RAW Photo Nightmare -- Capture NX2

[K. P. Harrier]

RAW Photo Nightmare -- Capture NX2

The preference in submitting railroad related photos to TRAINS Magazine is in the RAW format.  But, for Nikon’s Capture NX2 photo editing program, the Internet is buzzing with a problem that has recently cropped up, not being able to save RAW photos!  Anybody have a solution?  Will TRAINS Magazine now suddenly have a drastic reduction in RAW photo submissions?

[Wizlish]

What's gone wrong with RAW2NEF?  Did some update in Windows break it?

http://www.bagnon.com/raw2nef/index.html

[MikeF90]

K. P. Harrier

But, for Nikon’s Capture NX2 photo editing program, the Internet is buzzing with a problem that has recently cropped up, not being able to save RAW photos! Anybody have a solution?

My Nikon camera died several years ago, so I don't have a vendor specific recommendation. The software that came with my Fuji, Nikon and Canon consumer grade cameras has been pretty amateurish. Unfortunately my current camera cannot produce RAW images.

I would urge you to do a little searching and try a free, preferably open source, option. Any one have experience with RawTherapee or LightZone?  DarkTable is well regarded but is Linux and Mac OSX only. 

[zardoz]

FWIW: I had used Capture NX2 on my Win7 machine for many years without a problem, until about a year or so ago. One of the Windows updates did something to my machine that prevented NX2 from working. I ended up doing a "Last Good Configuration" to my machine, and took off all updates that were within a month of my NX2 failure. And because my machine was already getting a bit old, I decided to get a new computer. However, many people (source: http://www.dpreview.com/search/?query=NX2&terms=NX2 ) complained that Window versions 8 and beyond were incompatable with the Nikon program.

So what i did was keep my old machine with a fully-funtional NX2 program for just my photo work. It was taken off-line and no new programs were ever added, nor were any updates from Microsoft needed. To this day it is running perfectly. 

I shoot totally in NEF with my older D300. First thing I do to my photos is do whatever post-processing work is readily apparent and easy to do. Then I change all of my images to uncompressed TIFF files while also saving the original NEF image to my archival disk storage.  From there, any further post-processing I need to do is on the TIFF image; and while altering a TIFF is "destructive" (meaning that once changed there is no going back), the issue is of no concern because I still have my original NEF to go back to if needed.

Sure, doing it my way greatly increases the need for data storage, but large-capacity drives are so relatively inexpensive that it doesn't make sense to risk all your work and your collection.  I even use triple-redundancy: 1-my hard drive, 2-my backup external drive, 3-I keep a copy of my best work on a memory stick at a different location.

I was most disappointed with Nikon's decision, and if/when I decide to upgrade my equipment, I will most certainly take a good look at other systems, such as Canon.

Best of luck to you.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I'm so glad that I still shoot with film.

[Brian Schmidt]

Part of the preference for RAW images is so submissions are unedited.

[K. P. Harrier]

To Moderator Brian Schmidt (2-16):

You said, “Part of.”  I can’t help but wonder what the other part or parts of TRAINS preference for unedited RAW photos might be.

If what you are saying is true, who in their right mind (unless they didn’t care about their reputation or were mentally deficient) would ever submit to TRAINS Magazine a warped photo?

Warped photo example:  UP 8900 westbound  in Cajon Pass (CA) over trackage rights on the BNSF, shot on February 10, 2016

Imagine only shooting RAW and being at the right place at the right time and taking a telephoto of a head-on collision happening!  But, the photographer at home in reviewing the spectacular photos of the wreck sees they are all warped, slanted.  Since he cannot edit the RAW photos and straighten at least one out, he says, “Such a warped photo would ruin my reputation, so I don’t dare submit it to TRAINS Magazine.”  Of course, you or the TRAINS staff probably has the ability to fix the problem photo, BUT, a reputation-minded photographer might perceive that TRAINS won’t crop it like the photographer would do, so he doesn’t send it.

It seems the magazine is cutting themselves off from many submissions, UNLESS THAT IS THE OBJECTIVE!  If so, then Kalmbach caters to the rich.  The poor, armed with that knowledge, could leave TRAINS Magazine in droves, pool their resources, and start their own magazine!

Seriouisly, maybe you, Mr. Schmidt, can enlighten us all on how TRAINS Magazine intends to get around this seemingly suicidal policy.

A curious mind,

K.P.

