Nikon Z 9 Camera Support

[peti]

I have uploaded three sample NEF files created by the Nikon Z 9 camera to https://raw.pixls.us/:

• nikon-z9-raw-lossless.nef
• nikon-z9-raw-compressed-high-quality.nef
• nikon-z9-raw-compressed-low-quality.nef

The Z 9 does not support uncompressed RAW. The camera knows only "RAW L" with different levels of compression. The compression modes are:

• "loss-less",
• "high efficiency*", and
• "high efficiency",

where the star variant ("*") denotes higher quality a.k.a. less efficient compression.

The images show an X-Rite Color Checker Passport.

I have not touched the files except renaming them for clarity; these come straight out of the camera.

[StepanDav]

The recently released (and seemingly popular) Nikon Z8 is in many ways similar to the Z9.

RawTherapee 5.9 seems to support "lossless" NEF files. However, neither lossy compression level is supported. The files open as black.

How can the community help bring support for the compressed NEF files into Rawtherapee?

[Lawrence37]

A quick scan shows neither LibRaw nor rawspeed can decode "high efficiency" compression either. The first step is reverse-engineering the compression or getting the specifications from Nikon.

[StepanDav]

Based on some survey of Z9 support, it would appear that the compression within is https://www.intopix.com/tico-raw

Their codec was previously widely reported as used for N-RAW video, but it looks like it's used for static photos too.

[kmilos]

Based on some survey of Z9 support, it would appear that the compression within is https://www.intopix.com/tico-raw

Yay. And?

P.S. This was already a known fact since the Z 9 launch. Note the word "licensing" in the title and the phrase "patented compression technology" in the text.

[kmilos]

FYI: https://www.libraw.org/comment/6674#comment-6674

[struffel]

Just adding a screenshot of the proper raw setting to make things clearer for new Z8 owners coming from Google looking for the right setting (it's in the "Photo Shooting Menu" -> "Raw Recording"):