed down massively(VNX2 is much better at this) ... and
2/. (on my PC) CNX-D is a total slug performance wise, whereas VNX2 is the quickest NEF software I have. Much faster than LR was(I no longer have it installed), and any other raw capable software.

in summary:
if you want to use your raw files in Photoshop(which remember is always going to be an indirect method, regardless of the raw format used) .. I can't understand why you don't just use ACR anyhow .. why the need to convert to DNG in the first place?
If it's because ACR doesn't recognise your cameras NEF files, then it makes sense .. but remember ACR will still convert the raw files into a tiff file for use in Ps anyhow.
(basically same deal as VNX2 is doing too)

[ricktas]

Something everyone else has missed:

What camera?
What version of Photoshop?
What version of DNG converter?

Photoshop only updates its RAW converter on recent version of its software. So say you are using an older version of Photoshop eg CS2, and using a recently released camera. Older versions of photoshop do not get updates to make them compatible with new camera models. So check which versions you have of each bit of software and update them if they are old(er).

[Sargee225]

Nikon d3300
photoshop is an old version I got for free CS- I've downloaded the update from Adobe to be able to view RAW files - unless I've used the wrong update
ive tried about 3 or 4 different versions of DNG converter.

Is is the best way to edit in viewNX or in Photoshop?
only tried converting to DNG as I've read it's easier to edit in photoshop

- - - Updated - - -

If it's still a good (powerful) basic machine, buy a Win 10 licence and upgrade it??? - Just a thought.
However, I shouldn't be a hypocrite and tell you not to get a new machine when I did just that!!!

As much as I'd like to just upgrade to Windows 10 I don't think the computer would handle it.

- - - Updated - - -

FWIW, I'm still running Vista and have had no problems with Adobe DNG converter.
Maybe it just prefers Canon RAW files.

- - - Updated - - -

A random thought. Presumably you are downloading the latest version of the converter. Go back a few editions (it will still cover your camera) and try download that different release??

What at version are you running to support vista?

[ameerat42]

Nikon d3300
photoshop is an old version I got for free CS- I've downloaded the update from Adobe to be able to view RAW files - unless I've used the wrong update
ive tried about 3 or 4 different versions of DNG converter.

Is is the best way to edit in viewNX or in Photoshop?
only tried converting to DNG as I've read it's easier to edit in photoshop

- - - Updated - - -



As much as I'd like to just upgrade to Windows 10 I don't think the computer would handle it.

- - - Updated - - -




What at version are you running to support vista?

Sargee. A few answers...

If it's the free version of Adobe Photoshop that you're running then its CS2.

Mark L is running CS3.

What is "easier to edit in Photoshop" is in fact wrong, as it is the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) plug-in.
It's not working for you.

In my opinion, use what you have at hand: View NX and Pshop CS2. Else you strike unnecessary problems instead of
seeing how easy things really can be.

My EEE PC, which has to be the WEAK-est ever computer made is now (2 weeks or so) running -ily on Win 10.
It started life with Win 7 Starter (the cuttest-down version of Win 7).

I upped the RAM to the MAX 2GB, and installed Win 10 on half of the partitioned 160 GB HDD. It's not the fastest ever,
and it never was, but it's certainly stable.

If you've got anything over that - which has an Atom CPU (I mean to say), then you should be right.
Win 10 does not seem to require horsepower to run, unlike everything up to but excluding Win 8.

BUT - I'm not saying to go ahead and do it, just letting you know what is possible (and from some humble experience).

[Sargee225]

Sargee. A few answers...

If it's the free version of Adobe Photoshop that you're running then its CS2.

Mark L is running CS3.

What is "easier to edit in Photoshop" is in fact wrong, as it is the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) plug-in.
It's not working for you.

In my opinion, use what you have at hand: View NX and Pshop CS2. Else you strike unnecessary problems instead of
seeing how easy things really can be.

My EEE PC, which has to be the WEAK-est ever computer made is now (2 weeks or so) running -ily on Win 10.
It started life with Win 7 Starter (the cuttest-down version of Win 7).

I upped the RAM to the MAX 2GB, and installed Win 10 on half of the partitioned 160 GB HDD. It's not the fastest ever,
and it never was, but it's certainly stable.

If you've got anything over that - which has an Atom CPU (I mean to say), then you should be right.
Win 10 does not seem to require horsepower to run, unlike everything up to but excluding Win 8.

BUT - I'm not saying to go ahead and do it, just letting you know what is possible (and from some humble experience).

[edited to conform to site rules] It could just be CS as it is a pretty old version.

Computer has 2 GB RAM and 150ish GB hard drive so it might work.
Sounds like the better option seeing as I just got a new camera

[ameerat42]

In Photoshop, run Help - About Photoshop to get its version number,
and
Help - About Plugin - Camera Raw to see how old that is.

(I edited your post.)

- - - Updated - - -

PS: Yeah. I can see why you think it's time for a COMPUTER upgrade

[ameerat42]

Sargee.
Here's the post on it from some months ago. Just follow it.
http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...-Photoshop-CS2
Register once (or try to), and then each time it opens after that you click on
"Do Not Register". A small price to pay.

[ricktas]

yep. CS2 cannot read RAW files from newer camera's. I am not sure of Adobe Camera Raw can be updated for newer cameras to allow CS2 to read them.

It is a bit like trying to run an old MS-DOS game on most computers now. It will not work, unless you can find am emulator to allow it to run.

[Mark L]

What at version are you running to support vista?

The DNG converter is Version 8.3.0.141.

[arthurking83]

Nikon d3300

....

Is is the best way to edit in viewNX or in Photoshop? .....

How high is 'Up'?

There is no singular best way to edit. Some programs are better than others at something, somewhere along the line.

I don't really use ViewNX2 to edit in a sense.
I guess I use it as a pre edit phase.
It's use is more or less to sort the captured images and effect some initial edit steps, like WB, Picture Control, and so on.
It's so basic, it doesn't really have a good sharpening tool so I never use that sort of stuff. I may use the crop tool, if it's obviously needed.

Capture NX-D is slightly better for actual editing and it has proper tools to do so, but you can't do selective editing like you can in Ps.

So think of VNX2 as a pre-processor .. so if you can't get your camera's raw files to work in your version of ACR, then this is where VNX2 comes to the rescue. But, what you end up editing is simply the raw basics(and I recommend you don't use sharpening in VNX2). From there, you'd have setup the open with CS component in VNX2 and send the image to CS and edit there.

Technically, doing this is no different than it is to directly open the raw file in Ps, or in converting the raw file into a DNG .. you still need the intermediary process between raw -> Ps step.

If you prefer more editing done to the raw file, then CaptureNX-D is better. I has many more useful tools to allow more finely tuned pre-processing before you send it to Ps.
It too has an open with tool, so that once you've finished tuning the raw file, you press the open with Ps icon and it'll send it to Ps for you.

Note tho, that many applications don't clear out their cache's after themselves, and the cache can build up to something large ... ie. can clutter your PC with stuff you really don't need.

[ameerat42]

View NX is your raw converter first of all. If you can do sufficient other editing in it, then good.
Otherwise, convert to jpeg or tiff and use Pshop. A simple workflow (I said simple)...

Raws from camera > convert using ViewNx > final editing in Photoshop