[Semper Vaporo]

I think the main fear is the unethical photographer that will 'photo-shop' the photo into a total lie.  Yes, you can create a lie in the RAW format, but it is way too easy to do so in any other format. I have produced photos of ME being the engineer of the MILW 261 and me sitting in the cab of my 1:32 scale Aster Live Steam Locomotive that people will believe as being real much too easily. And I'm not all that good at it!

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/sempervaporo/Trainsdotcom/MILW%20261%20Mark%20D%20&%20Me%201%20(Small).JPG

 

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/sempervaporo/CMBYRY/CabmeBl480.JPG

 

 

[Deggesty]

Well, shame on you. I think the picture of me as I sat on the engineer's box of the Reader's locomotive in the spring of 1967 is good enough.

[zardoz]

Brian Schmidt

Part of the preference for RAW images is so submissions are unedited.

 

When did the preferences change? Last time I submitted photos the preferences were for TIFF images.

Before I typed this, I searched for quite a while on the Trains site for information on photo submissions, without success. Would you please either send me a link to the requirements, or perhaps post them here for everybody.

[Norm48327]

Brian Schmidt

Part of the preference for RAW images is so submissions are unedited.

 

What difference does it make if they are edited? The photographer may have thought it better if cropped. Rejecting JPG photos is shortchanging yourself. You've likely rejected many that were fit for publication because of that.

[Semper Vaporo]

JPG images are often too blurred (pixelation because of the compression methods) for publication in a quality magazine.  Yes, they will reject many that others would like to see and would accept as 'quality', but, as I understood the 'rules' (the last time I saw them discussed and cussed), there is more fear of getting outright lies in the photo than they want to take the chance of publishing.  Plus, if you have the 'RAW' format file, then there is a good possibility that you are not causing (even innocently) a Copyright violation.

[Bruce Kelly]

Not all image editing that looks good on screen will translate properly through the prepress and printing process. Too much for me to explain in detail here, but suffice to say that we deal with such gremlins from time to time at the printing plant where I work. A common issue comes down to the simple fact that most folks at home are viewing and editing their images in RGB mode on an RGB monitor with no concept of how different that image might look after it's converted to CMYK for four-color printing. We have technical support people (one is on the phone as I type this) who occasionally have to walk a customer through the process of correcting an image or page export flaw. Knowing that Trains/Kalmbach manage their customer file submissions through the same Kodak InSite file upload/process/proofing program we do, I can relate.

As for TIF vs. RAW/NEF for magazine submission, all I know is that what I've submitted to Railway Age over the past several years has all been in TIF format, and I've never heard a complaint. Electronic examples are linked below, though the real test is what ends up on the printed page. Also, Kalmbach's annual "Locomotive" magazine has used my submitted TIF files with no complaints, and no apparent problems in the printing that could be attributed to my files.

https://issuu.com/railwayage/docs/september_2015_railway_age/1?e=5256929/15191444

https://issuu.com/railwayage/docs/july_2015_railway_age/1?e=5256929/14019800

https://issuu.com/railwayage/docs/july_2014_railway_age/1?e=5256929/8540691

https://issuu.com/railwayage/docs/june_2014_railway_age/1?e=5256929/8218731

https://issuu.com/railwayage/docs/march_2014_railway_age_magazine_iss/1?e=5256929/7013278

https://issuu.com/railwayage/docs/february_2014_railway_age_magazine_/1?e=5256929/6620563

 

[K. P. Harrier]

To All:

At this point it appears the use of Nikon’s Capture NX2 is a lost cause in my case, is rather difficult to use (though it has some brilliant features), seems to be not compatible with my Nikon camera, and has a noncompetitive price for what it has.  I may try to get my money back out of principle, and know some ways to get my money’s worth if Nikon is uncooperative.

As far as submitting photos to TRAINS Magazine are concerned, the link to “Contributor Guidelines” is below.  Note the section under “Photographs.”

http://trn.trains.com/magazine/contributor-guidelines/2010/07/contributor-guidelines

Therein, JPG and RAW files are currently the ONLY listed acceptable type photo files, and the preference is for those unedited and direct from the camera, especially the RAW ones.

If TRAINS Magazine paid $1000 for each such-like ‘still photo’ published I might be interested in submitting photos under an alias, maybe Suicide Cameraman Jake, or something.  But, my guess is the TRAINS staff has a select group of trusted regular photo submitters or those that they can quickly tap with confidence if necessary, and that may be the present key to this.

So many companies that forced their will on innocent, unsuspecting customers (IBM home computers come to mind) or otherwise took advantage of those customers are no longer selling those types of products, as the customer is ALWAYS right regardless if they are wrong or not, and word gets around real fast.  Will Nikon be the next company to fall at the will of the people?  What forum contributor zardoz posted in this thread February 13, 2015 about Nikon and his experience with Capture NX2 kind of said it all:  “If/when I decide to upgrade my equipment, I will most certainly take a good look at other systems, such as Canon.”

