Need everyone's help with some raw samples

[Horshack]

Overview

I'm putting the finishing touches on a new open-source utility I'll be releasing soon:

"img2nef" converts any image file into a Nikon lossless NEF raw file. The generated NEF can be used anywhere NEFs are supported, including inside the camera itself. The most useful application for this is with the Z's "multiple exposure" feature, which allows you to specify an existing NEF as the first exposure in a composite image. Besides the creative possibilities of supplying your own initial, computer-generated image, this opens up lots of potential feature ideas as well, the most useful being custom viewfinder overlays, where you can create your own aspect ratio framing guides and gridline displays. In fact my img2nef app will include a separate utility that allows you to create these viewfinder overlays, which can then be converted into NEFs for use with the "multiple exposure" feature.

How it works

img2nef works by compressing an image file into Nikon's proprietary lossless NEF bayered format. It then reads an existing "template" NEF and merges the compressed data I generate into it, saving the result as a new NEF.

Help I need

I need a template NEF for each Z camera model, since the multiple exposure feature only works with a NEF of the same model. img2nef users can generate their own template NEF but I think it'll be more user-friendly if I include template NEFs for all models myself with img2nef.

To do this I need a template NEF for each of the Z models I don't currently own.

Here are the models I need NEFs for:

Nikon Z50 II
Nikon Z5
Nikon Z5 II
Nikon Z6 II
Nikon Z7
Nikon Z9
Nikon Zf
Nikon ZR

And here is the procedure required for those of you kind enough to volunteer to supply me the NEF:

1. Download this noise pattern image.
2. Load the image into an image editor, view at 100% on your computer's display
3. Mount your Z camera and lens on a tripod in front of your computer's display. Adjust the camera's position/zoom so that the pattern fills the entire image area in Live View
4. Set the camera's configuration as follows:
   1. Lossless Compressed RAW (14-bit for older models with a 12/14-bit setting)
   2. Full FX Image Area (no DX crop)
   3. ISO: Base ISO (ISO 64 for Z9, ISO 100 for all others)
   4. White Balance: Direct sunlight
   5. Picture Control: Neutral
   6. Active D-Lighting: OFF
   7. Matrix Metering
5. Set the exposure so that the meter is centered (ie, either +/-)
6. Focus on the screen pattern. Make sure the camera isn't so close that the lens can't focus due to MFD
7. Press the lens-release button on the camera and carefully turn the lens counter-clockwise just enough so that the electrical contacts dis-engage. You can tell when this occurs when the f/-stop displayed goes to "F--". Be careful to only turn the lens slightly so that it doesn't fall off! Also be careful not to nudge the MF ring on the lens, which will disturb the sharp focus obtained in step #6
8. Visually confirm focus at 100% to make sure the screen pattern is still in focus
9. Take the image
10. Please send me the resulting NEF, either in a PM via a DropBox/Google Drive/etc.. link or by posting a reply to this thread

To prevent duplicate efforts I'll post each model to this thread - please reply to that model-specific post to volunteer. Please volunteer just before you plan to shoot and supply the image.

As a thank you to all volunteers I'll generate each a custom viewfinder overlay for whatever aspect ratios you'd like and supply it in advance of release so that you'll get an early experience with using it.

Thanks!

 

[Horshack]

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[Horshack]

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[Horshack]

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[Horshack]

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[Horshack]

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[PLShutterbug]

Z50ii image link sent to you via PM.

 

[PLShutterbug]

Z7 image link sent to you via PM.

 

[Horshack]

Here is a short demo of using an img2nef-generated NEF as a custom viewfinder/LCD frameline overlay. In this example I created 16:9 and 3:1 overlays. Everything in the overlay is configurable - line width/solid/dashed pattern, line colors, text labels, fill colors (which can be used to darken areas outside the aspect ratio), etc... The overlay generated is just a PNG file so you can add your own elements to it as well in your preferred image editor before converting it to an NEF.

 

[skyrunr]

--
SkyRunR
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“Stop down and smell the roses.”

 

[skyrunr]

--
SkyRunR
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
“Stop down and smell the roses.”

 

[skyrunr]

--
SkyRunR
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
“Stop down and smell the roses.”

 

[Horshack]

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[Horshack]

Bumping...still need the following:

• Nikon Z5
• Nikon Z5 II
• Nikon Z6 II
• Nikon Z9
• Nikon Zf
• Nikon ZR

 

[Satyaa]

Wow. Great effort.

I don't have any of those models.

Thank you for doing this.