How Photo Mechanic displays .NEF images (versus other apps)

[MikeA]

An interesting display difference between PM and other viewers...

I have two Nikon raw files. The second began as an identical copy of the first, but different sorts of "edit steps" (in Nikon parlance) have been applied to the two files within Nikon Capture NX.

If I view the two files in the freeware viewer IrfanView, they appear identical. They appear identical if I view them in IDImager, which I'm evaluating. If I view them in Photo Mechanic, however, the differences between the two images -- due to the differing edits in Capture NX -- are slightly apparent in contact-sheet view and very apparent in the preview dialog.

How is Photo Mechanic picking up -- so accurately -- the differences between the two images, whereas other viewers aren't? Surely it isn't reading the "edit steps" inserted into the .NEF files by Capture NX. Or...is it? (Not that I'm complaining. It's extremely useful to be able to see a bit of the differences in the 'contact sheet' view and see them fully within the preview window.)

[Kirk Baker]

Mike,

An interesting display difference between PM and other viewers...

I have two Nikon raw files. The second began as an identical copy of the first, but different sorts of "edit steps" (in Nikon parlance) have been applied to the two files within Nikon Capture NX.

If I view the two files in the freeware viewer IrfanView, they appear identical. They appear identical if I view them in IDImager, which I'm evaluating. If I view them in Photo Mechanic, however, the differences between the two images -- due to the differing edits in Capture NX -- are slightly apparent in contact-sheet view and very apparent in the preview dialog.

How is Photo Mechanic picking up -- so accurately -- the differences between the two images, whereas other viewers aren't? Surely it isn't reading the "edit steps" inserted into the .NEF files by Capture NX. Or...is it? (Not that I'm complaining. It's extremely useful to be able to see a bit of the differences in the 'contact sheet' view and see them fully within the preview window.)

We render the embedded JPEG preview from the NEF file.  Since Nikon Capture updates the embedded JPEG preview to match your rendered adjustments, the results also appear in Photo Mechanic.  The other apps you mention must be rendering the RAW data with their own renderer.

-Kirk

[MikeA]

We render the embedded JPEG preview from the NEF file.  Since Nikon Capture updates the embedded JPEG preview to match your rendered adjustments, the results also appear in Photo Mechanic.  The other apps you mention must be rendering the RAW data with their own renderer.

Kudos to Photo Mechanic for displaying the images more accurately.

[Hayo Baan]

Ànd exactly one of the main reasons of using PM!