Opening RAW Files [Unable to open Nikon D7500 Raw files in LR CC 2015.10.1]

[marku65697651]

I have purchased a new Nikon D7500 and have tried to import a RAW >

.NEF file into Photoshop Lightroom CC 2015.10.1 release with Camera Raw 9.10.1 only to get a pop up window saying The file cannot be opened by Lightroom (1).  Both lightroom and Camera Raw CC are uptodate.  So I am assuming the new camera raw file format still needs to be updated by Adobe?  If this is the case I would like to know when this will happen?

Cheers, Mark

[dj_paige]

This camera is too new, it is not supported by any Adobe software as of today. You can use the Nikon software to convert the files to TIFF, and then import the TIFF into Lightroom. Or you can wait until Lightroom supports this camera, which should be in the next release (but no guarantees). No one knows when that will be.

[Abambo]

It is fascinating to have the latest camera but when you use a third party editing program you need to wait before the camera gets supported. In the meantime, you need to use the manufacturer's program to edit your pictures.

[pa_wa]

There is also another approach until the D7500 NEF gets fully supported. I realized when changing

    EXIF metadata: 'Camera Model' from 'NIKON D7500' to 'NIKON D500'

Lightroom 6 will import the NEF files with no problems and you can work with your photos.

Conclusion: LR already supports the D7500's NEF codec. It just refuses to import the files because of the Camera Model metadata. So i guess only a tiny update of a 'camera model table' is necessary to make things work.

For bulk changing EXIF metadata of many NEFs, I suggest to use exiftool.

Configuration: 'exiftool(-Model='NIKON D500').exe'

[dj_paige]

Sure it might seem to work at first, but you take any risk that somehow Lightroom may do the wrong thing in converting the RAW image. There is no guarantee that LR is doing the best and correct conversion.

[Abambo]

dj_paige  wrote

There is no guarantee that LR is doing the best and correct conversion.

One has to test. If it works fine, it works, if it works badly, you let it go. The point is getting conversion versus no conversion.

I can imagine a lot of parameters why this does go wrong. but I can imagine about a lot of parameters why this could go right.

[dj_paige]

Sure you can test it, but you can't test it against the result that Adobe hasn't released yet ... you can't determine if you are getting the best conversion of the RAW image (which Adobe will release eventually), you can only determine that you are getting an image to work with.

[Abambo]

Where's the problem? It works or it doesn't.

[JP Hess]

It's a hack at best. And even though the two cameras might share the same sensor, the two cameras might process differently. The profiles that Adobe creates are specific to the model. Your hack will get the NEF files open, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the Lightroom or Camera Raw rendering of those files will be right.

[Abambo]

I agree with that!

But if you try and it works, it works! There will be no breaking of the camera or the PC. Even the Picture itself will not take harm. And if you work on a copy, even the hack will be completly reversible. This is how hacks work. And hacks in computer history are standard. A lot of useful programs started as hacks like this just to get it working...

Discussing if the result will be OK before even trying it is senseless. Just try it. If it works, it works. If not there's only the option left to wait...or to try some other hack.

[Akash Sharma · Accepted solution]

Hi All,

Lightroom CC2015.12/6.12 has been released and this camera is now supported. Please update your Lightroom to the latest version and let us know if you continue to see the issue. Thank you for your patience.

See Lightroom CC 2015.12 now available

Thanks,

Akash