I had the same exasperating experience and found a simple solution: shoot the Z8 in RAW+JPEG and you get the image in Apple Photos no problem. You can the edit in whatever app you wish.
Nikon Z8 RAW photos incompatible with Apple "Photos" app
- Thread starter James C.
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James C.
Active member
Yes, I don't think there's anything wrong with the photos since I am able to open & view them in Affinity Photo, and Adobe's DNG Converter app.
James, you have tried a lot of things and received great advice. But in the end, I see that your restriction, right now, is that you don't want to pay for a pro style editing program that accepts the Z8 Raw files. The only stand alone free program is Nikon's NX Studio. But the way you want to use it is limited by your desire to access your Apple Photos Library.
First...you absolutely D/L NX Studio on your hard drive. Then you set up an external drive to import your new Z8 files. All work is done on these 'referenced' files. Your 'catalog', which is the history of what is done to each file, is normally maintained on your hard drive. The reason is that the editing/processing speeds are faster than if the catalog is located on the hard drive. (I am assuming all this about catalog location as I do not use NX Studio, but assume the options are similar to CP1).
This is the simplest and cleanest way to set up the program so your files do not fill up your hard drive.
Next on your list of issues was accessing your Apple Photos Library. Simple question..why do you want to do this? You have no Z8 files there. And you are happy with how all other files are organized and accessible. Your Apple Photos Library will not allow to be accessed from another program.
Moving on to workflow and a comment.
If you use NX Studio for your new files....your issue is solved. That is you will use NX Studio to edit and polish your special photos.
If you want to combine your special files with Apple Photos, then export them in any compatible format you wish and then import into your Photos Library. Or, export your entire edited and unedited files and import them into your Apple Photos.
I personally don't recommend this as being somewhat counterproductive. I use Photos to share albums with family and create albums for business. All my editing is done in CP1 and I export in a .jpg format to be imported into Photos.
That being said, let's move on to your 'workflow'. Importing your Raw file and then duplicating it to edit. How do you back this up? What happens if you lose your edited file?
All the best programs provide 'non-destructive' editing. This means that your main file, wherever it is located, is kept 'intact' without any modifications. The edits (modifications) are all done and generally stored in a 'catalog' of some sort. While your file may be 50mb..the size of the file with the edits may be in kb.
So, since you have indicated that doubling your storage requirements is an issue..even though you do that now...this will end up cutting your current storage requirements by close to 90% for new photos.
So, in the end, I suggest you go back to NX Studio for all your Z8 files. Export edited files for use in Apple Photos...if there is any need. And, when Apple updates their OS for the Z8, make your decision on what you will next do. Export all Z8 files, edited or not, and import into Apple Photos.
Free and works around all your issues. And maybe you will become a convert to non-destructive editing and the benefits offered.
Long..hope this helps.
Jon
James C.
Active member
Thanks for your insights.
First, you are correct. I am trying to avoid getting locked into an additional $120/year expense for Lightroom Classic (LrC), especially when I already have the latest version of Affinity Photo 2 for (more advanced) editing, which was a one-time purchase for well under $100. For those photos that I think need it, the basic editing in Apple "Photos" is usually fine for me. And, I can catalog/organize my RAW photos there, too. All, for free.
The "stumbling block" for me with all of the third-party solutions that I've seen (or tried) so far, is that to get the photos into the "Photos" app, I have to export and store them somewhere before I can import them into the Photos app. This presents me with several problems:
I think the reality, for me anyway, is that either the DNG Converter or NX Studio apps may be the most appropriate solution for now. If Apple fails to include proper Z8 file support, then I probably will consider going over to LrC.
p.s. For those interested in considering Affinity Photo 2 for doing advanced photo editing, they're having a 25% off Summer sale going on until August 1st. This also includes Affinity Designer, Affinity Publisher, and the versions for Mac, Windows, and iPad. There's a 30-day free trial, too. https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/#buy
First, you are correct. I am trying to avoid getting locked into an additional $120/year expense for Lightroom Classic (LrC), especially when I already have the latest version of Affinity Photo 2 for (more advanced) editing, which was a one-time purchase for well under $100. For those photos that I think need it, the basic editing in Apple "Photos" is usually fine for me. And, I can catalog/organize my RAW photos there, too. All, for free.
