How do I open a .nef file?

On Windows use Photos (with the free Raw Image Extension); on macOS use Photos (built in); on Linux use darktable. Nikon's raw photo format, written by every Nikon DSLR and mirrorless camera.

Can I convert a .nef file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .jpg, .dng, .tiff or .png, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

.nef files

.nef file

Nikon Electronic Format

Nikon's raw photo format, written by every Nikon DSLR and mirrorless camera.

What opens a .nef file

Windows: Photos (with the free Raw Image Extension), Nikon NX Studio, Adobe Lightroom, RawTherapee
macOS: Photos (built in), Preview (built in), Nikon NX Studio, Adobe Lightroom
Linux: darktable, RawTherapee, GIMP (via darktable plugin)

What a .nef file is

NEF holds the sensor data from a Nikon camera along with the shooting settings, which is why the same file can look different in Nikon's own software than in Lightroom — the manufacturer applies its picture profile, others do not. Nikon distributes NX Studio free. Support in third-party editors lags new camera launches by a few weeks, so converting to DNG is the usual workaround for a brand-new body.

Converting it

A .nef file is commonly converted to .jpg, .dng, .tiff or .png. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

Details

Extension: .nef
Full name: Nikon Electronic Format
Category: Images
MIME type: image/x-nikon-nef
Created by: Nikon
Format: Binary

Common questions

How do I open a .nef file?: On Windows use Photos (with the free Raw Image Extension); on macOS use Photos (built in); on Linux use darktable. Nikon's raw photo format, written by every Nikon DSLR and mirrorless camera.
What is a .nef file?: Nikon Electronic Format. NEF holds the sensor data from a Nikon camera along with the shooting settings, which is why the same file can look different in Nikon's own software than in Lightroom — the manufacturer applies its picture profile, others do not. Nikon distributes NX Studio free.
Can I convert a .nef file?: Yes. It is usually converted to .jpg, .dng, .tiff or .png, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

.jpg — JPEG Image The lossy photo format that every camera, phone and website has used since the 1
.png — Portable Network Graphics Lossless image format with transparency, made for screenshots, logos and web gra
.jpeg — JPEG Image (four-letter form) The same format as .jpg — the longer spelling, kept alive by Macs and Unix syste
.heic — High Efficiency Image Container The format an iPhone saves photos in — about half the size of a JPEG at the same
.webp — WebP Image Google's web image format — smaller than JPEG or PNG, and now supported everywhe
.gif — Graphics Interchange Format The 256-colour animation format from 1987 that refuses to die.
.psd — Adobe Photoshop Document Photoshop's working file, keeping layers, masks and text editable.
.svg — Scalable Vector Graphics An XML text format describing shapes rather than pixels, so it stays sharp at an
.ai — Adobe Illustrator Artwork Illustrator's vector working file, used for logos, icons and print artwork.
.avif — AV1 Image File Format A royalty-free image format built on the AV1 video codec, smaller than JPEG or W
.tiff — Tagged Image File Format The lossless, multi-page image format used in printing, scanning and archiving.
.raw — Camera Raw Image Unprocessed sensor data from a camera — and, confusingly, a literal extension us

Sources

Media Types Registry — IANA
Official vendor product documentation — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked