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!

Participating Frequently

I have installed today the latest update but the compressed NEF files with high efficency* are not coverd. Only, and this was also before the case, the losless compressed files work. So im forced to shoot raw + jpg to have something when I travel and back home edit the RAWs as usual.

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AndiKunar

Participant

Same for me - it's really disappointing after this much time.

Also Nikon's own tools don't work on Windows for Arm at all. I had to get DxO PhotoLab for my Snapdragon X Elite machine in order to view/edit Nikon compressed NEFs - it still runs emulated, but at least it works with compressed NEFs.

Manhal_Albasry

Participant

I am having the same problem here. Snapdragon on Surface Pro 11. Any updates from Adobe?

Manhal_Albasry

Participant

My workaround: Upload to lightroom web and open afterwords in the lightroom app. I am not happy though with this side way! I am working on lightroom 8.4 and this issue is older than 1 year now.

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Crossrunner32

Participant

I have a similar issue with a Z6iii, after Update (Nikon and LIghtroom), installed latest ARM based converter 17.0. After several talks to Adobe Chat Support, it is known, but unknown, when we will get a update. Nasty thing - to work, it is necessary to used an intel based or Browser or 3rd Party DNG converter (DNG works)

From: https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/camera-raw-plug-supported-cameras.html

Participating Frequently

What converter can you use? I have tried Adobe DNG convert but on snapdragon this also dint work. Is there a converter that works on snapdragon?

S

Sooks Media

Known Participant

Any update on this issue? Is this something that Adobe can fix or is this a Nikon issue?

Rikk Flohr_Photography

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

Windows ARM64
ARMv7 and x86 for Android

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org

Participating Frequently

Is it planed to support this files in the near future?

J

Joshua31679663nnp1

Participant

It's now June 2025 and it's still not supported. Seems like ARM support on Windows is still second thought for most developers since I'm sure the install base is very low.

Gordon5C52Author

Participating Frequently

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!

Gordon5C52Author

Participating Frequently

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.

Participating Frequently

I have the same issues with my ARM Windows machine and Version 7.5.

Hope this will be fixed soon....

martinz607227

Participant

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.

robertb53657074

Participant

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 ...

Gordon5C52Author

Participating Frequently

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.

Rikk Flohr_Photography

"Opening the pictures in windows at first shows the proper image but then goes all technicolor lines on me.""

This is your clue.

That Windows shows an intact thumbnail (from the embedded preview in the. raw file) and won't open the file points towards a data corruption.

How are you getting your files from the memory card to the local machine?

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org