The Demise of Capture NX2

<p>So it seems that Nikon are dropping all support for Capture NX2 shortly (June?).<br /> They have a 'replacement' which is called Capture NX-D - you can download a beta copy from Nikon if you want to take a look, but frankly I wouldn't bother - it's more of a 'slightly more useful' ViewNX2 than a proper replacement for Capture NX2. Lots of CNX2 features are missing or difficult to find (auto-retouch for example). Maybe they'll smarten it up for the release version.<br /> That will more or less force us hardened NX2 users down the Adobe pathway...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Too bad, but Nikon has always seemed out of touch regarding professional editing software. Capture never impressed me enough to buy it after the trial period. Mostly I use Lightroom.</p>

<p>However I do occasionally use ViewNX2 to convert NEFs to TIFFs with in-camera JPEG effects. I like the JPEG effects, but prefer the lossless TIFFs for additional tweaking in Lightroom or other editors. Nikon software does have a very slight edge over Lightroom in converting NEFs to TIFFs, while retaining better detail with a bit more noise.</p>

<p>I've gotten use to Capture NX2 which I supplement with PSE12 for their layer editing. And my impression has been that the only reason NX2 gets updated is to add new cameras to the list that can use NX2. Do you think it's "long in the tooth" which is bringing about the change?</p>

<p>I wonder if Nikon somehow 'lost the rights' to U-point etc when Google bought NIK which caused Nikon to scramble for a solution and they got into bed w/ Silkypix</p>

<p>Up till some time ago, I was a very content user of CaptureNX2 - some stuff, it just does really, really well. I like its B&W conversions most of all, no need for any plugins as to me, the product itself just got that right. But I left it all the same - a lot of minor nuisances (drop down menus that close whenever they feel like it, badly blown reds with a D700, no catalog of sorts) added up to jumping ship to CaptureOne for 95% of my files.<br>

Later today I will sign up for the beta of Capture NX-D, since I am curious about it. I read through its manual earlier, and it looks like half the tools that are in CNX2 are missing. The U-Point tools for sure, but local editing as a whole seems gone. Dust-fixing and red-eye fixing, seems gone. Dedicated B&W tools and photofilters seems gone. All in all, it looks like the editing part of ViewNX2 done right.</p>

<p>If my reading of the Nikon release statement is correct, and this tool will remain free, then I am fine with it; if Nikon charges money for it, they're a bit out of touch. But well, let's first give it a spin and then decide.</p>

<p>OK...there isn't all that much to try out, really. It's ViewNX2 done slightly more right (easier to use for editing), CaptureNX2 done massively worse, and sluggish. If they can get the speed solved, and it remains free, then it is nice as a fallback option. But if you're on CaptureNX2 and you might get a new(er) camera some year soon, you better start testing other software, because this one will leave you wanting.</p>

<p>Howard M, I was thinking that too. There is no U-point in CNX-D. Additionally there seems to be no area or point specific adjustments anymore like Wouter wrote.<br>

It seems that CNX-D falls functionally somewhere between ViewNX and current CNX2.<br>

NEF format for the edits are changed too! A sidecar will follow.<br>

In CNX-D it is not even possible to do a simple dust removal operation.<br>

I did not test any edits in CNX-D but I just wonder how older, edited in CNX2, files are to be managed.</p>

My Adobe subscription, sauced up with the Nik plugins, is starting to look like my editing future. For me, the u-point stuff is

what CNX was all about. On the other hand, I still have it installed and it's not going to stop working for older files.

