NEF File Recovery: How to Recover Deleted NEF Files

If you’re a professional photographer, then you know firsthand just how devastating it can be to lose precious photos. This is especially true when it comes to NEF files from Nikon cameras, which can easily be lost due to accidental deletion, formatting, or storage device corruption. But don’t worry – if you’ve lost NEF files, there are ways to recover them.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of NEF file recovery, step by step. Whether you accidentally deleted files from your Camera or your SD card became corrupted, we’ll show you how to use specialized software to retrieve your lost files and get back to what you do best – capturing stunning photos.

Common Causes of NEF File Deletion

Let’s identify common reasons why NEF files may be deleted:

• 😬 Accidental Deletion: NEF files can be lost due to human error or technical issues such as mistakenly selecting the wrong files for deletion or unintentionally formatting the storage device. The impact of accidental deletion depends on how the NEF files were deleted and whether or not the data has been overwritten. The most common scenario is deleting or formatting the memory card inside a Canon camera. However, if you haven’t used the camera extensively after losing the data, the files may still be recoverable using DIY data recovery software.
• ⛔ Storage Device Failure: Storage devices such as memory cards, hard drives, and flash drives can fail due to physical damage, electronic failure, or file system corruption. The impact of storage device failure on the recoverability of NEF files varies depending on the extent of the damage and whether or not you have backed up your data. If the problem is due to logical damage (corrupted file system), the data is usually recoverable even with manual methods such as data recovery software or file system repair tools. However, if the problem is caused by physical damage to your device, data recovery services may be required to retrieve your lost NEF files.
• ⭕ File Corruption: NEF files can become corrupted due to errors during transfer, storage, or processing. The extent of damage and availability of backup copies can affect the recoverability of NEF files in case of corruption. While data recovery software may be able to recover some corrupted files, others may be permanently lost because even if the file is recognized and recovered, it may not function properly if its integrity is compromised. Unfortunately, we are all familiar with cases where corrupted photos simply refuse to open.
• 👾 Malware or Virus Attack: Malware or virus attacks on a camera or storage device can corrupt or delete NEF files, rendering them unrecoverable. The impact of malware or virus attacks on the recoverability of NEF files depends on the extent of the damage and the quality of the antivirus software in use. It is likely that you have heard of viruses that simply change the attributes of files, making them invisible. Such viruses are usually harmless. However, viruses that compromise the integrity of your files can be much more damaging. In some cases, data recovery services may be required to recover the files.
• 🗑️ Intentional Deletion: NEF files may be unintentionally deleted by a user who later realizes their mistake. For example, you might delete a shot thinking it was a bad shot, or too similar to others, and then realize that it was actually a good shot. Alternatively, you might decide to delete photos of a couple who booked your wedding photo shoot because you had already uploaded their photos to an external device. However, there is a problem if the couple loses or deletes their copy of the photo and asks you to send it to them again. The impact of intentional deletion on recoverability is fairly low as long as you have not overwritten the deleted NEF files with new ones.

How to Improve the Chances of Recovering Deleted NEF Files

Are you ready for some good news? Despite the panic and frustration that can set in when you realize your NEF files have been deleted, there are steps you can take to maximize your chances of a successful recovery:

• 🛑 Stop using the storage device: As soon as you realize that NEF files have been deleted, stop using the affected storage device immediately. This could be an SD card from your camera or an external hard disk storing your NEF files. Continuing to use the device may overwrite the deleted files, making them harder or even impossible to recover.
• ⚠️ Avoid writing new data to the device: Similarly, avoid writing any new data to the affected storage device until the deleted NEF files have been recovered. Any new data that is written to the device may overwrite the deleted files, making them unrecoverable. While one or two new photos may not be a big deal, if you have been using your device for a long time, you may have reason to worry about the integrity of your data.
• 🔁 Do not format the device: Do not format the affected storage device in an attempt to fix the issue. This is especially important for memory cards and external drives that have suffered damage to the file system and when connected to a computer give various errors, such as a request to be formatted or a warning that the file system has become RAW. Formatting the device may erase the deleted NEF files and make them unrecoverable. However, in most cases, you can recover your NEF files even if you have already formatted your storage device, but that is another story.
• 💻 Use data recovery software: Use reputable memory card data recovery software to attempt to recover the deleted NEF files. Follow the instructions provided by the software carefully to increase the chances of successful recovery.
• 🔬 Consider professional data recovery services: If the DIY methods are unable to recover the deleted NEF files, consider contacting a professional data recovery service. These services may be able to recover the files in cases where software is unable to do so.