The "stumbling block" for me with all of the third-party solutions that I've seen (or tried) so far, is that to get the photos into the "Photos" app, I have to export and store them somewhere before I can import them into the Photos app. This presents me with several problems:
- storing the exported files is going to take up (eventually) a lot of extra hard drive space, whether it's on my Mac's hard drive, or my external drive.
- the files exported from a 3rd-party app will be in a format other than RAW, which will make it undesirable for me to work with them further in Photos since I'll now have a "lossy" file (e.g., jpeg).
- bringing lossy files into Photos for cataloging, and having the RAW files somewhere else (perhaps in the 3rd-party app) suggests that I'll need to catalog them there, too. (At least, if I want to find them quickly and work on the RAW files at some future time.) So now, I'll need to maintain two sets of catalogs.
- even if I switched to LrC and moved ALL of my photo editing AND cataloging to it, I would be locking myself to LrC indefinitely.
- the extra time I'm using to do all of this.
I think the reality, for me anyway, is that either the DNG Converter or NX Studio apps may be the most appropriate solution for now. If Apple fails to include proper Z8 file support, then I probably will consider going over to LrC.
p.s. For those interested in considering Affinity Photo 2 for doing advanced photo editing, they're having a 25% off Summer sale going on until August 1st. This also includes Affinity Designer, Affinity Publisher, and the versions for Mac, Windows, and iPad. There's a 30-day free trial, too. https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/#buy
Basically your 1-3 have been discussed and are not really the issues. Jump to your other option. That is exactly what I have suggested. Use NX Studio for free and then switch back to Photos when updated for the Z8. Your files need to be stored somewhere.
Questions.....where are you original files now stored? And how large is (are) the folders? I'm interested in how large your photos Library.photoslibrary folder is as well. And then, what size iCloud storage have you subscribed?
Mal Paso
Well-known member
For me the $120 a year for adobe is a smaller issue the the fact I was locked out of my Paid For adobe programs on 3 separate weekends due to adobe security. Of course there is NO adobe customer service on weekends. I too have switched to Affinity.
James C.
Active member
To your questions:
My photos are stored in "Albums" in the Apple Photos app alphabetically by bird species and the year the photo was taken (e.g., Goldfinch, American-2023, Hawk, Red-tailed-2023 albums). All of those albums for that year are kept in a folder (e.g., Birds-2023). For non-avian wildlife, I have a "Fauna-YYYY" folder, and a "Flora-YYYY" folder for plants. This is the same album cataloging scheme that I use for birds.
As for the size of the folders and/or albums, I don't know how big they are since there is no "Get Info" function for folders or albums within the Photos app. There is only a "Get Info" for the individual photos. However, the photoslibrary file I can tell you is currently 1.1TB. From what I have discovered online, the Apple Photos library is limited to 1 million photos or 2TB, whichever comes first.
Finally, I don't use iCloud for my bird/nature photography. I backup my bird/wildlife photography external drive to yet another external drive.
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Your photos are not stored in 'Albums'. Look at albums are 'smart' or 'virtual' repositories for the pictures you want to include in each album. A great way to organize your photos.
You have verified that you have 1.1TB or files stored on your computer's hard drive. These files are not in the 'cloud' or somewhere else. They are on your computer.
Now you mentioned earlier that you duplicate your file. How do you do this and where is the unaltered file located? And, how do you access the original file?
I simply use NX Studio. It’s not unusual for manufacturers to be a little slow updating, and Apple is known for this. The “big” boys like Adobe need users to buy in, so they’re keen to get their apps working as fast as possible.
NX Studio is free.
I have an issue with the native Photos app which is that if you drag a raw file fron the album, what the OS does is convert to jpeg. It’s a pain getting the raw file out. I stopped using Photo for that reason. I use NXS and Affinity Photo now.
