NEF Processing: PS Elements 3 vs ILife 05 vs Nikon Capture

I lost 55 photos yesterday, shot in both JPEG Fine and NEF since I tried to download, using a card reader, to my IMac in IPhoto (ILife 04 installed) but all files were corrupted. It seems taht the NEF files on the disk prevented the download of the JPEGs.....JPEGs always downloaded perfectly in IPhoto. Had I have known this would result, I would have tried to open the files in Nikon SW packaged with the camera or loaded NC first.

As a result of my experience, I want to purchase a user friendly SW which will allow me to batch load future NEF files....and from comparing NEF to JPEG Fine from my new D2H, I will not shoot in JPEG ever again, if I can help it. JPEGs are not nearly as detailed or sharp as NEF and I saw a clear difference after shooting a few pictures, then downloading the Trial Version of Nikon Capture, which seemed to work fine on my PC last night.....however, my PC is 6 years old and slowww, the IMAC is 1 year old and has much more HP, as well as a 20 inch flat screen monitor, which is wonderful for viewing and PP, if needed.

I do not plan to do much PP, especially since the NEFs do not seem like they need much work.

Do many of us use an IMac? IMacs are wonderful for graphic artists and photographers, but it does not seem that many pros or advanced amaturers on our site use a MAC. Is this a true statement, and if so why?

Phil

If it's any help, I gave up downloading via a card reader bothof them kept locking up.

I now either download direct from the Camera, or load them into my Coolwalker and download from that.

Both the independent card reader I had as well as one built into a printer were a problem - especially when downloading RAW files
I also download with Nikon View

Can Nikon View download NEF files?

It was my understanding that one needs Nikon Capture to do that job.

If NV can download NEF, why would I need Capture? Phil

download the NEFs via firewire -> the whole batch by drag'n drop, it's very fast! -> the iMac resp. MacOSX mounts the card in the reader as an external drive -> I prefer NC for basic adjustments and improvements, further pp with PS or PSE -> iPhoto comparatively is a toy IMO -> to catalogue the pics I use iViewMedia Pro on my iMac G4 17"
regards
--
Lutz
http://www.darwinonline.org/index.php?cat=10254

Lutz...thanks for your response.

1. Can I buy a firewire card reader? I've only seen USB external cardreaders.....if so, which one do you recommend for my IMac?

2. If you use Nikon View for downloading NEF/RAW files and can touch them up, why are people spending $100 for Nikon Capture, especially if they have PS?

3. I would assume there are some benefits to Capture, when compared to other SW programs..i.e., downloading pics taken with a Nikon with Nikon SW, but not sure....

Phil

1. I have this SanDisk firewire cardreader (outdated I think) -> http://www.geizkragen.de/preisvergleich/foto-und-co/kartenlesegeraete/sandisk/sandisk-cf-fire-wire-reader/137584.html -> it rocks with fast cards -> try a google search for successors

-> do not ever use ANY so called transfer software to download the files! some may alter the files a little (I heard) -> altered filesize and checksum!

2. it's my taste, I like NC to process the NEFS, powerful and feeds my needs, but ACR 2.4 isn‘t not bad also, try both out,
3. there is several "pro" software like Capture One, Raw Magick ...

--
Lutz
http://www.darwinonline.org/index.php?cat=10254

Lutz or others...I assume that only Nikon Capture and/or View will provide ALL of the shooting info about the file. I thought that was the advantag to using the Nikon SW with a Nikon camera.

If not true, which SW provides the most info about the pic? phil

Phil, I don't know it exactly. But I doubt that the Nikon-files contain any "specific" (or hidden) infos which cannot readed out and processed by other "good" software. This wouldn't advantageously for Nikon.
--
Lutz
http://www.darwinonline.org/index.php?cat=10254

My MAC workfow if it will help...

1.) Turn off al auto download schemes, like iPhoto. Get a USB2 card reader. I have a Lexar (my SanDisk was a USB1 and slow when I moved to NEFs)

2.) I stick in the card and create a new folder on the desktop and drag the files to it. I then drag this folder over iView Medial Pro which is in the dock. I do not have a D2X but iView will read their NEFs.

3.) I give them all desktop icons in iView and view them large as a slide show, to get the look and feel of what I took. I then go to thumb view and throw away the misfocused and unwanted shots. I then select the groups by subject and put them in other folders by that name. I soon end up with an empty first folder.

4.) If I want to process a picture from iView, (I've set up the send to menu), I hold the mouse down over a thumb and go to PS,NC or whatever you set for an editor. (Since PS CS1 does not have D2X Camera Raw, you will have to use the plug-in that Nikon provides with Nikon View or Capture.)

5.) the beauty of iView as an intermediate application is that any folder I want to view is just a drag away, its fast and can make html gallerys, slide shows, and catalogs for whole CD/DVDs...

--
I owe, I owe, It's off to work I go!
http://www.richardtrueman.com/indexPhoto.html

You are using custom abbreviations, what is SW and PP?

Software and Post processing.........phil

Philip,

Nikon View offers you only rudimentary editing capabilities. While my PP regimen may be odd (even messed up), I have both Capture and PSCS and each serves its purposes in my world. Capture offers the best control of NEF files so I tend to use Capture for at least initial processing. (While I think you can do pretty much the same thing in PSCS' RAW facility, it is more intuitive in Capture IMHO.) Batch processing is particularly effective in Capture.

No matter what I do in Capture, I have to go to PS CS for printing. For some reason, I can't get the same printing control in Capture that I get in PSCS (though I can using Photo Canvas, for example). In addition, there are things that PS CS does better in my world -- especially if the image needs extensive work. There is nothing that I have seen that can do as much as PS CS -- though the learning curve is incredibly steep.

Given the difference in price, I would recommend that you start out with Capture. Download the trial version and try using the varios advanced RAW features. You will rapidly see the advantages of Capture over View and paying the rather modest price that Nikon charges for Capture will become a priority. Many, many people are fully happy with Capture for all of their PP needs and you may never see a need to go further.

Just one man's point of view,
TED

Philip100 said:

Lutz...thanks for your response.

1. Can I buy a firewire card reader? I've only seen USB external
cardreaders.....if so, which one do you recommend for my IMac?

2. If you use Nikon View for downloading NEF/RAW files and can
touch them up, why are people spending $100 for Nikon Capture,
especially if they have PS?

3. I would assume there are some benefits to Capture, when
compared to other SW programs..i.e., downloading pics taken with a
Nikon with Nikon SW, but not sure....

Phil

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