Nikon Software Problems and the D500

I have been using NX-D to process NEF images from my D810 and D500 since NEF files from these two bodies cannot be opened in Capture NX2. 

My workflow (until this week) had been to process NEF D810 and D500 images in NX-D, make a 16 bit Tiff in NX-D and then open the tiff in Nikon Capture NX2 for finishing touches with Control Points. I had no problems doing this in May, 2016. Capture NX2 had no problems opening tiffs made in NX-D from NEFs in either body.

Pictures I took yesterday with my D810 had no issues. However, tiffs made in NX-D from yesterday's D500 NEF's cannot be opened by Capture NX-2. This D500 tiff problem exists on both my laptop and desktop. On my desktop I even reloaded NX2 to see if that would fix things, but I got the same result.

The D500 tiffs from NX-D from yesterday can be opened in Adobe Bridge and NX-D, so I do not think there is anything wrong with the tiffs.

I cannot recall when I started to use the D500 MB-D17 battery pack from Nikon. I know it was on the camera yesterday and maybe an earlier day too when I had the same tiff d500 problem. I know that I used a Nikon Li-ion20 battery in both the camera and in the MB-D17 battery back.

I may have used an Li-ion01 battery in my D500 before I knew about the battery recall. If I did do this, the camera performed normally as far as I know. I think the chance that I did not use the battery that came with the camera is pretty low.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what may be causing this?

I will remove the battery back and see if the problem remains or goes away. 

Any other diagnostic steps I should take?

Guesses as to what is going on or causing this? What I need to do with Nikon or my retailer if anything? 

Can anyone else with a D 500 try and replicate the situation with Nikon software?

Thanks for any thoughts on this puzzler. 
Joe

Joe,

Right next to your post on this forum is my question about Yosemite and Capture NX2.  I like love Capture NX2 for the single same reason you do....the Control Point feature.  I want to help with this puzzler because I have CNX2, CNXD and the D500 too.  This could be me.  But my knowledge is very limited here.  Two things come to mind:

1.  I cannot believe that files can be any different with or without the battery pack.  

2.  You said "On my desktop I even reloaded NX2 to see if that would fix things, but I got the same result."    That wording leads me to assume you have the CNX2 disk; i.e. not a download of CNX2.  If so, might there be something wrong with the disk?  

If this is me, I am inclined to focus on that copy of CNX2.  

How about reloading it into your laptop as well?  

What about contacting Nikon and asking for the download of CNX2?  My copy of CNX2 is the downloaded type (not the disk) and I have twice re-downloaded CNX2 when I have had problems with it.  Once, I had to talk to an upper manager, not being able to get by one of the associates in Philadelphia who insisted that could not have another copy.  The reason was I have a Macbook and a Windows desktop and she said I could not have both.  Give me a break!  Dealing with Nikon can sometimes be a fight.  But the manager was very accommodating.  
   
I'll be watching this thread closely. This could be me.   There are folks here who know a lot about this stuff.  You'll get it fixed...and soon

Since you have Bridge, you must have Photoshop.  Try opening the File in Photoshop.  Does it open?  If so then do a Save As in Photoshop and then try opening that newly saved file in the Nikon software.  If it does not open then something is corrupting the TIFs in your workflow.

I can't imagine how this would have anything to do with the type of battery or grip unless the power distribution problem that the D500 camera obviously has is so bad that it is causing write problems to the flash card in the camera. I suppose that is possible since the camera can identify perfectly good cards as bad.  The D500 may just be too buggy to be considered a mission critical/reliable camera at this time.  But again, I doubt that this is a camera issue.

I don't see how this can be blamed on the camera, the battery or the card. The RAW files were converted. If you couldn't convert the images or read the images then it is a camera problem. Since a piece of software on the machine can't read them it's a problem with one of the programs in use. It's not the RAW files. I'd blame the converter or the reading program before I would even think it's a problem with the camera.

A single file should be converted again using the same method you used. Then the file needs to be tried in the second program again to see if it was a one time thing. Then it's time to look at a second converter or a second program to work the image.

Thanks for the great comments. I did more tests and I believe I have identified  at least one Software step that is causing the problem. 

I did some controlled software tests today on the same D 500 images as I still had the XQD card that contained the images taken. 

I downloaded the same images again to a different file folder using Downloader Pro.  

1. Used NXD only to view the image and process it. Used file convert to create my 16 bit tiff. Closed NXD. Opened Capture NX2. Tiff could be opened and processed. No problems. Capture NX2 used is the latest one at NikonUSA website. ver 2.4.7

2. I opened an image in Nikon View NX-i first. Made no changes to XMP/IPTC data and made no star ratings or labels.  Then I clicked on the NXD icon within NX-i to load NX-D. Processed the image, made a tiff. Opened it in CNX2. No problems.

3. Same as 2, except that I made additions to XMP/IPTC and saved them. Then proceeded with all of the other steps in 2. Tiff could be opened in NX2. No problems. 

4. Same as 3 and I added star ratings using the drop down box that appears near the bottom of the image when the mouse's arrow key triggers it. Then proceeded with all of the other steps. Tiff created in NXD could be opened in CNX2. No problems.

5. Same as 4 except that I added a colored label (1-9) using the drop box as well as a star rating. Proceeded with all of the other steps. The tiff COULD NOT BE OPENED OR VIEWED as a THUMBNAIL OR AS A FULL IMAGE IN CNX2. 

6. Same as 3 except that I added a colored label only (1-9) and did NOT apply a star rating. CNX2 could not open the tiff. 

I DID NOT TRY AND APPLY LABELS OR STAR RATINGS  IN NXD.

CONCLUSION. VERSION 1.2.1 OF NIKON VIEW NX-I HAS A BUG IN ITS "APPLY LABELS" SUBROUTINE. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY NIKON. 

I believe that when I downloaded View NX-i I did it separately from the NXD download.(You have the option of doing both at the same time.) 

Joe

Nikon software has bugs???? I am shocked!!!

I did some more testing.

The problem seems to be the "apply labels" function in Nikon View NX-i. It affects NEFs from d500 and D810 (and maybe more bodies.) NEF files with labels applied converted using NX-D, either tiffs or jpegs, cannot be opened in Capture NX2. The bug is in both versions of Nikon View NX-i on my computers: 1.2.0.and 1.2.1 The version of NXD used, ver 1.4.0 and 1.4.1, did not make a difference.
I reported the matter to NikonUSA today.


Joe