How to Get Lightroom to Support the Nikon Z7′ s Raw Files

Adobe has not yet released the Lightroom RAW/NEF support for the Nikon Z7 fulll frame mirrorless camera. LRTimelapse.com explains how to get Lightroom to support the Nikon Z7‘ s raw files.

First you need ExifTool, you can download it for free from here: http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

1. Unzip it to a folder, e.g. c:\program files\exiftool – on Mac you start the installer, exiftool will then be installed to /usr/bin.
2. Now copy the pictures from your memory card into a temporary folder, e.g. c:\temp\convert on Mac for example ~/Convert
   (do not do that on the original pictures, always use a copy!)
3. Open a command prompt (Mac: a terminal session) and switch to the directory with the pictures.
   Windows: cd c: \temp\convert
   Mac: cd ~/convert
4. Now let ExifTool write the model name of the D850 into the pictures.
   Windows: c:\program files\exiftool\exiftool.exe -model=”NIKON D850″ *.NEF
   Mac: /usr/bin/exiftool -model=”NIKON D850″ *.NEF

That’s it. Exiftool writes the new camera identification in the metadata. The original file is kept for security with the suffix _original.

For safety’s sake you should, as I said, keep the original images so you can replace them later, as soon as Lightroom officially supports the camera.

Nikon Z7 body: $3,396.95 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

$100 off on Nikon Z7 with FTZ Mount Adapter Kit: $3,546.90 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Nikon FTZ Mount Adapter: $246.95 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Nikon Z7 on Facebook: Nikon Z7 Page, Nikon Z7 Group