How to edit RAW from Nikon D50?

by Neogene

I bought a Nikon D50 off craigslist and it didn’t come with any software. I have never shot in RAW and really want to start. In order to edit them (I heard you can change white balance and etc?) do I need a certain software? Does it cost money? Can I get it free anywhere? Any tips on editing RAW?

Answer by whoelius
The best way is simply to get the latest edition of Photoshop Elements (or indeed Photoshop CS if you’ve got bags of cash). I’ve been making money from RAW photos for years and never used anything other than Photoshop.

And yes, you open the RAW file with Photoshop and get something that looks like this:

http://photoshoptutorials.ws/images/stories/Photoshop%20Tutorials/Photo%20Restoration/White%20Balance/raw-editor.gif

And you can play with white balance (though it’s a pseudo White Balance, of course, because you already took the photo), exposure, shadows and highlights controls, vibrance, saturation et cetera and have great fun.

RAW is great for those of us who do a lot of editing. The 12/14-bit colour information gives us a lot more leeway than 8-bit JPGs do.

Answer by rollakid
Hello.

Yes, if you shoot your photos in RAW format, in your case, .nef file format, you will have a lot of flexibility. You can change more than just the white balance setting, as you can tweak just about any color/sharpness related settings.

Yes you need a certain software, and yes they cost money (most of them). But there are free ones.

I believe other people will make a whole list of programs for you to choose from, ranging from very cheap programs to those that would cost more than your D50. So I’ll just mention the basics:

Nikon themselves give you 2 software to edit your RAW image, namely the ViewNX, and the CaptureNX 2. ViewNX is free and you can download it at Nikon’s website (I’ve put a link down below), but it’s mainly for you to manage your photo rather than do some heavy editing.

Capture NX 2 is a very powerful (but not free) program that lets you get the best out of your Nikon RAW file, but I know there will be people who complains the software is slow and not user friendly. Yes that’s true since I’d cry if I have over 100 pictures to process on CNX2.

Another alternative (that I never tried myself, but heard good words about it) is RawTherapee. It’s an editor that lets you edit your RAW files and it seems to work, and it’s free!

Tips on editing RAW image? That’s hard, you could buy a whole book about editing RAW image, and mostly it’s up to you.

But here’s one tip: Make sure you calibrate your monitor’s color. If the color display on your computer monitor is not accurate, your photo editing will not be accurate as well.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Tilt-shift Summicron on Nikon APS DSLR (DSC9849)


Image by Fadzly @ Shutterhack
LARGE
This is a start of some experimental shots using Leica R lenses on a cropped-sensor Nikon DSLR body.

Gears: Summicron-R 35/2.0 hand held mounted on a Nikon D50 (56mm f/2.0 FF equivalent). The lens was tilt-shifted by hand.

It always says Nikon D50 (body only) or Nikon D50 with 18 – 55 lens.

Should I get the one with the lens or does the Nikon D50 (body only) have an average type of lens, and that the 18-55 lens is really just reccommended?
Thanks! =D

Answer by honorunit
Body only means just that, body only. You don’t get any kind of lens with it. Go with body only if you already have lenses you want to use, or if you want a different lens besides the kit lens to start with.

Answer by pebblespro
If it says price body only then it’s just that body only.. That way you can get the lens that you want…

the 18-55 lens is a good basic lens… So, if the price is in your budget then get it with the lens.. OR you can go after market for a cheaper and sometimes lesser quality lens… like a Tamaron, Sigma, Quantaray…etc… All of which in my opinion are decent and compatable with NIkon equipment. I used to only get Nikon since they had a metal lens mount and my N70 had the metal mount as well…. Most of the newer Nikons that I’ve seen have plastic mounts… Unless they’ve changes recently…

Good luck

Answer by lremmell64
It means that you get only the camera, no lens. The type of lens depends on what type of photography you plan on doing with the camera.

Answer by zitless
New cameras are usually sold with a ‘kit’ lens, usually an 18-55mm lens. This is selling ploy to get the buyer to purchase the camera complete and ready to use. If you already have a set of lenses to fit Nikon, then the kit lens is pointless and not always of good solid construction.
The body only price means just that. This is to give Nikon owners the opportunity to either upgrade or add to their system without the expense of an unwanted lens, and the difference in price is usually only about $ 40 to $ 50, which tells you that the lens is what the retail trade would term a ‘loss leader’. They don’t mind selling a lens cheap if it will also sell the camera, but if you were to buy the lens later, the price would probably be around $ 90 to $ 150.

Answer by Victor S
The Nikon D body are just the body. It means you only get the camera, but you cant take any photos with it, unless you already has a lens that fits.

You should buy the one with 18-55mm lens. It may not be the best lens, but it’s good enought to start with. And you get a “wide angle” lens and a “zoom” lens.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Different shots of animals and plants ect