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Image MIME Reference
Nikon-NEF

Nikon Electronic Format

image/x-nikon-nef
VS

Silicon Graphics Image

image/x-rgb
SGI-RGB

A complete technical comparison of Nikon Electronic Format and Silicon Graphics Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature Nikon-NEF SGI-RGB
Transparency (Alpha) ✕ No Yes
Animation Support ✕ No ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support Yes ✕ No
EXIF Metadata Yes ✕ No
ICC Color Profile Yes ✕ No
Nikon Electronic Format
image/x-nikon-nef
Extension
.nef
Container TIFF
Compression Uncompressed / Lossless Compressed / Lossy Compressed (High Efficiency)
Algorithm
NoneNikon Proprietary LosslessNikon High Efficiency Lossy
Color Depth 12-bit (Per Channel), 14-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by Nikon Corporation
Released 1999
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00 or 4D 4D 00 2A
Full Nikon-NEF reference →
Silicon Graphics Image
image/x-rgb
Extension
.rgb.sgi.rgba.bw.int.inta
Container SGI Image Header (512 bytes)
Compression Uncompressed / Run-Length Encoding (RLE)
Algorithm
NoneScanline RLE
Color Depth 8-bit (Per Channel), 16-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. (Paul Haeberli)
Released 1988
Magic Bytes
01 DA
Full SGI-RGB reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser Nikon-NEF SGI-RGB
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
Nikon-NEF

Nikon-NEF Strengths

  • Retains maximum sensor data, allowing extreme recovery of highlights and shadows that would be permanently lost in a JPEG
  • White balance, sharpening, and color profiling are saved as metadata instructions rather than 'baked in', meaning they can be completely altered in post-production without degrading the image
  • Embeds a high-quality JPEG preview inside the raw file for rapid culling and viewing
Limitations
  • Proprietary format means it requires constant updates to raw processing engines every time Nikon releases a new camera model
  • Produces very large file sizes (often 20MB to 50MB+ per image depending on sensor resolution and bit-depth)
  • Cannot be directly embedded into web pages or used in standard HTML/CSS contexts
SGI-RGB

SGI-RGB Strengths

  • Supports 16-bit precision per channel and an embedded alpha channel, making it ideal for the demanding compositing workflows of 1990s cinema VFX
  • The scanline-based RLE compression was exceptionally fast to decode on classic MIPS-based SGI workstations
  • Features a straightforward 512-byte header, making it relatively easy to parse and write custom decoders in C or Python
Limitations
  • Completely obsolete and unsupported in modern web environments
  • Replaced entirely by TIFF, OpenEXR, and PNG in modern visual effects and 3D rendering pipelines
  • Lacks support for modern color management via ICC profiles or advanced EXIF metadata

When to choose which format

Nikon-NEF
Use Nikon-NEF when…
  • Professional Digital Photography
  • Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
  • High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging Archival
SGI-RGB
Use SGI-RGB when…
  • Legacy 3D Animation and VFX Textures
  • Silicon Graphics IRIX Workstation Archival
  • 1990s Medical Imaging

More comparisons

Nikon-NEF vs ACES → SGI-RGB vs ACES → Nikon-NEF vs APNG → SGI-RGB vs APNG → Nikon-NEF vs AVCI → SGI-RGB vs AVCI → Nikon-NEF vs AVCS → SGI-RGB vs AVCS → Nikon-NEF vs AVIF → SGI-RGB vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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