Given that we’ve already discussed the importance of data recovery, let’s delve deeper into the topic by focusing specifically on data recovery software.

How to Recover Deleted NEF Files

As you may have already gathered, we will be using data recovery software to retrieve our deleted NEF files.

Before we proceed, it’s worth discussing the key features that a good NEF recovery software should have:

Important Note: If your NEF files were saved on a memory card, please keep in mind that data recovery software can work with most types and brands of memory cards, as long as they are recognized by your computer as a storage device. The most common types of cards include SD, SDHC, SDXC, XQD, CF, and even CFexpress well as popular brands such as Panasonic, SmartBuy, Lexar, and Sandisk. These memory cards are compatible with most modern recovery software.

We have carefully selected two software options that we believe are ideal for recovering deleted or formatted NEF files. Our team has evaluated several options and narrowed it down to these two, which offer user-friendly interfaces and advanced features to help you recover your important files with ease.

Option A: Disk Drill

Today, we will be discussing two top software options for recovering deleted or formatted NEF files. The first software we will review is Disk Drill, which is available for both Windows and macOS. Disk Drill is a user-friendly solution that offers a wide range of features suitable for beginners and professionals alike. Our editorial team particularly likes this software for its universal approach, and the Windows version allows for a free recovery limit of up to 500 megabytes.

Here’s how you can use Disk Drill to recover deleted NEF files:

1. Download and Install Disk Drill: Go to the official website of Disk Drill, and download the software by clicking on the “Download” button. Once downloaded, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install the software on your computer.
2. Connect the Storage Device: Use a cable or adapter to connect the storage device from which you want to recover NEF files to your computer’s USB port or card reader. Ensure that the device is recognized by your system before proceeding.
3. Launch Disk Drill and Select the Storage Device: Double-click on the Disk Drill icon on your desktop or in the applications folder to launch the program. Once opened, select the storage device you want to recover NEF files from by clicking on its icon in the list of available drives. After this, click on the “Search for lost data” button.
4. Scanning for Deleted Files: Disk Drill will start scanning the selected storage device for deleted NEF files. The scan time will depend on the size of the device and the speed of the software itself. The newly released version 5 of Disk Drill is much faster than the previous version.
5. View List of Recoverable Files: Once the scanning process is complete, Disk Drill will display a list of recoverable files on the storage device. You can use the filter options in Disk Drill to narrow down the search to NEF files specifically.
6. Preview Recovered Files: Click on the file name in the list to preview the file. Disk Drill provides a thumbnail or preview of the file to ensure that it is the file you want to recover.
7. Select Files to Recover: Mark the checkboxes next to the NEF files you want to recover from the list of recoverable files. You can also select all files at once by clicking on the checkbox at the top of the list.
8. Choose Save Location: Once you have selected the files you want to recover, click on the “Recover” button in Disk Drill. Choose a location on your computer where you want to save the recovered files.
9. Wait for Recovery Process to Complete: Disk Drill will start the recovery process, which may take some time depending on the size and number of files being recovered. Once the recovery process is complete, Disk Drill will display a message informing you that the recovery process is finished.
10. Access Recovered Files: Navigate to the location where you saved the recovered NEF files, and open the files to ensure they have been successfully recovered.

Note: To increase the chances of successful recovery, avoid writing any new data to the storage device from which you are trying to recover deleted NEF files as this may overwrite the deleted files and make them unrecoverable.

Option B: DiskGenius

In addition to Disk Drill, we will also be discussing DiskGenius, which is another top software option for recovering deleted or formatted NEF files. The free version of DiskGenius provides generous access to many features, including complex partition management and disk cloning. However, it’s worth noting that only files with a size of 64 KB or smaller can be recovered using the free version. This limitation may be insufficient for NEF files, as they are often much larger in size. Nevertheless, files exceeding the size limit can still be previewed, giving you an idea of what you can expect to recover with the full version of DiskGenius.