NX Studio is free.
I have an issue with the native Photos app which is that if you drag a raw file fron the album, what the OS does is convert to jpeg. It’s a pain getting the raw file out. I stopped using Photo for that reason. I use NXS and Affinity Photo now.
James C.
Active member
In the "Photos" app, under the "File" menu, you can create either a "New Album," a "New Smart Album," or a "New Folder." As a dictionary definition, yes, such things are "virtual repositories," but that is true for any software "container" on any computing device. I am merely using the terminology of the software in question for the sake of accuracy and relevancy.
To clarify, the Photos photolibrary for my bird/wildlife photography is not on my computer's hard drive, it is on the external drive that I designated for importing, storing/cataloging and initially editing my photos.
When I was just getting into bird photography three years ago, I was initially concerned about how my photos might eat up my Mac's hard drive space. I wanted to keep using the Photos app, but keep all the photos I put into it, on a separate external drive as a separate work area & storage space. So I called Apple Support, and they told me that I CAN create additional photo library's, separate from the "System photolibrary," with unique names, and put them on separate hard drives just as I'd wanted. To access any other photo libraries, all I have to do is hold down the "Option" key when I launch the Photos app. It will bring up a list of all photo libraries; both the System's and those on any other connected drives. I select the photolibrary that has the photos I want to work on and, "Voilá," the Photos app will open THAT photo library and I can do my work there. (Very convenient!) And the 1.1TB photolibrary that I previously mentioned, is on my external hard drive, not my Mac's hard drive.
To your other question, when working on a photo in the photoslibrary on my external drive, I first select the photo (or photos) I want to work on, and either go to the "Image" menu and select "Duplicate photo;" or I simply click on the photo(s) I want to work on and type "⌘ D". The RAW image is duplicated, and appears to the right of the original and is also now part of that photo library. I then start editing the duplicated image using the Photo app's post-processing features. If it can't edit the photo to my liking in Photos, I drag & drop it on one of the Topaz Labs apps I like to use, or open the photo with Affinity Photo if I need to do more advanced editing than what the Photos app has to offer. (Of course if I use, either Topaz or Affinity, then I have to export or save it in a non-RAW format.) Now do I "have to" make a duplicate, since the Photos app post-processing features has a "Revert to Original" button? But just in case of any type of accident, I find it gives me peace-of-mind to always have the untouched original there, just in case!
When I come back into the Photos app later, and say I want to continue tweaking that duplicate photo; it is where I left it earlier, in the designated album, to the right of the original image.
I also use Apple photos.
As you're attempting, you could use Nikon's RAW editor until Apple adds compatibility.
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In the "Photos" app, under the "File" menu, you can create either a "New Album," a "New Smart Album," or a "New Folder." As a dictionary definition, yes, such things are "virtual repositories," but that is true for any software "container" on any computing device. I am merely using the terminology of the software in question for the sake of accuracy and relevancy.
To clarify, the Photos photolibrary for my bird/wildlife photography is not on my computer's hard drive, it is on the external drive that I designated for importing, storing/cataloging and initially editing my photos.
When I was just getting into bird photography three years ago, I was initially concerned about how my photos might eat up my Mac's hard drive space. I wanted to keep using the Photos app, but keep all the photos I put into it, on a separate external drive as a separate work area & storage space. So I called Apple Support, and they told me that I CAN create additional photo library's, separate from the "System photolibrary," with unique names, and put them on separate hard drives just as I'd wanted. To access any other photo libraries, all I have to do is hold down the "Option" key when I launch the Photos app. It will bring up a list of all photo libraries; both the System's and those on any other connected drives. I select the photolibrary that has the photos I want to work on and, "Voilá," the Photos app will open THAT photo library and I can do my work there. (Very convenient!) And the 1.1TB photolibrary that I previously mentioned, is on my external hard drive, not my Mac's hard drive.
