Camera RAW conversion
Convert NEF to BMP
Updated Jul 2026
NEF is the raw format Nikon cameras save straight from the sensor, and BMP is an old Windows bitmap format rarely used today. To convert, open the raw file in a converter and export it as a flattened BMP. Doing this on your own computer keeps the shot, and its camera metadata, off someone else's server.
- Extension
- .nef
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Nikon cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .bmp
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Legacy Windows images
- Transparency
- None
Convert NEF to BMP on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert NEF to BMP
- Open Morphjet and drag in the NEF file, or a whole folder of them, straight from your memory card or Nikon export folder.
- Choose BMP as the output format.
- Convert. Morphjet writes the BMP next to your original NEF, and nothing leaves your machine.
NEF vs BMP: what actually changes
| NEF | BMP | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Large, compressed raw sensor data | Very large, uncompressed pixel grid, often bigger than the NEF |
| Quality | Full sensor data, nothing baked in yet | Lossless, but flattened, exposure and white balance are now fixed |
| Editing flexibility | High, adjust exposure, white balance, and highlights non-destructively | None, it's a rendered grid of pixels |
| Opens everywhere | No, needs Nikon software or a raw-capable app | Yes, nearly any image viewer, especially on Windows |
| Metadata (EXIF) | Yes, extensive camera and shooting data | No, BMP doesn't really carry EXIF |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert NEF to BMP when you need an uncompressed image for an old Windows program, a legacy printing workflow, or software that only accepts bitmap files and can't read raw.
Keep the NEF original if you plan to edit the shot, since converting to BMP locks in the exposure and white balance and throws away the raw sensor data you'd need to adjust it later.
Why not just use an online converter?
NEF files carry the camera's full EXIF data, often including the exact time and GPS location the photo was taken, plus the camera body and lens used. Run that file through an online converter and all of that travels to a server you don't control before you get your BMP back. Converting on your own computer means the raw shot, and everything Nikon recorded about it, stay on your machine.
Questions
Does converting NEF to BMP lose quality?
The conversion itself is lossless, but it flattens the raw sensor data into fixed pixels using whatever exposure and white balance settings are applied at export. You lose the ability to adjust those later, even though no compression artifacts are introduced.
Will the BMP keep the photo's metadata?
Mostly no. BMP is a simple pixel format and doesn't have a real place to store EXIF data like the shooting date, camera settings, or GPS location, so most of that gets dropped in the conversion.
Why would I convert to BMP instead of PNG or JPG?
Not much reason today unless a specific legacy program or workflow requires an uncompressed bitmap. For most modern uses, PNG or JPG is smaller and more widely supported.
Can I convert NEF to BMP without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet processes the raw file locally, so the photo and its metadata never leave your computer.
Morphjet converts NEF, BMP, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.