Portable Network Graphics (PNG) is a raster-based file type that compresses images for portability. However, NEF files are meant to be post-processed first before converting to JPG. If you do not have access to programs that can open NEF files, we recommend converting them via our NEF to JPG tool. Since NEF is proprietary to Nikon, the best program to use for opening and editing a NEF is Nikon’s Capture NX2 or a post-processing software like Adobe Lightroom.Ĭonverting a NEF file to a non-proprietary format is as simple as opening it in an image-viewing application and saving it as a TIFF, JPG, PNG, GIF, PSD, or any other popular format.
How to open a NEF file?Ī NEF file must be transferred from a Nikon camera to a computer for viewing and editing. NEF files are not compressed and are often referred to as digital negatives. It is a RAW file format, which means that it includes all of the information about the image captured by the camera’s sensor, such as data about the camera used to take the photo and the settings that were in place when it was taken. Nikon Electronic Format (NEF) is a proprietary file format for Nikon cameras.
