Capture NX +CS2 or just CS2 for D200?

I just recently acquired a Nikon D200 and want to start processing (primarily)

images captured in RAW format. I have done a LOT of reading on the pros and cons

of the different editing programs.

<p> From what I read, Capture does a better job than ACR for NEF files, which is

why (I assume) many do their initial processing of RAW in Capture, then send to

CS2.<p>

From those who have done it one or both ways, what's your opinion on this? Since

I'm new to the digital darkroom, I'd like to do what's best for the images, but

if Capture is only "marginally" better than ACR, I don't want to deal with it

right now, but just stay with CS2 and ACR.<p><br>

Thanks in advance.

Blake, I'm curious as to what you mean by Capture doing a "better job". I've used both and find Capture (v.4, not NX) to be fairly tedious in design. I switched my image management to ACDSee Pro, and find it a lot easier, but I have no reservations about working with Raw files in CS2. I am using a D200 also. At this point, I consider Capture an extra step in my workflow rather than a very helpful solution. I hear NX is much better, but we'll see.

Michael, I have no real experience with it as you have, I'm just relating what I have read/seen regarding the issue with NEF in Capture vs. ACR. Some of the screenshots I have seen comparing the two seem to favor Capture over ACR <i>for <b>Nikon</b> files</i>.<p> However, responses such as yours (actual users of both) is what I'm after. <p>Thanks.

Blake

 

I use Capture 4.4 and CS2 in my work flow. I have found that I get better color and less noise if I use Capture to do the basics with. I then export them to CS2 as a TIFF file.I have tried to use just CS2 but I have had issues with color fidelity using just CS2.I have done the ACR calibration and that made it better for some images and worse for others.

 

Right now I am not a big fan of Captur NX. Maybe I just need to play around with it more.

 

My sugjestion is to get the trial version of NX and see which you like better.

 

Michael

"Better" is both a subjective adjective and a quanitifiably measurable term. Likewise with

"marginally".

 

The factory defaults for the D200 or any Nikon DSLR are likely better in Nikon Capture NX

than in PsCS2, but you can tune ACR 3.4 so that the ACR results are betterthan the

defaults. If you are shooting a lot of iamges I think the Adobe workflow Bridge + ACR +

DNG conversion and then PsCS2 when you need it makes a lot more sense than Nikon

Capture NX alone. <P>

 

Have you seen Mikkel Aaland's

<A HREF = http://tinyurl.com/jtcnq> Photoshop CS2 RAW book?</A>it's worth the price

of

admission.