To your other question, when working on a photo in the photoslibrary on my external drive, I first select the photo (or photos) I want to work on, and either go to the "Image" menu and select "Duplicate photo;" or I simply click on the photo(s) I want to work on and type "⌘ D". The RAW image is duplicated, and appears to the right of the original and is also now part of that photo library. I then start editing the duplicated image using the Photo app's post-processing features. If it can't edit the photo to my liking in Photos, I drag & drop it on one of the Topaz Labs apps I like to use, or open the photo with Affinity Photo if I need to do more advanced editing than what the Photos app has to offer. (Of course if I use, either Topaz or Affinity, then I have to export or save it in a non-RAW format.) Now do I "have to" make a duplicate, since the Photos app post-processing features has a "Revert to Original" button? But just in case of any type of accident, I find it gives me peace-of-mind to always have the untouched original there, just in case!
When I come back into the Photos app later, and say I want to continue tweaking that duplicate photo; it is where I left it earlier, in the designated album, to the right of the original image.
I have a very similar workflow. I find that Apple photos works really well apart from some RAW compatibility issues.
I don't duplicate photos as it would double the storage space. The edits are always based on the original and it's easy to revert.
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A good idea to store your Photos Library on the external drive.
Do you back up that library? And if so, how?
Also, I would still like to know what Photos Library resides on your hard drive and it's size.
As it is now, the worst case scenario is that you have duplicated your required storage on the external drive based on your workflow. (Not including any exporting to another program and importing the edited file in another format).
When you open your Photos Library...and go up to 'Library', how many photos in total do you show? You can also see summaries of your types of media as well.
There is no doubt you know what you need to know for your workflow. What I don't understand is why you don't use one of the free quality programs available and do the following:
1. Import to your 'Folder'/Library on an external drive. (Referenced files) I import by creation date. So there are folders for every day that a photo was taken. Can be one in the folder or as many as you took that day.
2. Keep your program and 'catalog' on your hard drive.
Organize them in the same manner as you do in Photos. Smart albums.....
3. Edit your photos as you wish...adding plug-ins if necessary.
Now...If you share your albums with others, then go to the next step, assuming you will share some of your photos and not all.
4. Export your photos in .jpg format, with all keywords, metadata, changes,........You will have many options.
5. Import the .jpgs into Photos. And organize in the same manner. No duplicates...no editing (unless you are compelled to do so).
This workflow:
- Save you significant amount of storage (storage is cheap but will fill up quickly with the Z8).
- Simplify your editing (learning to use the new program of course). But if you only did what you do in Photos, then I doubt it will be a tough learning curve.
- You will have TONS of additional options in your editing program that are not available in Photos.
i.e. I filtered pics for the last two years to determine whether I should sell my 24-200 and buy the 24-120. It helped me make my decision.
- You will 'delete' your export to edit program, edit, and export to import into Photos..and create more duplicates.
- You will have control of all you pics in one place...with simple backup. You just need to remember to not only back up your 'Referenced Files (Originals), but your Catalog(s) as well.
If you go this route, and wish to import your Photos Library..this is a whole other 'thread'.
So, either do this just until the Z8 update comes out for Photos....or not. Try it nonetheless and see how it works.
Good luck.....
Do you back up that library? And if so, how?
Also, I would still like to know what Photos Library resides on your hard drive and it's size.
As it is now, the worst case scenario is that you have duplicated your required storage on the external drive based on your workflow. (Not including any exporting to another program and importing the edited file in another format).
When you open your Photos Library...and go up to 'Library', how many photos in total do you show? You can also see summaries of your types of media as well.
There is no doubt you know what you need to know for your workflow. What I don't understand is why you don't use one of the free quality programs available and do the following:
1. Import to your 'Folder'/Library on an external drive. (Referenced files) I import by creation date. So there are folders for every day that a photo was taken. Can be one in the folder or as many as you took that day.
2. Keep your program and 'catalog' on your hard drive.
Organize them in the same manner as you do in Photos. Smart albums.....
3. Edit your photos as you wish...adding plug-ins if necessary.
Now...If you share your albums with others, then go to the next step, assuming you will share some of your photos and not all.
