Unable to load NEF (Nikon RAW) after upgrading to iPadOS 15.0

[JacobMichelsen]

After upgrading my iPad Pro 2021 (M1 processor) to iPadOS, when opening NEF files I get this coarse pixelated and unusable image. It’s the latest version 1.10.1.253 of Affinity Photo I’m running.please advice on How to process NEF files. I tried changing from the Apple RAW to the Serif Labs RAW Engine, but that didn’t help.

[JacobMichelsen]

Able to load NEF file when saving file to iCloud and then opening from there. I think this has been an error in a previous version of AP…

[Paul Mudditt]

14 hours ago, JacobMichelsen said:

After upgrading my iPad Pro 2021 (M1 processor) to iPadOS, when opening NEF files I get this coarse pixelated and unusable image. It’s the latest version 1.10.1.253 of Affinity Photo I’m running.please advice on How to process NEF files. I tried changing from the Apple RAW to the Serif Labs RAW Engine, but that didn’t help.

Sounds like you are opening an optimised JPG after updating the iPadOS. Which method are you using to get the image into Affinity, using the "Import From Photos" option or drag and drop from Photos or via share from Photos or via Place command.?

[JacobMichelsen]

I’m opening a NEF file (100% certain on that, no JPG) the way I use to do and did under iPadOS 14.8 and previous versions. Photos are imported from the camera into the camera roll of my iPad. And from AP I then use the “+” command followed by “Import From Photos” and then selecting the image from the camera roll. It worked until upgrading iPadOS to version 15.

BR Jacob. 

[Chris B]

We have a general issue logged where opening a NEF via Photos causes it to be pixelated - this is portrait NEF images as far as I'm aware.

I do however have an internal build which seems to have fixed this. Hopefully it will not be too long before it is publicly available.

[JacobMichelsen]

This problem also occurs for landscape NEF files. The problem with portrait NEF files was when the camera (Nikon D850) was set to auto-rotate portrait images. Made a short video clip showing the problem.

[JB10940]

I too am having this issue after updating to iPadOS 15. 

[DM1]

Maybe try the new beta version. It states: - Fixed import of portrait Nikon RAW files from Photos app.

Download here:

 

[JB10940]

I imported a raw photo from my mavic 2 pro and didn’t have this issue. Apparently it’s just with my Nikon camera. 
 

*update* I saved the Nikon raw photo to files on my iPad and then choose import from cloud in affinity and it brought the image in with no problem.  

Edited October 1, 2021 by JB10940
New information

[AlexNikon]

I bought Affinity Photo for iPad yesterday, 1.10.1 on iPadOS 14.8. I'm shooting Nikon raw, 50% portrait. I experience the pixelation problem for all portrait NEFs. So right now the software is useless for me. I cannot disable the rotation information as then the tethered images in portrait would be previewed incorrectly on my other apps. But as I read here, fixing the Nikon Portrait Raw bug is on the roadmap, right? Kind regards, Alex

[JacobMichelsen]

Alex, try importing the NEF image from iCloud instead of from the camera roll. Fixed the problem for me until Serif has a solution ready for us (the Beta promoted to a Release version).  

[DM1]

9 hours ago, AlexNikon said:

fixing the Nikon Portrait Raw bug is on the roadmap, right?

Already fixed in current beta which can be downloaded free as a separate install, so it won’t effect your primary install. Link in my post above.

[JacobMichelsen]

I have tested the new version 1.10.2.266 of Affinity Photo with a few NEF files imported from the camera roll, and now it seems to work again 👍

Tested with both landscape and portrait oriented NEF images and both worked for me. Gone are the pixelated low resolution images when not importing NEF from iCloud. 
 

BR Jacob

[JB10940]

Glad that affinity handled this fix promptly. Really enjoy using this program. 

[pecka]

The latest stable and beta of Affinity Photo still affected by the bug on iPadOS 15.1, iPad Pro 2020 11”.

[hxpro]

Same issue: iPad 2020, os 15.2, affinity photo 1.10.3.267, please fix it :(.

[Fejj]

This issue affects my ipad pro as well, landscape and portrait. Makes software useless, shouldn’t need workarounds. As of Feb 2022, is there a scheduled date for release of new version?