Capture NX-D officially released

<p>Nikons new software for processing raw files is now officially released..<br>

Here is a ( European) link for free download :<br>

<a href="http://nikonimglib.com/ncnxd/index_nl_eur.html#os-windows">http://nikonimglib.com/ncnxd/index_nl_eur.html#os-windows</a><br>

</p>

 

<p>You can pick your country, language and OS from here:<br>

<a href="http://nikonimglib.com/ncnxd/">http://nikonimglib.com/ncnxd/#</a></p>

 

<p>Thanks guys, downloaded and opened just fine. The price is right, that's for sure. I just need to brew a pot of coffee, sit down, and run Capture, View and the Picture Control Utility side-by-side to see which is best for my work flow.</p>

<p>I will say, my initial impression is that Capture NX-D is not 'responsive' running D800 files on a current generation iMac. That might steer me away from it. Dunno, too soon to tell.</p>

<p>Just remeber,<br>

Do not getrid of Capture NX2 / View NX2 jusdt yet, !!<br>

Capture NX-D is not backward compatible since it stores the chaneges in a "Side Car" where the other programs store changes within the RAW /NEF files...</p>

<p>No wonder it's free,it is diabolical as intuitive as a brick.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Do not getrid of Capture NX2 / View NX2 jusdt yet, !!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No panic, it's going to die in fall anyway, because the adjustments for the new OS X won't be integrated anymore.</p>

<p>Many people just lost a bunch of money on CNX. Another 'elegant' way to get rid of customers and having them ripped off. </p>

<p>mm After reading the licens agreement i decide NOT to instal this Capture NX-D software .<br /> Part of it says :</p>

<blockquote>

<p>You authorize Nikon to collect from your computers certain identifying information about your computers (i.e., the operating system, CPU, and terminal ID) as well as information about the SOFTWARE installed (i.e., name, version and the region and language codes) for the sole purpose of tracking your compliance with this Agreement.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This statement alows nikon to nose around on your system wherever and whenever they like to, meaning that this software contains "Spyware" which i do not like at all, no matter whatever purpose Nikon says this function has.</p>

<p>So for now this software is a No No to me....</p>

<p> </p>

<p><em>Many people just lost a bunch of money on CNX. Another 'elegant' way to get rid of customers and having them ripped off.</em></p>

<p>Many people over the years have requested Nikon to give their raw conversion software for free. I think it is a good thing that this happened though I have a license of NX2 and use it (and will continue to do so on older, edited files). </p>

<p><em>This statement alows nikon to nose around on your system wherever and whenever they like to,</em></p>

<p>Well this isn't likely, and pretty much all software nowadays do some checking and reporting of the system you're using them on, and this includes the operating system. </p>

<blockquote>

<p>Many people just lost a bunch of money on CNX.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Didn't loose a penny; CNX2 is still working, as it has for the last 6 years or so since I bought it. As for compatibility with some new OS X version, maybe it'll work, maybe it won't, plus for many users that's rather irrelevant as they do not use OS X to start with.<br>

As for the license, it indeed doesn't look nice but I think the last bit is not unimportant:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>..for the sole purpose of tracking your compliance with this Agreement</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This severly restricts them - even if they gather the data, using it for anything else would be a breach of contract.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Capture NX-D is not backward compatible since it stores the chaneges in a "Side Car" where the other programs store changes within the RAW /NEF files...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You mean to say it doesn't see edits done by VNX/CNX? <br>

On a few occasions I had issues with NEF files edited by NX, which would open with DxO OP. So I don't like the idea of editing original NEF files. <br>

Another odd issue was that NX would refuse to display full EXIF data in case it was edited in any way, even by inserting tags / star ratings. Standard EXIF would still be readable by any standard EXIF viewer, but some manufacturer-specific data such as active AF positions would be lost. </p>

<p>I do not want Nikon to install software whitch allows anybody ( themselves and/or otheres) to nose around in my systems full stop, so i choose not agree with the terms and i do not install the software...</p>

<blockquote>

<p> as well as information about the SOFTWARE installed</p>

</blockquote>

<p> SInce Nikon does not speciffically tell which software is meant in this sentence it allows them to scan all of your computer anytime they whish too to find all installed software on your system.<br>

To do any type of scanning Nikon must have installed scan functions in Capture NX-D otherwise this scanning would not be possible.<br>

It also has been shown in several instances before that if there is any form of scanning software installed with software packages , it seems to be quite easy for malicious ppl to abuses this build-in scanware" for their own benefits.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I believe it's called "Nalperion"<br>

more here:<br />WWW.Nalperion.com<br /><br />at least on the Mac it nests quietly in the 'startup' sequence and is easily deleted -</p>

<p>{bootsisk\library\startupitems}</p>

<blockquote>

<p>SInce Nikon does not speciffically tell which software is meant in this sentence</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

This is incorrect. Nikon specifies its usage in the very first paragraph of the license. The usage is very specific and only applies to the Nikon software. This section is sometimes headed up with the word "Definitions," but it's not necessary.</p>

<p>Don't worry about the system inquiry stuff. That has been around for a decade or longer. Microsoft and Adobe do that stuff in spades. Seriously, that ship sailed years ago, and if you think an Internet connected computer is in any way protected from prying eyes, you are sadly mistaken.</p>

<p>NX-D seems to open the file quickly for viewing and editing (faster than NX2) but transfer to Photoshop takes about 2-3 times as long as with NX2. It seems likely that I will be using NX-D as a browser for new image directories that I make; also for initial grading of shots, deleting most of the bad ones and making the first adjustments (picture control, white balance, tone curve). Then I'll run a batch process to convert the remaining NEF files into jpg or tiff and let the computer churn it out while I do something else. I can then continue editing the converted image files with PS to make regional adjustments and retouching etc. and finally make prints either directly or through LR as a batch process (LR makes it easier to put multiple images on one page). I guess I am not afraid of a complicated workflow. ;-) I prefer NX-D to using View NX2 + Capture NX2 as there are fewer steps to work through, though it is regrettable that in the first release version adjustments in old edited files are not obeyed. I think this is something Nikon is working on but did not finalize in time for the D810 release date.</p>