4. Export your photos in .jpg format, with all keywords, metadata, changes,........You will have many options.
5. Import the .jpgs into Photos. And organize in the same manner. No duplicates...no editing (unless you are compelled to do so).
This workflow:
- Save you significant amount of storage (storage is cheap but will fill up quickly with the Z8).
- Simplify your editing (learning to use the new program of course). But if you only did what you do in Photos, then I doubt it will be a tough learning curve.
- You will have TONS of additional options in your editing program that are not available in Photos.
i.e. I filtered pics for the last two years to determine whether I should sell my 24-200 and buy the 24-120. It helped me make my decision.
- You will 'delete' your export to edit program, edit, and export to import into Photos..and create more duplicates.
- You will have control of all you pics in one place...with simple backup. You just need to remember to not only back up your 'Referenced Files (Originals), but your Catalog(s) as well.
If you go this route, and wish to import your Photos Library..this is a whole other 'thread'.
So, either do this just until the Z8 update comes out for Photos....or not. Try it nonetheless and see how it works.
Good luck.....
James C.
Active member
Thanks for the post.
You have just given me a new angle to consider, and in the coming week, I will play around with what I'm thinking of. I may post my findings here, if I find one an acceptable workaround.
Canberra
New member
So here's a potential solution - just yesterday Gentlemen Coders (https://www.gentlemencoders.com/) updated their RAW Power app for iOS and macOS with support for Nikon Z8 Lossless Compressed.
RAW Power primarily uses Apple Photos / iCloud Photos as its main digital asset manager ("DAM"), meaning that when you use RAW Power you see the same photos you have in Apple Photos / iCloud Photos (including on mac, iPhone and iPad) and can non-destructively edit them through RAW Power, which then syncs the edited versions back to Apple Photos / iCloud Photos. The editing options are far more extensive than Apple Photos and share a bit in common with Apple's long-gone pro-grade photography app, Aperture (which maybe isn't surprising, given the main developer of RAW Power used to lead the Aperture team at Apple). RAW Power can also sidestep Apple Photos and open folders on your mac / Files app on iOS and view/edit those files independently.
RAW Power includes 'Extended RAW' support for multiple cameras that are not supported by Apple (see full list here: https://www.gentlemencoders.com/extended-raw/). The latest of these is Nikon Z8 Lossless Compressed. This is the first app I'm aware of that will let users of Apple Photos / iCloud Photos view and edit Nikon Z8 raw files without exporting from that DAM. Note that support does not yet cover the Nikon Z8 compressed High Efficiency (HE) and High Efficiency* (HE*) formats.
Basically, the way this works is that you import your NEF file to Apple Photos (on iOS, iPadOS or macOS), as you normally would, even though you will see a blank box instead of the image. Then, if you open RAW Power and go to that image, you will suddenly be able to see and edit it fully. Once you make your edits in RAW Power, you will also be able to see the image in Apple Photos. You will not be able to edit the raw image in Apple Photos, but your edits will be saved in RAW Power and you will be able to go back there and continue editing in the future.
I'm a big fan of RAW Power and have been using it for a few years now, and as someone who also recently purchased a Z8 and uses Apple Photos as my main DAM, I'm very happy they added the Nikon Z8 to their support list. It's not free, but it is a one-off purchase ($9.99 for the iPhone/iPad version and $39.99 for the macOS version).
RAW Power primarily uses Apple Photos / iCloud Photos as its main digital asset manager ("DAM"), meaning that when you use RAW Power you see the same photos you have in Apple Photos / iCloud Photos (including on mac, iPhone and iPad) and can non-destructively edit them through RAW Power, which then syncs the edited versions back to Apple Photos / iCloud Photos. The editing options are far more extensive than Apple Photos and share a bit in common with Apple's long-gone pro-grade photography app, Aperture (which maybe isn't surprising, given the main developer of RAW Power used to lead the Aperture team at Apple). RAW Power can also sidestep Apple Photos and open folders on your mac / Files app on iOS and view/edit those files independently.