To recover deleted NEF files using DiskGenius, follow these steps:

1. Download and install DiskGenius: Go to the official website of DiskGenius and download the installation file. Once the download is complete, run the installation file and follow the instructions to install DiskGenius on your computer.
2. Connect the storage device: Connect the storage device from which you want to recover NEF files to your computer. This could be a memory card, external hard drive, USB drive, or any other type of storage device.
3. Launch DiskGenius and select the storage device: Launch DiskGenius on your computer and select the storage device you want to recover NEF files from the list of available drives. DiskGenius will automatically detect and display all the connected storage devices.
4. Click “Partition Recovery”: Click the “Partition Recovery” button in the toolbar at the top of the window. This will open the Partition Recovery Wizard, which will guide you through the recovery process.
5. Select the partition to recover: DiskGenius will start scanning the storage device for lost or deleted partitions. Once the scan is complete, select the partition you want to recover and click “Start”. If DiskGenius cannot find the partition you’re looking for, you can try the “Complete Recovery” option.
6. View recoverable files: After the scan, DiskGenius will display a list of recoverable files. Use the filter options to narrow down the search to NEF files specifically. You can also sort the files by name, size, date, or type to find the files you need.
7. Preview recovered files: Preview the recovered NEF files to ensure they are the files you want to recover. Use the preview feature by clicking on the file to see a thumbnail or preview of the file. This will help you confirm that the file is not corrupted and that it is the correct file.
8. Select and copy recovered files: Select the NEF files you want to recover. Click the “Copy To” button and choose a location on your computer to save the recovered files. Avoid saving the recovered files back to the same storage device to avoid overwriting any lost data.
9. Wait for the recovery process: Wait for the recovery process to complete, which may take some time depending on the size and number of files being recovered. Do not interrupt the process or disconnect the storage device during the recovery process.
10. Access recovered files: Once the recovery process is complete, navigate to the location where you saved the recovered NEF files. You should now be able to access and use the recovered files. Make sure to back up your recovered files regularly to avoid losing them again.

Note: As we said earlier, it’s important to avoid writing any new data to the storage device from which you are trying to recover deleted NEF files as this may overwrite the deleted files and make them unrecoverable.

Understanding NEF Files

NEF (Nikon Electronic Format) files are a type of raw image file format used by Nikon digital cameras. They contain minimally processed image data directly from the camera’s image sensor, including information on color, brightness, and exposure.

NEF files are sometimes referred to as “digital negatives” because, like film negatives, they contain all the information needed to create a final image. They provide more flexibility and control in post-processing than JPEG files, which are already processed and compressed by the camera. However, because they are not processed, NEF files require specialized software to open and edit.

Other camera manufacturers have their own raw image file formats, such as Canon’s CR2 and Sony’s ARW.

How NEF Files Are Typically Stored?

NEF files are typically stored on a memory card in the camera itself or on an external storage device such as a computer hard drive or an external hard drive.

When stored on a memory card in the camera, the NEF files are often organized into folders and subfolders by date or other criteria. When transferred to a computer, they may be organized into folders by the user or by the software used to download the files.

NEF files are relatively large compared to other image file formats, such as JPEG, due to their lack of compression and minimal processing. The typical size of a NEF photo can range from 10 to 20 MB. As a result, they may require more storage space and time to transfer and process. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure that sufficient storage space is available before shooting in NEF format and to regularly back up NEF files to prevent data loss.

Which Nikon Camera Models Use the NEF File Format?

NEF is the raw image file format used by Nikon cameras. Here are some popular Nikon camera models that shoot in NEF format:

• Nikon D850
• Nikon D810
• Nikon D750
• Nikon D7200
• Nikon D500
• Nikon Z7
• Nikon Z6
• Nikon Z50
• Nikon D6
• Nikon D5

Can Corrupted NEF Files Be Recovered?

It is possible to repair corrupted or damaged NEF files, but it depends on the extent of the damage. If the corruption is minor, then you may be able to repair the file using specialized software designed for this purpose. However, if the corruption is severe or the file is damaged, then it may not be possible to recover it.

One tool that can be used to repair corrupted NEF files is the Nikon ViewNX-i software, which includes a tool for repairing NEF files. Some third-party software tools can also be used to repair NEF files, such as Stellar Photo Repair. But we advise you to learn more about the principles of such software before investing even a single cent in it.

It’s important to note that while these tools may be able to repair some corrupted NEF files, they cannot guarantee 100% success in every case. It’s always best to regularly back up your files and take steps to prevent corruption and damage to your storage devices.

Verdict

Losing NEF files can be devastating for professional photographers, but there are ways to recover them. Common causes of NEF file loss include accidental deletion, storage device failure, file corruption, malware or virus attacks, and intentional deletion. To improve the chances of recovering deleted NEF files, it’s important to stop using the storage device, avoid writing new data to it, and not format the device. Using reputable data recovery software is recommended, but if DIY methods fail, consider professional data recovery services.