NEF files not showing in file explorer

Software RawTherapee
8

Can you please upload one NEF to filebin.net and post the link here?

9

Let me know if this works.

10

I tried using RT 4.2.1008 (gtk2) on Windows 7.

Edit: I confirm that RT does not show the NEF. DT shows a thumb but I when I try to open the file it fails too and shows a skull. IrfanView reports: Decoding error. Not a valid Raw file.

I opened the NEF in a HEX-Editor and see things like <MicrosoftPhoto:Rating> at the beginning of the NEF. I bet it’s not an original NEF from your camera but somehow modified by another software.

1 Like
11

I tried to open this NEF with AfterShot, LightRoom and UFRaw and none of them was able to load it.

The only chance you probably have is to get Nikon NX-D to develop it, as this loads something and gives the chance to convert it into 16bit tiff - but also NX-D only gives you a slightly small image of 1620x1080 pix

I think those

aren’t the real problem, but it looks like the header of the file is somehow broken. Cause if I open this NEF in Nikon NX-D it only offers me a dimension of 1620x1080 but reports a file size of 25.9MB. So if I compare this with one of my old D7100 images 27.8MB would represent 6000x4000. So that’s why I assume the header is broken. The image data is most probbaly still there but the “pointer” to where it beginns is missing … or something like this.

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My point was that the NEF most likely is modified. Which modification broke it I don’t know.

13

sure, you are right

14

Nikon Transfer is known for corrupting raw files, and I see in the metadata that you used it @sotherbee. Avoid it like fire.
To repair these raw files, http://owl.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/fix_corrupted_nef.html

If you’re looking for a libre program for uploading raw files from camera to PC and managing them and metadata, try digiKam:
https://www.digikam.org/
http://download.kde.org/stable/digikam/digiKam-5.1.0-02-Win64.exe

2 Likes
15

Thanks for all the help, everybody. What a huge oversight that the official Nikon software ruins photos, wish I knew that earlier.

Morgan, do you know how reliable that program is that repairs the files? I won’t be able to try it for probably a few days. I just used the Nikon software to upload the files to PC and change the name of them.

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Very. This tool has been around for a long time and many of us use it. :slight_smile:

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Which tool?

Edit: I think you mean exiftool

1 Like
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No, but I’m counting on you letting us know in a couple of days ;]
And, as @patdavid said.

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Wow, I had no idea of this! I haven’t knowingly been impacted, but if I was I doubt my first instinct would be to look into Nikon Transfer as a cause. Changing my habits immediately!

1 Like
20

Same thing happening to me with any raw file; at first I was thinking that only CR2 (Canon) files don’t show, but I also have a mirrorless Panasonic and I owned previously various other camera brands; no RAW showing up in RT file explorer.
List of cameras: Canon 350D, 30D, 5D (classic), 40D; Nikon D50, D700; Sigma SD14; Pentax K-x; Panasonic G5, Panasonic FZ1000.
No CR2, PEF, CR2, RW2 or X3F file is showing in the integrated RawTherapee file browser.
If there is something that „corrupts” the files, I’d like to know (but they are still usable by any other program: LR, Picasa or the Photos app integrated in Win10).
Using RawTherapee 4.2.1148/64bits on Windows10/64. I already checked RT settings, and all the extensions (minus PNG) were already selected to show.
P.S.: I just checked, if I right-click an image in Windows File Explorer and then select RT as the program to open it with, the image shows up and I can work on it. But if I go back to the integrated RT file browser, there is again no image showing up; just JPEGs, no RAWs.

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Hi @barbu,

As @ingo wrote some posts earlier:

Can you please upload one image to filebin.net and post the link here?

I have RT 4.2.1148/64bits on Windows10/64 here as well, so I can
swiftly check what happens on my machine. Take a CR2, please, because I was
used to handling them :slight_smile:

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Sure: https://filebin.net/tsmsex0m9r6wo5oa/IMG_8080.CR2
Thanks!

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I got it - and it is shown just fine in RT’s file browser (RT 4.2.1148 on Windows10/64):

If I were you, I would delete your local RT settings folder
C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\RawTherapee
(but save it somewhere else first!) and then re-install RT.

OK?

1 Like
24

Proceeded straight to reinstalling , then started it again. Everything shows up just fine…
Can’t believe my eyes, such a simple solution; thanks a bunch! :slight_smile:
OTOH, this kinda means I won’t be able to reproduce the bug…

25

@Barbu

  1. Are you sure you have the file extensions there and that they are correct? I know you just wrote that, but experience taught me that sometimes asking the same questions several times gets you several different answers :wink: https://i.imgur.com/DyTs6QT.png
  2. Are you sure you have no filter activated? For example showing only trash, or only starred photos, or only JPEGs.
  1. If all else fails, close RT, delete or rename your “options” file, restart RT and see what happens. File Paths - RawPedia
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@Morgan_Hardwood, dunno exactly where you lost track, but my problem was already solved.
Nevertheless, step-by-step:

  • I did the standard instalation (I used RT a few years ago, first time when it wasn’t open source; I was reminded of it, and I said let’s try)
  • right after installing I browsed a few directories, and I was shown only JPEGs and no RAWs, no matter how new/old were the files;
  • checked filters first, made sure to clear any active ones (which weren’t there anyway; fresh install, remember?)
  • after that I dug into RT preferences, to see if any option was disabled or if it might have needed some external codec (DCraw or something); that’s when I saw, like the OP with his NEFs, that all the file types were selected to show (except PNG)
  • as @Claes suggested, I did a reinstall of RT and then all files were shown.
    We’ll never know what was there; maybe RT got stuck when scanning the folders (it’s not instant, but it shows a progress bar in RAW-heavy folders) and now is playing nicely.

*Again, thanks for trying to solve, but the problem was already solved. *

27

I clicked “reply” and had to leave halfway through writing my reply, didn’t see your update until after I posted.