RAW Power includes 'Extended RAW' support for multiple cameras that are not supported by Apple (see full list here: https://www.gentlemencoders.com/extended-raw/). The latest of these is Nikon Z8 Lossless Compressed. This is the first app I'm aware of that will let users of Apple Photos / iCloud Photos view and edit Nikon Z8 raw files without exporting from that DAM. Note that support does not yet cover the Nikon Z8 compressed High Efficiency (HE) and High Efficiency* (HE*) formats.
Basically, the way this works is that you import your NEF file to Apple Photos (on iOS, iPadOS or macOS), as you normally would, even though you will see a blank box instead of the image. Then, if you open RAW Power and go to that image, you will suddenly be able to see and edit it fully. Once you make your edits in RAW Power, you will also be able to see the image in Apple Photos. You will not be able to edit the raw image in Apple Photos, but your edits will be saved in RAW Power and you will be able to go back there and continue editing in the future.
I'm a big fan of RAW Power and have been using it for a few years now, and as someone who also recently purchased a Z8 and uses Apple Photos as my main DAM, I'm very happy they added the Nikon Z8 to their support list. It's not free, but it is a one-off purchase ($9.99 for the iPhone/iPad version and $39.99 for the macOS version).
I was really interested in hearing about Raw Power, as I was an Aperture fan awhile back.
Raw Power takes the imported RAW file into Photos and saves a copy with any changes. Therefore it seems as though you double your Photos storage.
But I have a different issue with using Photos as your primary import and storage for our RAW files. You can only access your files through Photos. You will need to export them to do anything you want other than view and edit in Photos/Raw Power.
I do not like this proprietary container for my files.
Raw Power takes the imported RAW file into Photos and saves a copy with any changes. Therefore it seems as though you double your Photos storage.
But I have a different issue with using Photos as your primary import and storage for our RAW files. You can only access your files through Photos. You will need to export them to do anything you want other than view and edit in Photos/Raw Power.
I do not like this proprietary container for my files.
I stopped using the Photo app except for iPhone snaps. If you drag an image out, you’ll get a Josh. To edit a raw you need to export the files you need. With z8 images, you can’t see them in Photo, so you need a third party app to view.
Why go through that, when NX Studio can do pretty much all you need until you use Lr or whatever.
Why go through that, when NX Studio can do pretty much all you need until you use Lr or whatever.
Patrick, 100%. I think the OP is going to try this route..at least until Photos is updated to support the Z8. He may see the light.
James C.
Active member
UPDATE:
I have now tried experimenting with Adobe DNGConverter, NX Studio (see my earlier threads here), Lightroom (7-day free trial), and FastRawViewer (30-day free trail) to view and/or edit Nikon Z8 image files. I am considering trying "darktable" (open source & free) while I wait to see if Apple will make its "Photos" app work with Nikon Z8 image files when it releases the new "Sonoma" MacOS in (I hope) September.
I liked Adobe Lightroom, and if they had allowed me to subscribe on a month-to-month basis from the start, I would have considered using it until I could go back to using the Apple Photos app. Unfortunately, I discovered that Adobe requires that you pay the $10/month subscription based on an ANNUAL contract. That was not what I wanted. I just wanted to subscribe for a month or two, not be locked into their annual subscription fee.
I came across FastRawViewer in my search https://www.fastrawviewer.com, which is only for viewing RAW photos. They have a 30-day free trial (Mac or Windows), and the purchase price is $23.99. I have been using that for over a week now, and find that it is an acceptable way, at present, to view my Z8's photos for culling. I then store the "keeper" shots in a separate folder. For the shots that I want to edit, I use AffinityPhoto V2 . For now this is my workaround.
I have also come across a free, open source, RAW photo viewer and editor called "darktable", which I have not tried yet.
Have any of you tried FastRawViewer or darktable? What do you think of them?
For those of you who are Z8 + Mac users, and are having the same frustrations with Apple Photos, you may want to look into one of these alternatives until Apple addresses the issue.
