Difference between NEF and JPEG files

The biggest difference between NEF and JPEG is the type of compression. NEF files allow for more flexible post processing because they retain more of the information from the image sensor than JPEG. This extra flexibility comes at a cost thought; NEF files are roughly 2 to 2.5 times the size of fine quality JPEGs. NEF files also require special software to be opened. JPEG files can be opened by most any program with image support.

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