▪ NEF (RAW) Lossless compressed (20–40% size reduction)
▪ NEF (RAW) Uncompressed (No compression – full file size)
▪ NEF (RAW) Compressed (40–55% size reduction)
▪ NEF (RAW) Lossless Compressed – The factory
default for the NEF (RAW) format is NEF (RAW)
Lossless compressed. According to Nikon, this
compression will not affect image quality since it’s a
reversible compression algorithm. Since Lossless
compressed shrinks the stored file size by 20 to 40
percent—with no image data loss—it’s my favorite
compression method to use. It works somewhat like a
ZIP file on your computer—it compresses the file but
allows you to use it later with all the data still available.
▪ NEF (RAW) Compressed – Before the newest
generation of cameras, including the D300(S), this mode
was known as “visually lossless”. The image is
compressed and the size is reduced by 40 to 55 percent,
depending on the amount of detail in the image. There is
a small amount of data loss involved in this compression
method. Most people won’t be able to see the loss since
it doesn’t affect the image visually. I’ve never really
seen any loss in my images using this method. However,
I’ve read that some have noticed slightly less highlight
detail. Nikon says that this is a non-reversible
compression, so once you’ve taken an image using this
mode, any small amount of data loss is permanent. If this
concerns you, then use the Lossless compressed method
discussed above. It won’t compress the image quite as
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