Nikon Z8 RAW photos incompatible with Apple "Photos" app

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Member's gallery
I see your point and in this scenario it definitely does suck having to rely on apple.

I dont edit my photos in apple photos as i have software that easily reads the raw file so for me, paying for lightroom would be waste of money. I only use apple photos as photo management.

The bigger issue for me personally is since its not supported, it wont let me export the raw to an external editor that does support it because i shoot in raw+jpeg and jpeg is always the default format. I cant set the raw as the default to export since its not supported yet.

If i wanted to remedy this myself, i would just shoot in RAW only, then i could export to all my editing software and all would be good… this is what i have been doing in the meantime but in my opinion it shouldnt be something we all have to do. I get it though that this is first world problem.

At the end if the day, it just seems strange that there still is no support especially if apple wants people to use apple photos.
 
Member's gallery
I agree that it is annoying. I shoot HE* and cannot open in OS 'Preview'. Not that important but annoying nonetheless. Apple...Get on the HE* ball!
 
Member's gallery
BarkingBeansCoffee said:
It’s a royalty issue. I don’t expect Apple to do it soon. I gave up on HE* for that reason.
Click to expand...
Based on my workflow, I don't see a reason to give up on HE*. Basically not giving up anything noticeable regarding processing/editing and saving a boatload of space. While space may be 'cheap', it is gratuitous, at least for me, to use it up.
 
Member's gallery
Im still very shocked that there is still no support so that leads me to believe that its not an apple issue…

So i use affinity photo to edit my RAWs and their latest update doesnt support the Z8 either. Their support says they dont do any in house RAW support and that they get all their RAW updates from “libraw.org”… Similar to how they get all their lens profiles from “lensfun”.

Im guessing that Apple must be doing something similar. According to libraw’s website, they do updates once a year… usually around January.

Either way i find it strange as much smaller software supported the Z8 a few weeks after it was released.
 
Member's gallery
Apple released MacOS version 14.2 today. And yet again, there is STILL no support for Nikon Z8 RAW files, SEVEN MONTHS since the Z8's release.

Looks like I'm going to have to switch to Adobe Lightroom! 😖
 
Member's gallery
Cameron T said:
Not to say I told you so, but there's a reason I suggested just using something else rather than relying on apple.
Click to expand...
Not really productive. Just about anyone I know who seriously edits and organizes their photos, imports them into their program..LR/Capture 1......
Many use something like PhotoMechanic to preselect before importing.
Basically this is part of one's workflow. Apple is not the only one that does not recognize the Z8 files yet-but it has not hindered me in the least.
I'm still waiting for DXO to support HE*. But I still manage.
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
We are all relying on one software one way or another. Apple will eventually fix this though.

I would hate to jump straight into adobe and fully rely on them for a monthly fee forever essentially.
 
Member's gallery
Mogadishu said:
We are all relying on one software one way or another. Apple will eventually fix this though.

I would hate to jump straight into adobe and fully rely on them for a monthly fee forever essentially.
Click to expand...
Why just Apple, Nikon is part of it was well. I do admit it seems odd this length of time.
You don't have to jump into Adobe although I think it's tremendous value. You can use NX Studio for free.
 
Member's gallery
I would get Capture One… ive heard great things about it. Right now i use Affinity Photo to edit and really have no issues with that.

The whole apple issue for me is how i get my RAW’s to my editing software. I normally can just use affinity photo/topaz plugins from apple photo but since RAW isnt supported, im not able to use plugins at all for those RAW’s.

So right now i have to export them, edit, then re-import. Its just annoying and adds more time to my workflow :)
 
Member's gallery
Today, Apple released version 14.3 of MacOS Sonoma, and as before, there is STILL no RAW support for the Nikon Z8 EIGHT MONTHS since that camera's release!

(And, yes, I switched over to Adobe Lightroom Classic last month because of this. However, at this moment I have only ~1.1K photos in Lightroom, but over 30K in Apple "Photos.")
 
There really are no photos in lightroom, just a link within the lightroom catalog to the image file wherever it is stored. You could also link your 30k of photos to lightroom as it doesn't have to move them or copy them, just link to them, which lightroom calls importing.
 
Member's gallery
bleirer said:
There really are no photos in lightroom, just a link within the lightroom catalog to the image file wherever it is stored. You could also link your 30k of photos to lightroom as it doesn't have to move them or copy them, just link to them, which lightroom calls importing.
Click to expand...
Since the 30K photos are in an Apple "Photos" photolibrary, I don't think that Lightroom would be able to access them. Or am I mistaken?
 
Member's gallery
My guess is they wouldnt be accessible unless you exported them from apple photos and then import into lightroom.

Im not a lightroom user myself but i imagine they have a migration tool you could use to do all the work for you.
 
James C. said:
Since the 30K photos are in an Apple "Photos" photolibrary, I don't think that Lightroom would be able to access them. Or am I mistaken?
Click to expand...

If the original photos are in a folder on your hard drive, lightroom classic can import them, if they are a file type lightroom recognizes.
 
Member's gallery
bleirer said:
If the original photos are in a folder on your hard drive, lightroom classic can import them, if they are a file type lightroom recognizes.
Click to expand...
Photos is a Database that renames the photos behind the scenes for cloud storage which interferes with editing and printing. The fact there are a few editing tools doesn't change it's primary goal as a storage app.
 
Member's gallery
bleirer said:
There really are no photos in lightroom, just a link within the lightroom catalog to the image file wherever it is stored. You could also link your 30k of photos to lightroom as it doesn't have to move them or copy them, just link to them, which lightroom calls importing.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top