PhotoRiyaHow to convert NEF to JPG
Add your NEF file
Drag it onto the box above, or tap Choose RAW file and pick it from your device. The converter looks inside the file for the JPG your camera saved.
Check the picture
The camera JPG appears at once, with its size in pixels. Switch to Develop RAW data if you want to process the sensor data yourself.
Download
Press Download JPG. The file is saved with your RAW file's name, ready to share or edit.
About NEF files and this converter
NEF is Nikon's RAW format. Each file contains the sensor data and a JPG rendered by the camera, and that JPG carries Nikon's colour, white balance and sharpening.
In our tests, a 24-megapixel Nikon DSLR file held a full-size 6000 × 4000 JPG and a 20-megapixel one held a 4176 × 2784 JPG, so the size depends on the camera and the image-size setting. Most NEF files use Nikon's compressed formats, which can't be developed here, so the camera JPG is the result for NEF.
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|---|
| What you get | The camera's JPG, saved exactly as stored in the file. |
| Resolution | Full size on some models, medium on others. |
| Developing the RAW data | Not available for compressed NEF. |
| NRW | Nikon's compact-camera RAW is accepted too. |
Camera JPG or Develop RAW data?
Camera JPG is the quickest route and keeps the colours your camera chose. It is extracted exactly as it was stored, so there is no extra quality loss. Develop RAW data processes the sensor data from scratch with neutral settings: as-shot white balance, no camera look and no sharpening. The result is flatter, with more room to brighten, and it is the right choice when the camera JPG is smaller than you need.
For real editing of a RAW file, with curves, masks and layers, open it in PhotoRiya. Other conversions: the PSD to PNG converter and the RGB to CMYK converter.
Questions people ask
How do I convert a NEF file to JPG?
Drop your NEF file onto the converter above. It finds the full-size JPG your camera saved inside the file and shows it straight away. Press Download JPG to save it. No Lightroom, Photoshop or camera software is needed.
Is my NEF file uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read and converted inside your browser tab, on your own device, and nothing is sent anywhere. That makes it safe for client shoots and unreleased work, and it works on large files without waiting for an upload.
Why can't I develop my NEF file here?
Nikon's compressed NEF formats use a compression scheme that isn't publicly documented, and PhotoRiya only implements formats it can build from public specifications. The camera JPG inside the file is always available.
Does it keep the EXIF data?
Yes. The extracted JPG is the camera's own file, so its EXIF is intact, including the camera model, exposure settings and date.
Why is the JPG smaller than my camera's resolution?
The size of the JPG inside a RAW file depends on the camera and its settings. Many cameras store a full-size JPG, others only a medium one. The converter always uses the largest JPG it finds in the file and tells you its size before you download.
What's the difference between Camera JPG and Develop RAW data?
Camera JPG is the picture your camera itself rendered, with its colours, white balance and sharpening, saved exactly as stored. Develop RAW data processes the sensor data from scratch with neutral settings, which gives you a flatter picture you can brighten with the Exposure slider. It only works for RAW variants that can be developed here.
Does converting NEF to JPG lose quality?
The camera JPG is extracted without recompressing it, so it's exactly the JPG the camera made. A JPG holds 8 bits per colour instead of the 12 to 14 bits in a RAW file, so keep your original RAW file if you may want to edit the exposure and colour later.
What is the largest NEF file I can convert?
Files up to 400 MB. A browser tab has limited memory, so very large files work best on a computer rather than a phone.
More free tools
- RAW to JPG converter for every cameraConvert RAW photos (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, RAF and more) to JPG without Lightroom.
- ARW to JPG converter for Sony RAW photosConvert Sony ARW RAW photos to JPG, from the camera JPG or the sensor data.
- CR2 to JPG converter for Canon DSLR photosConvert Canon CR2 RAW photos to JPG, from the camera JPG or the sensor data.