D2x RAW File Size: L vs. M

[bravocharlie]

If one is not going to be printing a large format image, why would you shoot in NEF (RAW) Large (12.2 mp) instead of NEF Medium (6.8 mp)?

Nikon claims virtually no quality loss for the compressed NEF.

Can someone shed some light?

 

[realeyz]

I am interested in testing this myself when the big bad X arrives. I will certainly post comparisons at that time.

Someone in another forum mentioned that Nikon calls it "virtually lossless" compression or something like that. Someone else also mentioned there are indeed artifacts with compressed NEFs.

In the end I need to see for myself.

 

[andreasb]

From what I understand there is no such thing as NEF medium or small! NEF is always 12.4 MP! At least I have not beeen able to figure out how to set the D2x to Nef medium or small.

So I shoot either 3 MP JPG+ NEF (12.4) or JPG fine. That way i can very quickly view the 3 MP Jpg and decide of I will keep the pictures and the correseponding NEF at all. BTW you will be surprised how good the 3 MP looks, i have been mistakingly thinking it was a 12MP Jpg several times!

JPG fine is for regular outing like family etc.

andreas

If one is not going to be printing a large format image, why would you shoot in NEF (RAW) Large (12.2 mp) instead of NEF Medium (6.8 mp)?

Nikon claims virtually no quality loss for the compressed NEF.

Can someone shed some light?

 

[bravocharlie]

From what I understand there is no such thing as NEF medium or small! NEF is always 12.4 MP! At least I have not beeen able to figure out how to set the D2x to Nef medium or small.

Yes, there is NEF L M S

While pushing the QUAL button on the rear display, rotate the front selector dial. You'll see it change from L, M, S

 

[andreasb]

WOW How did I miss that! Thank you!

andreas

From what I understand there is no such thing as NEF medium or small! NEF is always 12.4 MP! At least I have not beeen able to figure out how to set the D2x to Nef medium or small.

Yes, there is NEF L M S

While pushing the QUAL button on the rear display, rotate the front selector dial. You'll see it change from L, M, S

 

[realeyz]

According to the manual NEFs are always 12.8 MP (unless you are in HSC mode of course) - the only settings available for NEFs are compressed or uncompressed. The L, M, S, refer to the JPEGs only.

Is the manual wrong? I don't have the camera yet so I can only speak to what the manual says.

 

[andreasb]

I just tested this

and unless I'm totally wrong the NEF is always 12MP, I have not been able to get the NEF to be M or S out of the camera, so unlessI'm missing somthing very obvious it seems that this is the case..

andreas

According to the manual NEFs are always 12.8 MP - the only settings available for NEFs are compressed or uncompressed. The L, M, S, refer to the JPEGs only.

Is the manual wrong? I don't have the camera yet so I can only speak to what the manual says.

 

[bravocharlie]

From what I understand there is no such thing as NEF medium or small! NEF is always 12.4 MP! At least I have not beeen able to figure out how to set the D2x to Nef medium or small.

Yes, there is NEF L M S

While pushing the QUAL button on the rear display, rotate the front selector dial. You'll see it change from L, M, S

I was wrong. The L, M, S is for jpeg only as some one else mentioned. However, you can compress the NEF image.

Go to the shooting menu and turn on Raw Compression. I did a test:

Raw Compression ON: 10.3 mb
Raw Compression OFF: 19.3 mb

So, my original question remains, why acquire images with Raw compression off if you're not printing in a large format?

 

[bravocharlie]

NEF Compressed vs. Uncompressed

Follow up:

I just conducted a test shooting the same image with the same camera settings. One was shot RAW uncompressed, the other RAW compressed.

Both were sharpened the same amount (USM 66,5,4) in post processing.

There is no discernable difference between the 10mb file and the 19mb file. Even when zooming in and looking at it pixel by pixel, in almost every instance, the pixels match when comparing the two photos.

 

[billT]

Re Compressed raw.

I have always shoot compressed raw+JPEG fine when using the D2H and the D2X. I use the JPEGs for quick review on the PC (and quickie prints) and used the raws for detail work. I just took Nikon's word for it that compressed raw is virtually lossless.

BillT

 

[billT]

Re Compressed raw.

I have always shoot compressed raw+JPEG fine when using the D2H and the D2X. I use the JPEGs for quick review on the PC (and quickie prints) and used the raws for detail work. I just took Nikon's word for it that compressed raw is virtually lossless.

BillT