Additionally, it is sensed that things are churning in a restless environment, and this forumist wonders how TRAINS Magazine will handle that churning.  They are not immune from ‘the customer is always right’ reality.

It might help if the industry came to grips with what TRAINS has faced, and put out special editions of photo editing programs, that would only have key, imperative functions, such as straightening, cropping, lightening or darkening a photo, blurring license plates, etc.  Removing a locomotive’s headlight in a photo and submitting it as a newsworthy photo of an upcoming industry trend is the type of falsehoods TRAINS surely is trying to avoid, and a limited edition photo editing program might be the answer.

TRAINS Magazine editors are probably in a quandary as to what do about the situation, but it seems the above may be one way the publishing industry could deal with it.  If one thinks about it, the likes of Steinheimer and Benson likely would never have arisen if the present TRAINS Magazine approach to photo submission was in effect 70 years ago!

Bruce Kelly (2-17):

Nice Railway Age cover photos of yours!

Take care all,

K.P.

[zugmann]

Nevermind.  Already answered.

 

 I have a feeling though, by the time that Trains is unable to find contributors, is the time that they will have trouble finding readers/subscribers and the problem will solve itself.

[Wizlish]

Bruce Kelly

As for TIF vs. RAW/NEF for magazine submission, all I know is that what I've submitted to Railway Age over the past several years has all been in TIF format, and I've never heard a complaint.

This is not surprising, as I believe TIFF contains all the data in a RAW image plus all the tag metadata (see http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/tiff/index.html ).  So it is possible to recover the original image data losslessly from that format.

Likewise NEF should have 'all' the raw data plus some proprietary Nikon metadata for things like white-balance correction, and it *should* be possible to go forward and back between those formats as needed.

I presume that the "JPEG" format that Trains uses is 1:4 (Fine) and no more.

[zardoz]

K. P. Harrier

If TRAINS Magazine paid $1000 for each such-like ‘still photo’ published I might be interested in submitting photos under an alias, maybe Suicide Cameraman Jake, or something.  But, my guess is the TRAINS staff has a select group of trusted regular photo submitters or those that they can quickly tap with confidence if necessary, and that may be the present key to this.

 

K.P.

 

Interesting that you sugest this. Has anyone else noticed the names of the photographers that get their images published in the "Photo of the Day". I have been rather frustrated by the unwillingness of whomever decides on what image to use to give other photo submitters an opportunity to see their work.

About four years ago I submitted 150 photos - so many that the librarian emailed me and asked to back off on my submissions, saying (not an exact quote) that he receives many images from many contributors, and that I was overwhelming him. To this day I have seen ONE of my images used, while during the same period there have been numerous images by a select few. 

Because the issue is of particular interest to me, since November of 2013 I have been keeping track of the daily photos used. As of this writing (2/21/16), the score is as follows:
Matt Krause.......43 images, 9 duplicates, 3 triples, 1-5x.
Jake Millie..........14 images, 3 duplicates
Thomas Mik.......42 images, 9 duplicates
Michael Murray...54 images, 10 duplicates, 3 triples, 4-4x
Chris Paciocco....13 images, 4 duplicates, 1 triple.
Jeff Wagoner......11 images, 2 duplicates.
Robert Jordan.....21 images, 5 duplicates.
Michael Burkhart.12 images, 2 duplicates.
Brad Bates.........10 images, 4 duplicates.
Brian Schmidt.....83 images, 17 duplicates, 7 triples, 1 5x. 

I am not casting aspersions onto the above-mentioned photographers (congratulations to them for getting published so often); I merely wish to point out the disparity in how and what images are selected.  However, the data show that out of 450 days, 303 days had images from the ten photographers listed.

[Brian Schmidt]

1. Photos for publication:

While we can  make about any photo submission work for print, as Bruce notes, it's just a matter of how much time the art needs to spend on it. We prefer the unaltered files because it 1) Reduces the amount of time the art department needs to process images and 2) Keeps contributors honest and discourages image content manipulation.

 

2. Photo of the Day:

Photo of the Day populates from a pool of so many photos, I believe it's more than 1,000 now. Any repeats of specific images are caused by the random nature of the program. As for who is represented in photo of the day, that goes back to who is willing to submit photos for unpaid use, that can also supply reasonable caption information. If you want to submit photos for Photo of the Day, send an inquiry to [e-mail] and we can discuss it further.