Nikon Zf/RAW v. Apple 😕

[Larry S.]

I have been waiting for an update that brings the Zf RAW technology into Apple’s periodic updates. That has not happened. I called Apple Support for information today and that went nowhere. I was told to contact Apple’s technical services via their website menu and explain the issue. Really? This camera has been out since September 2023, maybe earlier. Apple suggested I take the issue up with Nikon…...seriously? So I guess we will all wait to see what happens..

 

[Len Shepherd]

Perhaps your experience is a good reason for not continuing to use Apple for Post Processing.

Nikon has reasonable free to download Nikon Studio.

 

[Calson]

So long as you can use either Nikon Studio or Adobe ACR to process the Nef files there is no integration needed with the Apple OS. The issues I have had in the past was the Mac OS compatibility with third party graphics cards.

Apple states that its processors are so good that third party GPUs are not needed but this is not borne out by independent testing with Photoshop or video editors. I cannot go spend $4000 on an Apple Studio box that has less performance than a $3,000 Wintel box that inclued a Nvidia 4080 or 4090 GPU board installed.

We live at a time when duopolies rule and there is no free market. To get something equivalent to a $3,000 Wintel box from Apple my cost is over $8,000 and that is a bridge too far for me.

 

[Larry S.]

Don’t want to put our feet in the political waters here…. The issue is that “similar” Z8/9 RAW files became compatible with Apple’s iMac/iPad within a few months. I use my iPad pro to cull images. I do it with the Z8/9/D850… It is not practical for me to get yet another editing program just to view RAW images from one camera… I’ll wait.

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

Are you just missing the thumbnails or can you not see the image at all? With the Z6iii I get no thumbnail but I can see them.

Best think you can do is give Apple feedback. Also Nikon.

Yeah it sucks to wait so long.

Note these are lossless compressed and not HE*. If you are shooting HE* then those can't even be seen.

Z6iii example:

 

[Larry S.]

Are you just missing the thumbnails or can you not see the image at all? With the Z6iii I get no thumbnail but I can see them.

Best think you can do is give Apple feedback. Also Nikon.

Yeah it sucks to wait so long.

Note these are lossless compressed and not HE*. If you are shooting HE* then those can't even be seen.

Z6iii example:
View attachment 93002

Hi Michael,
No, nothing. Just a gray box with “RAW” printed in upper left corner. I had a ”come to Jesus” dialogue with Apple Support over the phone. I was told the Zf had a similar RAW configuration to Z8/9 that Apple did not currently support. I am shooting lossless compression, same as with Z8/9/D850. The Apple tech suggested I bring this to the attention of their technical gurus via their website. I couldn’t find that contact information. Apple’s RAW support page lists nearly every camera Nikon, Sony, Canon, Minolta, Leica, Pentax, Olympus, yatta yatta…. ever made…but not the Zf… The Zfc, yes. Zf no. Apparently no for the Z6iii?

 

[Cameron T]

Like every time this comes up, new camera, apple has to add support. Stop using apple photos or w/e and get an application that updates quicker. It solves the problem.

 

[Woodpecker]

I am an Apple user myself and IMHO I'd never ever think of using Apple software for RAW culling or post processing and normally all serious raw processing programs are failry quickly updated to specific camera models once they are out. The longest waiting time here to my knowledge was for getting the support of the Nikon Hi Efficiency Format, but that was purely because of legal issues (patents etc.)

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

Like every time this comes up, new camera, apple has to add support. Stop using apple photos or w/e and get an application that updates quicker. It solves the problem.

Why do you assume he is doing so? I just want support of all my cameras for use of Finder. This is why I stopped I using HE* when I got a NAS and didn't worry about storage space. There are many times when I just want to find an image or PS file especially and open it directly. Having Apple support for the RAW and a thumbnail is all that is needed.

 

[Woodpecker]

Why do you assume he is doing so? I just want support of all my cameras for use of Finder. This is why I stopped I using HE* when I got a NAS and didn't worry about storage space. There are many times when I just want to find an image or PS file especially and open it directly. Having Apple support for the RAW and a thumbnail is all that is needed.

If one insist on using the Finder , I understand it's an issue. But if there is a bit more flexibility there could be another solution without relying on a raw processir called XNViewMP, if just culling and finding images is the issue. Anything I do after having done the final processing of my RAW's and exported them I do with this program.

I don't have a Zf to test it, but the author is pretty quick in adapting his program and it basically opens more or less anything including my RAW's from Z8 and HEIC files of my iPhone, etc. And because it was mentioned that searching for picture is on e of the requirement this program is also pretty good in terms of meta data handling, categories, keywords etc.

 

[Cameron T]

Why do you assume he is doing so? I just want support of all my cameras for use of Finder. This is why I stopped I using HE* when I got a NAS and didn't worry about storage space. There are many times when I just want to find an image or PS file especially and open it directly. Having Apple support for the RAW and a thumbnail is all that is needed.

And the lack of apple supporting it is the problem. I'm unsure why you're making the same point I am, but believing that it counters my point.

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

And the lack of apple supporting it is the problem. I'm unsure why you're making the same point I am, but believing that it counters my point.

Stop using apple photos or w/e and get an application that updates quicker. It solves the problem.

This is why - you told him to use another application. I was pointing out it may not be the application at issue, but basic MacOS support. Hope that helps clarify it.

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

If one insist on using the Finder , I understand it's an issue. But if there is a bit more flexibility there could be another solution without relying on a raw processir called XNViewMP, if just culling and finding images is the issue. Anything I do after having done the final processing of my RAW's and exported them I do with this program.

