A Nikon .nd2 file is rarely one image: it can hold time points, focal planes, channels and stage positions in one file. This video explains what is inside an ND2 and opens one in SlideScope on Mac or Windows.
You see the time, depth and channel controls, the acquisition metadata, and a calibrated measurement, followed by an honest list of what a viewer does not do compared with NIS-Elements or Fiji.
Prefer to read? How to open ND2 files: every option compared.
Updated since recording. Since this video was recorded, the free trial changed: it now covers 10 of your own images or 3 days, whichever comes first, and needs only a free account, no PayPal or card. Current prices are on the pricing page. See pricing.
ND2 is Nikon's format. It comes out of NIS-Elements, and almost nothing else opens it.
ND2 files are rarely a single image.
They are time series, Z-stacks and multiple channels, often all at once.
Open the .nd2 directly. No conversion step.
This one is a time-lapse. Scrub through the time points.
A separate slider steps through depth - this file has eleven Z planes.
Blend the channels into one view.
Toggle each channel independently to see what it contributes.
Acquisition metadata: objective, pixel size, interval.
That pixel size is why the measurement reads in micrometres.
This is a viewer. It will not run your NIS-Elements analysis routines.
It does not control the microscope and does not do batch quantification.
It exports TIFF, so work moves cleanly to Fiji or CellProfiler.
Mac and Windows, same app. A 3-day full-access trial, then $25.00 a month.
Download SlideScope for Windows or Mac. The free trial covers 10 of your own images or 3 days, whichever comes first, with no card needed.