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How to use NX Studio: transfer, view and edit your photos

How to use NX Studio from the first transfer to the first edited RAW file, with the menu names the vendor's documentation uses. Six steps, then the settings that save time later.

Updated · 7 min read · By NEF Workbench

This site is independent and is not run by or affiliated with Nikon Corporation. The program is a free download, and this site earns nothing when you download it. All facts were read on downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com on 8 November 2026.

To use NX Studio, copy pictures with Nikon Transfer 2 over a built in USB port or a card reader, open the folder in the program, and adjust RAW files with Picture Controls and tone tools in the adjustments palette. Turn on View > Show RAW and JPEG Pairs as Single Images to tidy the browser, and open Help > NX Studio Help for the full manual.

Before you start

This guide on how to use NX Studio assumes version 1.11.0 is installed. If it is not, the download page has the installer and the install steps. You need the camera, its USB cable or a card reader, and a USB port that is part of the computer rather than a hub.

The program and its transfer utility install together. Menu names below are written as they appear in the vendor's documentation.

From card to edited picture

  1. Connect the camera or cardPlug the camera into a built in USB port, or put the memory card in a card reader. Older COOLPIX models and the D1 family need a card reader.
  2. Copy with Nikon Transfer 2Let the transfer utility copy the pictures to a folder on your computer. With a large card, copy in smaller batches, as the vendor recommends.
  3. Open the folderStart the program and browse to the folder you copied to. Pictures appear as thumbnails and can be viewed full size.
  4. Pair RAW and JPEG filesIf you shoot RAW plus JPEG, choose View > Show RAW and JPEG Pairs as Single Images so each shot appears once.
  5. Adjust the pictureSelect a RAW file and use the adjustments palette: change the Picture Control, then refine with tone curves and brightness and contrast. Tone tools also work on JPEG, TIFF and HEIF.
  6. Copy location dataTo give several pictures the same GPS position, select the source picture, use Copy Location Data, then select the others and use Paste Location Data.

Working with video clips

Selecting a clip and clicking Edit Video in the toolbar launches the default video program of your operating system, but it does not open the clip automatically; open it from that program. To choose a different editor, pick it under Open with Application in the options dialog.

H.265 clips need a plugin for playback, which the program offers on screen. N-RAW, R3D NE and ProRes RAW clips have no preview at all.

Settings that help

  • Size of Text and Icon in the options dialog makes the interface larger on high resolution screens; 1.11.0 fixed a bug where the change did not reach the slideshow dialog.
  • Show Image Immediately After Shooting links the program with Camera Control Pro 2 for tethered work; it needs Camera Control Pro 2 version 2.33.1 or later.
  • Sign in with a Nikon ID, the online help and update checks need an internet connection.

Where to find the manual

Choose Help > NX Studio Help for the full reference manual and the Nikon Transfer 2 help, both linked from the download page as well. The vendor recommends reading it before you start. If something does not behave as described, such as a camera that is not recognised or a clip that will not play, the problems and fixes page covers the documented causes. For an overall verdict on whether the editor is enough for you, see the review.

Not installed yet?

Get the free 1.11.0 installer for Windows 11 or macOS 14 to 26 and follow the steps above.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I import photos into NX Studio?

Use Nikon Transfer 2, which installs with the program. Connect the camera to a built in USB port or use a card reader, copy the pictures to a folder, then open that folder in the program.

How do I show RAW and JPEG as one picture?

Choose View > Show RAW and JPEG Pairs as Single Images. Each pair then appears as a single thumbnail. In 1.11.0 a bug that blocked Paste Location Data with this option on was fixed.

Where do I change the Picture Control of a RAW file?

In the adjustments palette, under Picture Control. The tool works on RAW files and lets you apply a different Picture Control after shooting.

Can I edit video in NX Studio?

Edit Video hands the clip to another application, the system default unless you choose another under Open with Application in the options dialog. Editing happens in that program.

Where is the NX Studio manual?

Choose Help > NX Studio Help inside the program. The download page on the vendor's site also links the manual and the Nikon Transfer 2 help.

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