Many people have been frustrated by the lack of Nikon’s support for 64-bit Windows operating systems. Nikon Capture NX 2 works in 64bit Vista but it is not officially supported. Their NEF Codec doesn’t work on 64-bit OS so people who need the functionality have to use a commercial third party codec.
Axel Rietschin Software Developments, the company behind the FastPictureViewer software has release a codec pack that supports 19 raw image formats from more than 12 camera manufacturers, covering about 300 camera models. All formats and features are supported for both 32 and 64-bit editions of Windows. The package also ships with a Windows XP thumbnail provider, enabling thumbnail view support in Windows XP SP3 Explorer for all image formats handled by the codecs included in pack and any other existing WIC-enabled codecs. In addition, the codec pack also supports the TGA raster image format. Read More…
Posted in
Digital photography,
Software on September 12th, 2009.
2 Comments.
The new release adds the support for the two high pixel density full frame DSLRs Nikon D3X and Sony A-900 (DxO Optics Pro Elite Edition required). 43 new DxO Optics Correction Modules are now available for a variety of cameras including the Sony Alpha DSLR A700 and A900, the Nikon D40x, D80, D90, D300, D700, D3, D3x and the Canon 400D/DIGITAL REBEL XTi/Kiss Digital X, 450D/DIGITAL REBEL XSi/Kiss X2, 50D and 5D Mark II. The complete list of changes can be found in the release note (PDF).
For readers who are not familiar with DxO Optics Pro, it is a unique RAW converter/workflow software that can automatically correct lens faults such as distortion, vignetting, softness and aberrations. DxO Optics Pro provides correction module for each specific lens/camera combination, ensuring laboratory-grade precision without user intervention. Other features of the software include high ISO optimized RAW conversion technology, batch processing, custom presets, and simulating color characteristics of other camera or films.
According to Nikon, NEF Codec is a module that makes Nikon RAW (.NEF) image files as easy to work with as JPEG and TIFF images. In a less nebulous explanation, it allows users to view the thumbnails of NEF raw photos and embedded metadata and preview raw images from within Windows Explorer and Windows Photo Gallery. There is no official 64bit support yet. The demand for official 64 bit support has grown louder and louder but Nikon is still slow to respond. That has caused some grief among certain Nikon RAW shooters.
Well, if you really want NEF raw codec with 64 bit support, there is a third party codec offered by Ardfry Imaging, LLC. It is not free, unlike the official Nikon codec, but it is not very expensive either: $19.95. Some even reported that it works in the upcoming Windows 7.
On NikonCafe forum, a visitor called Greg_B mentioned the following:
FYI…I was playing around with Windows Photo Gallery on my Vista 64-bit system today and discovered a way to view NEF photos using the available Nikon codec.
How I did it? I just ran the 32-bit version of Windows Photo Gallery which is located in the ‘\Program Files (x86)\Windows Photo Gallery\’ directory. When using this 32-bit version of Windows Photo Gallery the Nikon codec works fine and you can see NEF files properly. I then just created a shortcut to the 32-bit version on my desktop, so that I could access it easily.
I know this isn’t an ideal solution, but I don’t think it’s too bad until they release a proper 64-bit version.
Greg
I haven’t tried it because I don’t have a 64-bit system. Please let us know if it does work this way.
Personally I found raw codecs little useful even on the supported 32bit system. It seems to be able to display thumbnails only for unedited NEF photos in Windows Explorer. NEF photos edited in Capture NX show up as not thumbnails but only small part of the photo. If you don’t want to spend the extra money, you can get by with the Capture NX 2 that is not officially supported on 64-bit vista but actually works fine.
If you are concerned with digital camera image quality, the newly announced DXOMark website is a must-visit place. They analyze RAW sensor data instead of RGB images generated from a RAW converter to evaluate the actual performance of the sensor, bypassing the noise reduction and other processing of RAW converters. Read More…
Posted in
News,
Technology on November 18th, 2008.
No Comments.
Nikon recently updated its my Picturetown, the photo storage and sharing website, with Mapview functions and supports of more file formats. Read More…
Posted in
Photo sharing on October 2nd, 2008.
No Comments.
Adobe has announced version 2 of its raw processing and work flow tool, the Photoshop Lightroom. Enhancements include the support of localized adjustments (similar to Capture NX’s selection brush and gradient tools), dual monitor workspace, better photo management and organization tools, third party plug-in development, flexible and customizable print packages, and more.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 costs $299 for a new license and $99 for existing users to upgrade. A free trial is available (Adobe account is required).
If you are Linux user, the choices of good RAW editors are limited. LightCrafts announced the beta version of its Lightroom-Aperature-hybrid-looking raw editor LightZone for Linux for your evaluation (not for sale yet). You may also want to read the impressions of LightZone beta for Linux by Scott Gilbertson on Wired Blog.
Posted in
Software on January 11th, 2008.
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Nikon has released the update to its ViewNX photo viewer and browser software. It has a long list of fixes and improvements to its glaring weaknesses in the previous versions, mostly related to user interface usability. Finally I can delete a photo in full screen mode! Read more and find the download links after the jump. Read More…
Posted in
Software on December 5th, 2007.
No Comments.
