Can Adobe Camera Raw use Nikon .NEF picture settings like the in-camera JPEG?
Asked 8/15/2010
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When I open Nikon .NEF raw files in Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom, the images don’t match the camera’s JPEG look: colors seem flatter and in-camera noise reduction and other picture settings are not applied. I’ve noticed better camera-profile matching with some Canon raw files. Can Adobe software read and apply Nikon’s in-camera settings from .NEF files, or do I need Nikon software to get results closer to the camera JPEG?
Originally by Ezz. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Ezz
16y ago
2 Answers
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If you're using a more recent version (I can't say for pre-CS4), the Adobe Camera Raw processor has a tab in the settings box for camera profiles. You should be able to select from several different profiles which are designed to mimic the behaviour of the vendor's development process, at least for Canon and Nikon (us Pentaxians don't have as many options as I understand).
Anyways, downloading a sample NEF image for a D300, I got options for Camera D2X Mode 1 through 3, Camera Landscape, Camera Neutral, Camera Portrait, Camera Standard, Camera Vivid along with standard Adobe profiles for ACR 6.1. I have a feeling the one that you want is either Standard or Vivid, the Vivid really pops the colours, but experimentation is half the fun.
On a side note, the funny thing about the sample image I got is that it's a picture of a Pentax booth!
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
16y ago
0
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Adobe Camera Raw/Lightroom can get closer, but they generally do not fully read and reapply Nikon’s in-camera JPEG settings from a .NEF file.
What Adobe can do:
- Offer camera-matching profiles in ACR, such as Camera Standard, Vivid, Landscape, Portrait, etc., which are designed to mimic Nikon’s look.
What Adobe usually does not do:
- Reproduce all proprietary Nikon in-camera processing, such as the exact Picture Control rendering, noise reduction, and other special JPEG settings.
If you want the closest match to the camera JPEG, Nikon’s own raw software (for example Capture NX/Capture NX-D depending on era) is the better choice.
Practical options:
- In ACR/Lightroom, try the Camera profiles instead of Adobe Standard.
- Shoot RAW+JPEG if you want both a flexible raw file and the exact in-camera rendering.
- Use Nikon software when matching the camera JPEG is important.
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