raw files look like jpg when try to develop

Forum|Forum|9 months ago
June 16, 2025
3 replies
348 views

Hi, Im going crazy over here. My .NEF files look like horrible .JPG files when i try to develop them in Lr, camara raw, etc.. i dont know what is happening. please help me!

macOS

D

drtonyb

Legend

@ricardo_1657

Your photo looks underexposed. Have you tried the Adaptive Color profile?

D

drtonyb

Legend

@ricardo_1657

You haven't provided a full screenshot as requested.

However, I see the first shot (single photo) is the Library Loupe view and shows the Embedded Preview of what appears to be a DNG. The Embedded Preview is a jpg created by the camera with the camera settings applied to it. The original nef file has this jpg embedded within the nef file.

The second shot (two photos) shows the unedited raw file on the left; it generally won't look like the embedded preview (jpg from the camera).

The initial 'look' of your imported nef files depends on the Preset settings in Preferences.

Setting Global: to 'Camera Settings' will make your initial 'look' of imported nef files more like the camera jpg, but not exactly the same since the Profile applied will be Adobe's version, not Nikon's.

R

ricardo_1657Author

Participant

Thank you so much!

Ive always worked with neff files and they usually look quite desaturated, flater, cleaner, etc. but my RAW this time look horrible, like the photo on the left (here im attaching a sample as how it opens when i try to develop it either in Lr, Ps, etc.-. i dont know if my files are the ones that are damaged or my card.. this had never happen before.. and i have a deadline for this job and havent been able to figure out what is going on 😕😕

GoldingD

Legend

It might be helpful if you minimized the presets panel and maximized the History panel. (that is not at all shown) Also, why is the treatment panel not shown??

johnrellis

Legend

Please post a full-resolution screenshot of the ENTIRE LR window in Develop showing what you're seeing.

R

ricardo_1657Author

Participant

The first image (one photo) is the embdede preview. The second image, the left photo is my RAW(NEF) why does it looks like that?? the right photo is the embeded preview

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