File format · RAW

.NEF — Nikon NEF

Nikon Electronic Format, Nikon's TIFF-based RAW with lossless, lossy and High Efficiency (TicoRAW) compression options.

.nef
File extension
RAW
Type
12–14-bit
Bit depth
1999
Introduced
R/W
ExifTool support (R/W/C)

What is a .nef file?#

Nikon Electronic Format, Nikon's TIFF-based RAW with lossless, lossy and High Efficiency (TicoRAW) compression options.

Made by: Nikon.

Advantages#

  • High Efficiency mode much smaller

Drawbacks#

  • HE RAW needs recent software

How to open and convert it#

Open & edit: Adobe Lightroom / Camera Raw, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, darktable and RawTherapee (free), or the manufacturer's own free software. Windows and macOS preview most RAW formats natively after updates.

Convert: Adobe DNG Converter (free) turns proprietary RAW into DNG; any RAW editor exports JPEG or 16-bit TIFF.

See all Nikon cameras.

Read metadata: exiftool file.nef — see the EXIF tag reference.

Best for: Nikon DSLRs and Z cameras.

Other RAW formats#

.3fr.arq.arw.cr2.cr3.crm.cs1.czi.dcr.dng.erf.fff.gpr.iiq.k25.kdc.mef.mos.mrw.nrw.pef.r3d.raf.raw

Frequently asked questions#

What opens .nef files?

Open & edit: Adobe Lightroom / Camera Raw, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, darktable and RawTherapee (free), or the manufacturer's own free software. Windows and macOS preview most RAW formats natively after updates.

Convert: Adobe DNG Converter (free) turns proprietary RAW into DNG; any RAW editor exports JPEG or 16-bit TIFF.

See all Nikon cameras.

Is .nef a RAW file?

Yes — it stores minimally processed sensor data from Nikon cameras.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources