Problem with preview of .Nef file in Bridge

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Hi everybody, I post this help request for a problem that I have not been able to fix and that seems to be difficult.
I have to say that I come from 15 years of Windows, so I am not too much familiar with Apple world … probably not familiar at all …
The environment is Bridge CS5 and Photoshop CS5, that I use on a iMac with Snow Leopard; I use these for my photos. I hold previously my photos in a Windows environment, with CS5 products on shots recorded on an external HD, not the HD of the computer.

The problem: when I browse in Bridge my shots surfing my HDisk, I see correctly the preview of the photo if the photo is in a .Jpg format. If I look to a raw format (.Nef sice I have a Nikon D80) I see only the generic thumbnail and not the preview. This is the point.

It is only a problem of preview, because if I double click on the icon, I correctly start Photoshop and see the picture.
Bridge read correctly the technical data of the shots, both for .Jpg and .Nef, because I see aperture time, ISO, shutter speed, etc.
On top of this, the same shots are properly read and displayed by Mac’s browser, the problem is related only to Bridge.

Before to disturb people here, I tried some actions:
1. Cache purge
2. I checked that Nikon D80 is compliant with Camera Raw 6.3: this is ok
3. I checked to have only one copy of Camera Raw plugin on my Mac: ok, it is in /Library
4. I tried many options of Bridge and Photoshop (thumbnails, with/without grid, with/without shots info, High Quality, etc.): no preview …
5. I tried to open a shot .Nef in Photoshop starting from Bridge, then I did some update ad saved the shot, that cache purge and refresh: no preview …
6. The same but only with update in Camera Raw: no preview …
7. The same with a .Jpg shot
8. I wondered that the problem could be in .XMP files on the external disk, that have been created by a Windows installation! I found them and deleted: no preview …
9. Then I tried with a shot copied on Mac desk directly from the SD of the Nikon and never opened before, just to be sure to have a clean starting point. I found that folder through Bridge and … no preview!
10. I thought: maybe is a problem of 32-bit versus 64-bit, so I started Photoshop in 32-bit mode as well as Bridge: no preview but only the generic icon

Does anybody have an idea of which could be the problem?
If I open the shot saved locally on my desk trough Photoshop (/file/open), I see a window to select the shot, and there I see the preview!!!!!
Is there in Mac any temporary directory, as in Windows, to be cleaned?
Is in a Mac computer any association between type of file and application to be used to open that file? In Windows is named “File Type Association” and it is a generic configuration. Maybe Bridge try to display the preview using the bad feature.
Shuld I downgrade to Camera Raw 6.2? Wow, I don’t think so, because a friend of mine have the same Mac with the same suite and there is no problem at all!
I can’t imagine any other good reason to not display the preview.

As I said at the beginning, it seems to be difficult to fix it.
If you find a bit of time to think about it, I would appreciate.
Thanks a lot, I hope I have been clear because my English is not good …

Regards.
Pierpi
 
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I've moved to Lightroom because of issues like this.
Bridge is full of them.

I feel your pain. Best wishes.
 
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I've moved to Lightroom because of issues like this.
Bridge is full of them.

I feel your pain. Best wishes.

Dear Kpmedia,
thanks for your opinion. I think I will keep on looking for some fix, but, since I think to a "back up" solution, I have a question for you since you know this second tool.

If I should move to Lightroom and about the workflow.
Current situation:
1) I use Bridge to browse my external HD
2) I find the shot I want to modify
3) I open it in PS and then I save it in my external HD
In this way I am independent about the computer and change PC whenever I want because (I have a second PC) I have in my external HD the latest version of my collection.

With Lightroom:
1) I think I should “import” my shots in the HDisk of Mac, ok, but:
2) Could I modify what I want with PS (e.g. 20 shots per evening) and, at the end of the job save with one operation (let me say, a sort of “export” only of modified shots) the latest version of my job to the external HDisk, replacing the old ones?
3) In this way I could use the same approach and have the same results, that is shots updated in my external HD. I could then proceed with photo editing on a different computer being sure that I have the latest version
4) I could the work on this second computer, save the update and start again the cycle

Sound it feasible?
Thanks for your suggestions.
Regards.
Pierpi
 
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15-inch Early 2008; Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo; Memory 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 10.7.5
I used to use Bridge with OS X, and had zero problems viewing any NEF files. Lightroom is not a solution to your problem. You don't need to spend any more money if you're comfortable with the workflow you've established with PS and Bridge. I wish I could help you troubleshoot, but I uninstalled Bridge some time ago.

How about trying to uninstall Bridge completely, and then reinstall it before making any drastic decisions such as spending another $300 on Lightroom?
In the meantime, I'll look for any other kinds of solutions for you.

Doug
 
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I used to use Bridge with OS X, and had zero problems viewing any NEF files. Lightroom is not a solution to your problem. You don't need to spend any more money if you're comfortable with the workflow you've established with PS and Bridge. I wish I could help you troubleshoot, but I uninstalled Bridge some time ago.

How about trying to uninstall Bridge completely, and then reinstall it before making any drastic decisions such as spending another $300 on Lightroom?
In the meantime, I'll look for any other kinds of solutions for you.

Doug

Tks Doug.
Since I tried with no success a complete review of parameters inside Bride, I will follow your suggestion.
I also downloaded the latest version of Camera Raw 6.3 and correctly installed it, but no success too ...!
I read that is available (not officially released) the Camera Raw 6.4 , I could download it but my opinion is that the solution is not there ... I have a Nikon D80 which is not new and so well supported by 6.3., so benefit in changind the ACR release.
I can evaluate to change and increase the quality of my work-flow, why not if it is better than the current one? But only after this last trial.
With regard to this issue, do you know where I can find some idea about new workflow to optimize archiving and manipulation? If it is not confidential, what is you process?

Tks.
Regards
 
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Hi, just to update all of you, I removed the whole suite, then cleaned the PC with Adobe CS5 Cleaner.
Then I installed everything.
Nowe Bridge works fine; I mean that I see correctly the .Nef icon!
Why?
Don't ask me ... ;-)
Tks.
Regards

P.S.: @ Doug: if you find something useful to improve my fork-flow, pls let me know. Tks.
 

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