RAW Format?!? HELP!!!!!!

[Xenos]

I'm shooting with a Nikon D40. For image quality I usually shoot with JPEG Fine but last night shooting at a night club for a friend of mine doing a live DJ and Drum show I decided to change it to NEF (RAW).

I'm pretty new to all this, got my shutter speed, aperature etc down pretty good, getting some good images with and without flash.

Now, my question is this.

What exactly is NEF or RAW format, I've seen it mentioned on here before but I don't really know what it is.

More importantly though.

HOW THE FLYING F*%K DO I GET THE IMAGES OFF MY CARD AND SAVED TO MY CAMERA????

When I saved the images, using a SanDisk MicroMate, as I always do, all the JPEG (including a setting for NEF(RAW)+JPEG) are saved but the NEF(RAW) images are not and when I try to open them a message comes up that they are created with an unknown program.

I really hope (I assume) there is a way to pull these images. These were some of the best shots I got all night. Hopefully I didn't royally screw myself with my experimentation.

Any info will be exceptionally appreciated, to the point of if you're local (Vancouver BC area) I WILL buy you a beer. I'd really like to get these shots.

[JAS_Photo]

This download from Nikon should allow you to view your NEF files on your computer.

http://www.nikonimglib.com/nefcodec/

[Iguanasan]

If you are not already using a workflow application then check out Picasa, http://www.google.com/picasa/ (It's free and it has support for NEF and NRW as well as many other image formats.

[Xenos]

Cool. Thank you gentlemen,I'll try that when I get home from work.

[Mad Aussie]

Raiven ... you're such a gentleman!

[Xenos]

Well, you know, I figure I'm pretty new on here and I like to build a nice facade of being a nice person before everybody figures out I'm just another a-hole.

[Iguanasan]

Well, you know, I figure I'm pretty new on here and I like to build a nice facade of being a nice person before everybody figures out I'm just another a-hole.

Hehehe. MA's smart ass comment was not hitting at your politeness but rather the fact that Raiven is a lady

[Mad Aussie]

but rather the fact that Raiven is a lady

Well ... far as we know anyhow

[Xenos]

Ah. I see. I guess I'll figure all that out fairly quickly...

[AntZ]

Hehehe. MA's smart ass comment was not hitting at your politeness but rather the fact that Raiven is a lady

Well ... far as we know anyhow

hehe this is all sounding a little bit "Little Brittain"...."I am a Lady"