Participant

Answered

Lightroom Classic still can't handle Nikon Z9 raw files properly

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
February 16, 2022
7 replies
10993 views

It's been 2-3months now since Adobe provided support to read Nikon Z9 RAW file in Lightroom but the performance been far off from good. The importing of 9 files been very slow compare to other Nikon camera model, it almost double the time just to import files in. Secondly, the noise level at low ISO have been really bad even after noise reduction. The Nikon jpg file seems to have better noise control. I hope Adobe can provide more updates for Nikon Z9 to have more usable files like all the previous models.

macOS

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Correct answer Jao vdL

Indeed the Lightroom version looks far better with better detail and the noise in the back is easy to fix in five seconds with the detail sliders. This is just a difference in default amount of noise reduction.

KR Seals

Community Expert

@ nancycoste

Can you please provide more information? What happens when you try to use Nikon Z9 nef files in Lightroom Classic?

Ken Seals - Nikon Z 9, Z 8, 14mm-800mm. Computer Win 11 Pro, I7-14700K, 64GB, RTX3070TI. Travel machine: 2021 MacBook Pro M1 MAX 64GB. All Adobe apps.

Z

ZBalling

Inspiring

I think you should be thankful that at least Profile corrections (vignetting removal and lens corrections) are applied by default now. Just saying.

As for the speed, buy faster Nvidia gpu. Default application of camera stuff means it will be quite slow.

(Rawtherapee shows just how small vignetting is, wow and is slower than even Camera Raw!)

N

nancycoste

Known Participant

same problem on my side....does not import the raw at all..

J

Jao vdL

Community Expert

I have analysed a number Z9 raw images because of other threads like this and have concluded that there is no difference between this camera and other Z series as well as other similar cameras from Sony and Canon with respect to the rendering in Lightroom. The noise is exactly how you expect it at higher ISOs and represents the actual noise in the image. However, if you compare with in-camera jpegs, the rendering is by default indeed much noisier. What is also abundently clear is that Nikon's noise reduction is extreme and is actually losing you a lot of detail. It is very objectionable (at least to me) . Optimizing the noise reduction in Lightroom (which takes seconds) gives far superior results. You can also make them look the same if you want but you'll lose just as much detail as Nikon's rendering obliterates so it really is a choice. I think what is happening here is that Nikon made their in-camera noise reduction even more aggressive and this is making people think Lightroom is doing something wrong when in fact it is just being honest. Of course running the files through Topaz blows both completely out of the water but that is no surprise as it is much slower to do that.

If you're seeing different results would love to see some examples but best to send them to Adobe as they will use them to fine tune the default settings.

Not sure what is going on with the importing. The files I got went in at the same speed as any other.

M

mikko24005076mmrz

Participant

Z9 raw images cannot be properly edited if there are windows https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/camera-raw-plug-supported-cameras.html?fbclid=IwAR3q0PaWHcFKyKhTBTGXyEn7rp50oapiLSazl5IourVI-mPS2cpW_XbO55A

Z 9 (*see note)

NEF

Yes

14.0

5.0

11.0

-

Note:

(*) Nikon High Efficiency raw compression modes are currently not supported on:

Windows ARM64
ARMv7 and x86 for Android
Note:

Preliminary support means that the image quality and raw format support for the given camera model is not yet finalized and may be updated in a future release.

Z

ZBalling

Inspiring

That is windows arm64. Not x86_64. Also that is HE*.

elizabethh92632953

Participant

Lightroom works slowly while processing Nikon Z9 images. I have not noticed the noise issue you are talking about but i have went though every trouble shoot possible. As a high volume shooter part of the year i am very concerned about this slowing my workflow down significantly. Prior to this if I had an issue with an update I would just set to a previous version of lightroom classic, however, this is not possible since earlier versions will not reconize the Z9 files.

Ian Lyons

Community Expert

Your asking for help yet providing next to no information that can be used as even a starting point. I suggest your start a new thread and provide a more comprehensive explanation of where you're having issues (e.g import, previews, masks, spot/clone, etc). You should also provide details of the OS you're using along with the type and specification of the computer.

elizabethh92632953

Participant

I believe I was responding to the origional posted stating I had issues as well but a little beyond just the importing and that I have not experienced the posters noise issue. I did not ask for help on any part of this message. I unfortunatly read your message as very rude and condesending and rememember now why i do not participate in these forums.

A

ajm057

Participant

I believe that LR Classic 11.2 (with Camera RAW 14.2) treats my RAW files just fine -- but it will not show a decent clear sharp image on my monitor -- whereas when I edit in, say, Topaz Sharpen AI - I see a sharp image before I apply the sharpening model.

Zooming in to 100% in LR sometimes helps - LR "loads" the file and a clearer sharper image emerges.

I build 1:1 previews and smart previews on all the files I work on -- and then discard them later.

It is really frustraiting when checking sharpness has been a key part of my image sifting process.

What is going on LR?

Rikk Flohr_Photography

Actually, without detailed information, examples, and reproducible steps, I recommend not posting this in the "Bug" section. There is not enough information to determine that this is a bug.

Better would be to provide examples of image #'s and exact time to import between 'other Nikon' camera model and the Z9. I suspect we are dealing with a file size issue.

WRT Noise - examples of what you are seeing would help a great deal.

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org

Africadunc

Known Participant

I have the same issue. The RAWs are over-sharpened and the noise is terrible, compared with when you import them into other image processing software. I have found a work-around provided by a photographer in a youtube video. If you create a preset with: sharening set to zero, texture -75, then the raw will look similar to what the same file does when imported into capture one. The full details are here: youtube... This is a Z9 issue only, so hopefully you guys at Adobe will fix it soon.

TheDigitalDog

Inspiring

As I wrote below, I extensively tested this with Z9 files and I could not find anything wrong with how Lightroom renders them. Grain and sharpness is exactly as you expect from a 45 MP camera with state-of-the-art sensor out of the box. Completely like you would expect. The jpegs are oversmoothed and lose a lot of detail. That is unfortunately pretty typical nowadays and tools like Lightroom allow you much more freedom in dialing in just he right sharpening and noise reduction. The settings you suggested: sharpening:0, texture:-75 sounds strange to me. Images with those settings will look like a crazy smeared mess. Certainly nothing like that shows up in the raw files I looked at and applying that setting would ruin basically every image except if you want to accomplish a certain (very ugly) effect. Also looked at the youtube video. @digitaldog would probably have a good laugh listening to it as it is pretty clueless. That is unfortunately very common amongst youtubers in this area even when they are accomplished photgraphers. There is a lot of misinformation and myth out there on how this works that just keeps getting repeated.

@Jao vdL wrote:

@digitaldog would probably have a good laugh listening to it as it is pretty clueless. That is unfortunately very common amongst youtubers in this area even when they are accomplished photgraphers. There is a lot of misinformation and myth out there on how this works that just keeps getting repeated.

Please, one cluless video a day is all I can take. I had to watch this nonsense this morning (and no, it isn't a mere 4 minutes of nonsense as promised but 7 minutes of nonesense):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo4tQWk2e6E

A lot of misinformation and myth from presubably a photographer who doesn't know what Exposure is sadly.

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"

dj_paige

Legend

We're not Adobe in this part of the forum, we are other Lightroom Classic users, we can't modify how the software behaves. You would be better off posting this in the BUGS portion of the forum, not in the DISCUSSIONS part of the forum.

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