I don't have a Zf to test it, but the author is pretty quick in adapting his program and it basically opens more or less anything including my RAW's from Z8 and HEIC files of my iPhone, etc. And because it was mentioned that searching for picture is on e of the requirement this program is also pretty good in terms of meta data handling, categories, keywords etc.

I use Fast Raw Viewer at times.
I didn't realize XNViewMP is for Mac too so thanks.
I have many times though when I just want to find an image in Finder.

 

[Woodpecker]

I didn't realize XNViewMP is for Mac too so thanks.

Welcome !
I started witth the "normal" XnView quite some time ago, but as soon as I saw there is a Multi Platform version that also offers enhanced functionality compared to the normal version, I switched. And because I actually changed from Windows to Apple not too long ago I really got an impression of what multi platform can mean. Installing it on the Mac and getting Thumbnail and keyword database going went really well.
That said, the primary reason for me to choose XnViewMP was actually the variety of formats ist can live with and the functionality around keywords, not so much because of my private images, but bcause of the necessity to manage acoudle of thousand graphics in muliple languages I used for creating literature related to my job.

But now I have started to adapt that for mypersonal images and the configurable import and export capabilities for color codes, keywords and other meta data seems really nice, although admittedly im far from being an expert .

 

[PhotoLover]

So long as you can use either Nikon Studio or Adobe ACR to process the Nef files there is no integration needed with the Apple OS. The issues I have had in the past was the Mac OS compatibility with third party graphics cards.

Apple states that its processors are so good that third party GPUs are not needed but this is not borne out by independent testing with Photoshop or video editors. I cannot go spend $4000 on an Apple Studio box that has less performance than a $3,000 Wintel box that inclued a Nvidia 4080 or 4090 GPU board installed.

We live at a time when duopolies rule and there is no free market. To get something equivalent to a $3,000 Wintel box from Apple my cost is over $8,000 and that is a bridge too far for me.

My M1 Studio does LR denoise on a 21 MP image in about 11 seconds (I just checked). No doubt the 3k Wintel box is far faster, but 11 seconds does not seem terrible. For most editing I do, the response is immediate. I don't think the Macs are all that slow. I assume the M2 chips are faster at denoise.

How fast does denoise work on the Wintel box you mention, on an equivalent image? Five seconds? Two seconds? The Studio has plenty of memory (64 GB) because I also run a VM on it, thus it is purely a CPU/graphics issue if the processing is slow.

The market feels pretty free to me! I can buy Apple, or I can buy Windows hardware from multiple vendors. Also, I'd pay $1,000 more for a Apple computer over an equivalent (performance-wise) Windows box because I value the Apple hardware and software, but of course that's an entirely subjective viewpoint.

 

[rgbiv]

This link seems to indicate that the Z fc Raw files are supported (https://support.apple.com/en-us/101627) but I guess that's not quite the Zf ... LOL

It took Apple about 9 months to support Z8 Raw files. I complained a few times using this link - https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos/
They added it eventually. But Apple Photos still does not (and I expect never will) support Z8 HE and HE*.

Good luck.

 

[Larry S.]

Good grief! Thanks Michael (Barking Beans?)… As rgbiv stated, it took a few months for Apple to embrace Z8 RAW and include it in a periodic software update. The Zf has been on the market for 9+ months. The issue is Apple’s apparent ambivalence to include Zf RAW support in an update. Nowhere in sight according to the Apple Support person on the phone….

I’m a hobbyist, not a working professional. I will not obsess over 20 RAW frames of the same shot that took 2 seconds to capture. My editing protocols are spartan. I shoot nature, landscapes, and general stuff like vacations and street. I shoot JPEG/fine* or Raw depending on the opportunity. Like many in this forum, I try to get my choice “shot” through field skills and keep computer editing program enhancements and adjustments to a minimum. At 76, the “easy button“ is one of my favorite accessories.

 

[mbunak]

Don’t want to put our feet in the political waters here…. The issue is that “similar” Z8/9 RAW files became compatible with Apple’s iMac/iPad within a few months. I use my iPad pro to cull images. I do it with the Z8/9/D850… It is not practical for me to get yet another editing program just to view RAW images from one camera… I’ll wait.

I can't read raw files from my Z8 in iPhoto. What did you have to do to be able to see the raw files?

 

[rgbiv]

I can't read raw files from my Z8 in iPhoto. What did you have to do to be able to see the raw files?

iPhoto? or Photos? You need to be running Photos in Sonoma 14.5 or better. It will only read Lossless RAW, not HE or HE*.
I have a Z8 and Photos works fine for Lossless RAW.

 

[Larry S.]

I can't read raw files from my Z8 in iPhoto. What did you have to do to be able to see the raw files?

Do you have “lossless compression” selected in the menus?

 

[mbunak]

iPhoto? or Photos? You need to be running Photos in Sonoma 14.5 or better. It will only read Lossless RAW, not HE or HE*.
I have a Z8 and Photos works fine for Lossless RAW.

Do you have “lossless compression” selected in the menus?

Thank you very much for your help. I changed the setting to lossless RAW and the images now show up

 

[Larry S.]

FINALLY! Zf RAW is now supported by Apple…….. My grayed out squares are now images to be edited..

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

FINALLY! Zf RAW is now supported by Apple…….. My grayed out squares are now images to be edited..

Great how did you get that? Did you update your Mac OS?

Remember only lossless not HE*.

 

[Larry S.]

Michael, I was showing our pics of Grand Cayman trip and they just popped up, previously not viewable. I haven’t updated my iPad for at least a month so I don’t really know how this happened all of a sudden. These were uncompressed RAW only, no JPEG secondary…. “RAW” is in the upper left corner of my thumbnail and for some reason I cannot post any pics on this site today…..

 

[Larry S.]

I just checked and I’m up to date w/ OS 17.5.1 on my iPad