# Photoshop CS2 help (camera raw files) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407 "2008-09-20T05:19:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407/1 "2008-09-20T05:19:14Z")
I have a bunch of Nikon camera raw files (.NEF) on DVD that I need to work with. I have already tried installing the [Camera Raw 3.7 plug-in](http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3587). And uninstalling and reinstalling. PhotoShop (and Bridge) will. not. recognize the NEF file format. I get an error pop-up: Could not complete your request because it is not the right type of document. What now? As far as I could dig up, the more recent versions of Camera Raw are not backwards-compatible with CS2. I have quintuple checked that the plug-in file is going in the correct folder. I am completely at a loss. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407/2 "2008-09-20T05:29:00Z")
Would something like this help? [http://www.reasoft.com/rea-nef-convert.shtml](http://www.reasoft.com/rea-nef-convert.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407/3 "2008-09-20T05:32:48Z")
Possibly, but I’d strongly prefer to be able to work with the raw files directly. If all else fails, the photographer has JPGs of everything already, I’d just need to go back and get them from her. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407/4 "2008-09-20T05:48:17Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > I have a bunch of Nikon camera raw files (.NEF) on DVD that I need to work with. I have already tried installing the [Camera Raw 3.7 plug-in](http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3587). And uninstalling and reinstalling. PhotoShop (and Bridge) will. not. recognize the NEF file format. I get an error pop-up: Could not complete your request because it is not the right type of document. > > What now? As far as I could dig up, the more recent versions of Camera Raw are not backwards-compatible with CS2. I have quintuple checked that the plug-in file is going in the correct folder. I am completely at a loss. What camera are the .NEFs from? The D300, D700, and D3 raw files cannot be read directly in CS2. I believe ACR 3.7 is the last one supported by CS2. The D300 and D3 is not supported until ACR 4.3.1. From what I can tell, you can however convert them to DNG with the latest Adobe DNG converter, and then ACR 3.7 will be able to read the resulting DNG. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407/5 "2008-09-20T05:50:46Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Possibly, but I’d strongly prefer to be able to work with the raw files directly. If all else fails, the photographer has JPGs of everything already, I’d just need to go back and get them from her. You could also download a 30-day trial of Adobe Lightroom 2.0 or Photoshop CS3. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407/6 "2008-09-20T17:42:12Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What camera are the .NEFs from? The D300, D700, and D3 raw files cannot be read directly in CS2. I believe ACR 3.7 is the last one supported by CS2. The D300 and D3 is not supported until ACR 4.3.1. From what I can tell, you can however convert them to DNG with the latest Adobe DNG converter, and then ACR 3.7 will be able to read the resulting DNG. I thought she’d said it was a D200, but it was an in-passing comment and I could be mistaken. Maybe it was a D300… I’ll have to check. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407/7 "2008-09-20T17:58:51Z")
I posted a [test D200 NEF](http://www.peterpawinski.com/test.NEF) for you. If it opens, then you have everything installed correctly, and it may be time for you to upgrade to CS3 or get Lightroom or the DNG convertor. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-cs2-help-camera-raw-files/464407/8 "2008-09-20T18:08:12Z")
It opens. Thanks. (Pretty rings, btw.) I guess it was a D300, I’ll just have to convert them to DNG. grumble grumble. 🙂