I hope some of you find this helpful.
I have now tried experimenting with Adobe DNGConverter, NX Studio (see my earlier threads here), Lightroom (7-day free trial), and FastRawViewer (30-day free trail) to view and/or edit Nikon Z8 image files. I am considering trying "darktable" (open source & free) while I wait to see if Apple will make its "Photos" app work with Nikon Z8 image files when it releases the new "Sonoma" MacOS in (I hope) September.
I liked Adobe Lightroom, and if they had allowed me to subscribe on a month-to-month basis from the start, I would have considered using it until I could go back to using the Apple Photos app. Unfortunately, I discovered that Adobe requires that you pay the $10/month subscription based on an ANNUAL contract. That was not what I wanted. I just wanted to subscribe for a month or two, not be locked into their annual subscription fee.
I came across FastRawViewer in my search https://www.fastrawviewer.com, which is only for viewing RAW photos. They have a 30-day free trial (Mac or Windows), and the purchase price is $23.99. I have been using that for over a week now, and find that it is an acceptable way, at present, to view my Z8's photos for culling. I then store the "keeper" shots in a separate folder. For the shots that I want to edit, I use AffinityPhoto V2 . For now this is my workaround.
I have also come across a free, open source, RAW photo viewer and editor called "darktable", which I have not tried yet.
Have any of you tried FastRawViewer or darktable? What do you think of them?
For those of you who are Z8 + Mac users, and are having the same frustrations with Apple Photos, you may want to look into one of these alternatives until Apple addresses the issue.
I hope some of you find this helpful.
NX Studio works just fine for me. My concern is that Somoma won’t run on my 2017 iMac! I’m hoping the whisper of a new iMac 32“ 5k isn’t just wind. 
Patrick,NX Studio works just fine for me. My concern is that Somoma won’t run on my 2017 iMac! I’m hoping the whisper of a new iMac 32“ 5k isn’t just wind.
Apple's normal support time is 7 years. You should still be ok. If Ventura is running then Sonoma should as well.
Alas maybe not…
en.wikipedia.org
MacOS Sonoma - Wikipedia
Supported hardware
macOS Sonoma supports Macs with Apple silicon and Intel's Xeon-W and 8th-generation Coffee Lake/Amber Lake chips or later,[17] and drops support for various models released in 2017. The 2019 iMac is the only supported Intel Mac that lacks a security T2 chip. Sonoma supports the following Mac models:[18]- iMac (2019 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- MacBook Air (2018 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
- Mac Mini (2018 or later)
- Mac Pro (2019 or later)
- Mac Studio (all models)
Yikes. That does stink. Forgot that the Apple Silicone changed things for the new OS and compatibility with Intel machines.Alas maybe not…
MacOS Sonoma - Wikipedia
Supported hardware
macOS Sonoma supports Macs with Apple silicon and Intel's Xeon-W and 8th-generation Coffee Lake/Amber Lake chips or later,[17] and drops support for various models released in 2017. The 2019 iMac is the only supported Intel Mac that lacks a security T2 chip. Sonoma supports the following Mac models:[18]
According to an Ars Technica analysis, 2016 and 2017 Macs received on average 6 years of updates, lower than the 7–8 years of updates received by Intel Macs released from 2009 to 2015.[19][18]
- iMac (2019 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- MacBook Air (2018 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
- Mac Mini (2018 or later)
- Mac Pro (2019 or later)
- Mac Studio (all models)
James C.
Active member
FYI, "Apple makes the distinction between "vintage" and "obsolete" products. Vintage products are Apple products that haven't been manufactured for more than 5 years, but less than 7 years. Obsolete products haven't been manufactured for more than 7 years. Apple says it has discontinued all hardware service for obsolete products with no exception, but says that some vintage products may be able to get limited service. Apple says this is subject to availability and where the products were purchased." - from a 2018 CNET.com article.NX Studio works just fine for me. My concern is that Somoma won’t run on my 2017 iMac! I’m hoping the whisper of a new iMac 32“ 5k isn’t just wind.