I'm having trouble opening NEF files from a Nikon Z8 on a Windows ARM machine in Lightroom. I've verified the same file opens just fine on a Windows Intel machine.
Z8 with up-to-date firmware, taking photos with "raw only"
Lightroom v7.4.1 (most up to date according to the creative cloud updater)
by-hand insta;led Adobe Camera RAW (v16.4 from AdobeCameraRaw_arm64_16_4.exe)
Downloaded and installed Nikon's RAW plugins, though I do not think those are ARM (and I can't tell if they are working).
I see:
In lightroom's review for import window a warning icon for each NEF file with a mouse-over message "this file does not contain a supported format (or it might be damaged).
The icons in windows show up with the complete picture
Opening the pictures in windows at first shows the proper image but then goes all technicolor lines on me.
I see same error in Adobe's DNG converter and photoshop (both of which have ARM versions)
I suspect the windows and LightRoom issues are distinct, but thought I'd post them here. This is a new machine, fresh install. So it is possible I've forgotten to install something. And this workflow does work on my large AMD based computer.
It could be not all the software is in place for the RAW format for lightroom, but it would be nice if something gave me a clue of what to look at to find that!
I'm dragging and dropping them, as I do on the Intel based windows machine, from camera or directly from the card with a card reader (i've tried both).
My impression is the plug-ins that windows uses and Adobe uses to look at the NEF files were different. Hence the camrea raw package from Adobe. Is that not the case?
Ok - I did a little more research on Camrea Raw - serves me right for not understanding that.
Here is what I did:
Open Lightroom on the web.
Upload one NEF file
Was able to view it on the web
Open up my desktop version of lightroom on my WIndows ARM machine
FIle correctly sync'd down locally
When I try to view the file I get a "this file can't be opened in Lightroom" error.
I'll note this is the same error I get when I go to open other files from the Z8 that were "properly" imported on my intel machine (and were edited, etc., in the lightroom there).
In short, whatever it is that LightRoom depends on to look at NEF files is missing on this machine, and as a result, LightRoom can't interpret what is going on.
First, thank you very much for spending time trying to track this down.
Second, here is a link to a file that is a recent picture (just a random evening shot) I took a few days ago. It is a file that has not worked. DSC_6226.NEF This link will expire this weekend, but can be renewed upon request.
Third, could you tell me what you mean by a file that has been attempted vs not attempted?
Last, when I was talking directly with Adobe Support they also looked at this file (and said that it seemed fine on their intel machine).
Good luck with the ARM machine. I've really been enjoying the battery life and speed of the thing! I can't tell you how well it matches for photography workflow yet!
I have the same issue - it works if you use lossless compression for the RAW files. It seems that there is a licence missing for the compression library used here. But to switch to lossless compression make the files huge ...
That is good news (that it is just a licensing issue). Oddly, it is Intel vs ARM, but that shows, I suppose, the state of the industry. It would be nice to have some official mention of this on their bug pages somewhere.
I had the same issue with my Nikon Z8 and the new Microsoft Surface Pro 11 and was in trouble as I could not save my pictures while I was travelling. Back home again I was able to save and upload the pictures to Lightroom on my MacBook. I tested different settings on the Z8 and what seems to help is what somebody else has suggested here to switch to lossless compression for the NEF files. I still wonder why such an error was not detected earlier by MS and Adobe.
The new version of LightRoom out today - 7.5 - seems to have fixed this. I've not had a chance for a careful test, but the import window can open these files, which is better than it could before!
I spoke too soon - I must have tested with a different compression on the NEF - new files off the Z8 are not working at all. Same problem as before, unfortunately.
I have the same issues with Windows for ARM (a new Surface Laptop 7) and LR 7.5 / Photoshop 25.11.0. NO issues with these files on my Macs.
Adobe - this is really lousy service. SILENTLY no support for a 1 yr old camera (Nikon Z8) on Windows for ARM and causing me needless re-downloads, re-installs,... before finding this thread. You list the Z8 as a compatible camera.
I wanted to use this Surface Laptop as my travel machine on a trip next week. Luckily, I tested my LR/PS install a bit more thoroughly. So it will have to be be my MacBook Air on this trip. Shame on you Adobe, I spent more money than I needed to, in order to get this Laptop in time for my trip. I'm really dissatisfied with your service. You list everything as supported, but don't keep your promises.
I did dig deeper into this, and it seems Adobe is not the one to blame, except for poor documentation (apologies for my initial comment/frustration). Aparently Nikon licensed intoPIX's compression technology for the Z9/Z8 NEFs. So everybody has to use/license intoPIX's SDK for reading these NEFs. And this SDK aparently provides a very optimized / processor-specific code. Aparently intoPIX did not provide this SDK for Windows on ARM yet, even though they have an arm64 CPU-version. Not sure if their SDKs x64 code could be emulated in Windows on ARM, or if we have to wait for intoPIX to provide it, and for Adobe to then use it ....
/t5/lightroom-ecosystem-cloud-based-discussions/p-win-arm-snapdragon-reports-nef-as-an-invalid-file-in-add-photos/m-p/14913052#M9584518 hours ago18 hours ago
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