Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Adobe Lightroom Q&A => Topic started by: mls999 on February 21, 2007, 07:34:51 pm

Title: NEF files and lightroom thumbnails
Post by: mls999 on February 21, 2007, 07:34:51 pm

I am trying out Adobe Lightroom and the Nikon NEF files from my D70s are imported directly into Lightroom just as I had hoped they would be. However, I am flying blind when it comes to seeing the thumbnail previews of those same files "before" I do the actual importing.

Only the "NEF icon" shows up in the directory where the files are located, so I really don't have the ability to choose which file I wish to import into Lightroom unless I look at them in Adobe bridge first.  This is a little inconvenient to have to do that.

Also If I do have a file in "CS2 raw", I don't have an option to send it directly to Lightroom... only to CS2 itself.

If anyone can help with some advice here, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

Ron

Title: NEF files and lightroom thumbnails
Post by: Richard Marcellus on February 22, 2007, 09:18:21 pm

Lightroom is setup as a Database to manage your images, with developing, printing, web output etc. as additional functions. It is not meant to be a raw converter just for selected images. If that is how you want to work, using Bridge and ACR may be a better solution for you. ACR and Lightroom have the same raw developing functionality with PSCS3. ACR ver4 is under the hood of Lightroom.

Normally with Lightroom photographers will import an entire group of images (or like me all of their images) then sort them, add metadata, and select the best shots for further developing and output. When additional editing is required files are best sent directly from Lightroom to Photoshop (without using Bridge) so the Lightroom database can keep track of them. You can send files to other programs too like LightZone for example, if you configure Lightroom for this.

There is no CS2 raw format. If you shoot Nikon, you have .nef files. Once you have installed Photoshop though, .nef files will by default get opened with ACR. You cannot double-click a file and have it opened by Lightroom. Files have to been imported by Lightroom first as they need to be in the database before further work can be done.

Lightroom is conceptually different than Bridge / ACR / Photoshop.

Richard

Title: NEF files and lightroom thumbnails
Post by: OnyimBob on February 22, 2007, 10:16:52 pm

Microsoft explorer can  be used to view thumbnails of nef files (Microsft RAW Image Viewer). Check the upgrades available if you don't already have it. I use it so I know its available but can't tell you anymore than that at the moment other than that it is free.
Bob.

Title: NEF files and lightroom thumbnails
Post by: theophilus on February 22, 2007, 10:34:07 pm

I heard that the MS raw image viewer was corrupting some Nikon files, so be careful with it.

Title: NEF files and lightroom thumbnails
Post by: OnyimBob on February 22, 2007, 11:09:42 pm

Quote

I heard that the MS raw image viewer was corrupting some Nikon files, so be careful with it.
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I've been using it without incident for as long as its been available (18 - 24 months??).
Bob.