<p>I like NX-D so far, to me it is a cleaner program than NX2 and doesn't hi-jack the computer as NX2 does in a way (on my Windows 7 system) by overlaying its tool windows on top of other software which I'm trying to use. I like the fact that browsing and making the main adjustments to NEF files is now quicker. I hope that they can make the transfer to PS faster.</p>

<p>I think is a little early to replace VNX2+CND2 with NX-D, is missing things and have some bugs.<br /><br />- Is slow in most functions for me, may be my video card, I don't know.<br /><br />- Is missing Transfer and better printing system.<br /><br />- The crop function is really weird using 5:4, 6:6, and so aspect ratios and always starting from the full frame, to make a crop takes a lot of steps and I not really sure what aspect ratio it really is for photographs (may be somebody can give a light here).<br /><br />- With 2 screens: if the preview pane is on the second screen and I close the program, if the second screen is disconnect and I run the program again it crashes. It will only run again if I connect the second screen before running it. I reported it already on the beta web site.<br /><br />- It's not always, but trying to fix Color Aberration it enter in a kind of loop, never end. I have to move to another picture and come back.<br /><br />- Also, when just browsing and playing around with the setting it always keep the changes, you can't choose between Discard or Save the changes as VNX2 has. I don't like because I can damage a good work or get lost.<br /><br />But a good and import thing I notice: at least for me everything looks sharpest and have more contrast using NX-D. I made a test with NX-D, C-NX2, VNX2 and Photoshop Elements. I opened the same NEF file on each of these programs and saved the file as TIFF and then JPG without any editing, the full picture and a crop. The TIFF and JPG files generated by NX-D was sharper and is more "contrasty". It will be good thing and somebody can confirm it for me. If is true, looks like NX-D renders better or reads better the Picture Control that is on the NEF file, or something like that.<br /><br />Still testing....</p>

<p>Honestly, Nikon ViewNX-2 keep me pretty happy for most image manipulations, and it's fairly rare that I go to Photoshop any more.</p>

<p>Still going to look into Capture NX-D, but I'm not anxious to do that.</p>

<p><em>Also, when just browsing and playing around with the setting it always keep the changes, you can't choose between Discard or Save the changes as VNX2 has. I don't like because I can damage a good work or get lost.</em><br>

<br>

The NEF files are not modified by the edits so in principle you shouldn't lose the original (the delete key does place the file in the recycle bin and doesn't ask confirmation by default). Adjustments that you make to the image are just instructions stored elsewhere and you can cancel them by selecting Adjust / Restore to get back to your original image converted using default settings.<br>

<br>

<em>The crop function is really weird using 5:4, 6:6, and so aspect ratio</em></p>

<p> <br>

It is a bit weird but it seems to obey my will after some struggles. Capture NX2 had one of the best crop functions in any image editor I knew about until Photoshop finally caught up with it.<br>

</p>

<p><em>The NEF files are not modified by the edits</em><br>

Yes, I know it saves the changes on a "SideCar" file, I'm getting used to it, but what I mean is any change is immediately saved in the SideCar, there is not a chance to just try something without saving as we can do with any other software. I have to Undo or Restore (Ctrl+R, meaning clean everything) or it will keep the changes without warning.<br>

On C-NX2 you can restore the last saved, or even create and save several versions of the same NEF. On NX-D you can't even have a temporary version, test something, unless you Undo the current changes or, as you said, Restore to the original NEF file, before you move to another picture or close the application, a great chance to make mistakes, mess with previous work. </p>

<p>Ok true, but what is nice is that saving changes doesn't take a long time as it can take in NX2. I suppose you could make a copy of the NEF file under a different name and keep different edits associated with the two different files.</p>

<p>One thing that is a bit annoying with NX-D is that it doesn't seem to offer the option of storing the TIFF in the directory of the original NEF file, rather the directory that is used is in the preferences and I must always go change it on a case by case basis to keep the files together.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>On C-NX2 you can restore the last saved, or even create and save several versions of the same NEF. On NX-D you can't even have a temporary version, test something, unless you Undo the current changes or, as you said, Restore to the original NEF file, before you move to another picture or close the application, a great chance to make mistakes, mess with previous work.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This was some of those things I was worried at early stages of CNX-D, and I still am a bit confused.<br>

I too, understand that the edits are kept updated all the time. It is, however, possible to uncheck at least to a certain extent the edit steps done. This allows you to make quick "tests" on how each step/edit behaves without totally restoring to the original.<br>

So it is possible to unactivate some edits, that are still there, to be possibly activated later at will.<br>

But what happens after that? If I write a TIFF out at some point of editing and come back later to make another version of the same image. How do I know later what editing produced which (tiff) output. Currently a mystery to me. It seems that my brain workflow differs from what CNX-D developers have been thinkig ;-)</p>

<p>The rerason NX2 is not updated or supported by Nikon any longer is due to the fact that they (as they say) sold the technology to Google............<br>

This "new" NX-D is rubbish!!!! It doesn't work on my Mac with Yosemite. It hangs itself up and lacks lots of features NX2 did have. NX2 does no longer work with Yosemite, so be careful to update.<br>

The alternative, iPhoto, is also best placed in the dustbin.......... What ever happened to designated photosoftware??<br>

Does Nikon really have that much disrespect for their customers??????</p>