D500 RAW files in LR and PS

[travelphotoclimber]

What do I need, if anything, to open RAW files from a D500 for use in Lightroom and PhotoShop CC?

I remember downloading a .DNG file for the D300 and D600, but is that still necessary? If so, is that an Adobe download or a Nikon download?

I see a RAW Converter on Adobe's site. Is it a universal type download or specific to the camera?

What's the procedure? I'd think it'd be offered with the download, again, if needed.

Hope this post is in the right forum.

Thanks in advance,

Wandering Bob

 

[Ann_JS]

Your D500 is a recognised camera in recent versions of Adobe software so you don't need anything else to open your NEFs in either Lr or ACR.

I have just noticed in your other thread that you have Lr 5?
That one is too old to support the D500 so you will need to upgrade.

 

[travelphotoclimber]

Your D500 is a recognised camera so you don't need anything else to open your NEFs in either Lr or ACR.

Thanks Ann.

I'm still downloading software to my new MBP.

I was unable to open on other machine which has PH CS 5. Do I need the .DNG for that one?

 

[Ann_JS]

Lr 5 is too old for your camera so you will need to upgrade.

If you can avoid installing Catalina, do so because there are numerous problems being reported with Photoshop, many plugins and other programs.

 

[travelphotoclimber]

Lr 5 is too old for your camera so you will need to upgrade.

If you can avoid installing Catalina, do so because there are numerous problems being reported with Photoshop, many plugins and other programs.

That's why I could not view them! Ahhhhh! I remember, now. I thought about getting CS 6 a few years ago, not sure that'll cover it. Sad that I will have the newer software on the travel computer ... at least for now.

I have had my pains with upgrading software when I first comes out. Going on an extended trip, so hopefully most bugs will be sorted by the time I return.

Thanks again.

 

[Allan]

That's why I could not view them! Ahhhhh! I remember, now. I thought about getting CS 6 a few years ago, not sure that'll cover it.

CS6 will not open D500 raw files. You need the dng converter.

 

[Replytoken]

You actually have two issues, as has been pointed out by Ann and Allan. First, will your older versions of Adobe software run on your Mac. If you are using or will be soon switching to their newest OS, Catalina, then you very well may have issues with the software as Catalina is not designed to run any 32-bit programs, and the versions that you mention may have 32-bit code in them. The second questions is compatibility between your D500 file and the versions of software you are hoping to use. I do not remember the exact dates of when LR5.x and the 500 were released, but I am sure they are not compatible. You would need to use Adobe's free DNG Converter to convert the D500 NEF (raw) file to DNG if you want LR5.x to be able to read the file. I know it may not be what you want to hear, but you should consider upgrading to a newer version of LR, if only for hardware compatibility.

Good luck,

--Ken

 

[travelphotoclimber]

You actually have two issues, as has been pointed out by Ann and Allan. First, will your older versions of Adobe software run on your Mac. If you are using or will be soon switching to their newest OS, Catalina, then you very well may have issues with the software as Catalina is not designed to run any 32-bit programs, and the versions that you mention may have 32-bit code in them. The second questions is compatibility between your D500 file and the versions of software you are hoping to use. I do not remember the exact dates of when LR5.x and the 500 were released, but I am sure they are not compatible. You would need to use Adobe's free DNG Converter to convert the D500 NEF (raw) file to DNG if you want LR5.x to be able to read the file. I know it may not be what you want to hear, but you should consider upgrading to a newer version of LR, if only for hardware compatibility.

Good luck,

--Ken

Ken.

I do have a new 13" MBP with Mojave ... still setting it up for travel. I bought the subscription to Adobe PS and LR, so I am set on this machine. Except, I cannot test as I'm anxiously awaiting amazon orders for dongles and such to convert from USB to USB-c. So, at this point, feet are in concrete ... days before I leave on 2 month sojourn. Hope I figure it out ... otherwise this new machine will be home, chillin in Alaska as I tapes around SE Asia with the old 15". Haha!

I still have the issue of a 2005 15" MBP with an older version of LR and CS5 too. Hoping to set that up for PS editing at home so looks like I need that DNG anyway. But that'll wait til I return.

Thanks, so much

 

[Replytoken]

I hope you get your dongles and test them before your trip. And, you should be able to install the CC version of PS on your older 15" laptop, so you may not need to convert to DNG. But, if you keep copies of your NEF files if/when you convert to DNG, you have options in the future (and a bit less storage).

Safe travels,

--Ken

 

[Ann_JS]

The software improves all the time and I nearly always go back to my older NEFs from earlier years and re-work them again before using them today.

I am fairly certain that CS 5 and 6 were issued before the D500 shipped so it is unlikely that you can use that software. Frankly, the improvements to the software has been so extensive in the current versions that it makes little sense to use outdated software.

 

[Baywing]

You can always use Nikon View and Capture. They are free downloads from Nikon. I refuse to pay monthly for PS/LR CC and have CS5 and LR5. I use Nikon software as my raw converter and am happy with the results. Yes, it's an extra step but I never liked Camera raw's conversion anyway.

 

[Ann_JS]

ACR conversion can produce ant results you want — providing that the User turns off all Auto settings and drives the software for themselves.

Nikon's software is OK — if you can put up with its slowness but I can't.

CS5 is terribly outdated now.

The performance and capabilities in the new versions are light-years ahead.

I expect even greater advances (in both speed and capabilities) in any new versions which will almost certainly be announced at Adobe MAX in two weeks' time.

 

[warth man]

FWIW I have the final "lifetime" 6.14 version of Lightroom. It supports the D500 which is supported from version 6.5 on.

 

[Replytoken]

FWIW I have the final "lifetime" 6.14 version of Lightroom. It supports the D500 which is supported from version 6.5 on.

While 6.14 was the last version prior to Adobe moving to a subscription model, I am not sure I would use the term "lifetime" to describe it as eventually OS updates will probably render it inoperable. Yes, you will be able to use it for some undetermined amount of time, but things will eventually change, as is evident in the release of Apple's Catalina OS update.

--Ken

 

[warth man]

I used the term because that's the term they use. And I did put quotation marks around it.

 

[Replytoken]

I used the term because that's the term they use.

True, and you did put it in quotes. I just wanted to make sure that any other readers were aware of the "limited shelf life" of 6.14. I am not a fan of subscription models, and Adobe has done enough things to annoy me over the years, but I am in the process of moving over to the CC as LR offers me a comprehensive set of tools that would be challenging to replicate. It is good to have options and competition. It keeps the system healthy.

--Ken