<p>I downloaded Capture NX-D and at first was appalled. OK. Now I have found highlight preservation and shadow adjustment. D lighting is not clearly as useful as before. control points are gone? haven't found high pass filter for sharpening yet. Is this REALLY being called an upgrade? Not good. I wonder now about the thousands of images I have that are adjusted and saved as NX2 files. do I convert to .tif files? That will take many hours and gigabytes of storage. I hope some more time in the users manual will show me that my old tools are still available. Sidecar files? </p>

<p>Not much love here for View NX2 or CNX2. Suddenly I'm unable to open any of my NEF files, whether they are from older D700 or current D610. Any ideas what's wrong ? Nikon's latest support pretty much send me software that came with the D610.</p>

<p>Les</p>

<p>Robert, I think the only solution is what Matt wrote (and it's what I do as well) - leave CNX2 installed, use it when needed for the old files, and for new files, migrate to a new program (<em>not</em> called Capture NX).... I've got some 5 years of work via CNX2, none of that lost as long as CNX2 works. Plus, CaptureNX2 saves a high quality full resolution JPEG as part of the NEF file, which can be extracted (in case of emergencies). Not ideal, but as long as I do not loose work, I'm fairly OK.</p>

<p>Leszek, without knowing what kind of error you see and how you are trying to open the files, it's impossible to tell what is wrong. I'd start by cleaning the cache for both ViewNX2 and CaptureNX2, and then try open a folder again. But a bit more info would give a much better chance of understanding why the programs aren't doing what they should.</p>

<p>So it seems that within one year or so a new photo editor is needed. If the new sidecar file of CNX-D containing edits is compatible with Adobe's, then that would be a really nice thing.<br>

In that case Nikon would provide the sort, label and develop functions with CNX-D and the user could continue with eg. Adobe's toolboxes from there.<br>

So far it has been efficient and handy to have been able to do most of the workflow with NEFs. Currently I am a bit worried that I have to change formats after the develop-phase. That would not be ideal in any way.<br>

<em>For the feedback Nikon is asking about CNX-D</em> I asked them to make the transition phase CNX2 -> CNX-D + XX as clear and simple as possible. Also I asked them to put attention on how to manage existing CNX2 and coming CNX-D files and linked workflows efficiently.</p>

<p>For a newcomer, after one hour at Adobes pages, Adobe photo-editing packages and their functionalies are still totally fuzzy to me. More on that later.</p>

<p>Kari - how did you make a response to Nikon ?<br>

I know they're asking for some, but could not find any easy way to do it - i.e. no 'feedback' button or such in NX-D</p>

<p>Chris, the feedback form is where you download the beta version of the VNX-D.<br>

http://beta.nikonimglib.com/</p>

<p>@Kari: transition from NX2 tp NX-D is very good point - currently, it seems, NX-D cannot read any of the edits done in NX2 :-((<br>

Adobe: yes, confusing and don't expect that their software is any more self explaining than their webpages - PS is very visibly a "historically grown" heap of software, but: it has some really powerful features. </p>

<p>I'm not too familiar with all of the RAW converter software packages, having just worked with Photoshop, and only a few minutes with View NX. Maybe I've been under a rock for too long. Is Capture NX2 a different program than Capture One? Anybody here using Capture One?</p>

<p>I suppose we could use this as a learning forum for the new beast. I seem to have a lot of simple questions. After I make some adjustments, where is the "save file" command? I looked thru the user guide but I don't find an index for looking things up. "Save file as" seems pretty basic. must be there somewhere. Is there a Help or Index on the user's guide?</p>

<p>CNX-D manual is at: <a href="http://download3.nikonimglib.com/archive1/cY8qV00Xp7nC00EvhN5862V4nP89/D-NXD___-000901BF-___EN-ALL___.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://download3.nikonimglib.com/ar...5862V4nP89/D-NXD___-000901BF-___EN-ALL___.pdf</a></p>

 

<p>The sidecar file for Nikon Capture NX-D has an extension of NKS and is located in a subfolder of the NEF files. Adobe sidecar files have an extension of XMP and are located in the same folder as the NEF files. They don't appear compatible to me, but maybe someone could write a conversion program to convert the NKS file to an XMP file that would work with Adobe software for just the basic functions since the two programs have different parameters you can adjust. </p>

<p>I have Nikon Capture NX2, but have always used Adobe software to process NEF files. I just use Nikon Capture NX2 to experiment on how in camera settings would affect camera jpg images, but I always process the NEF files with Adobe Camera RAW in Photoshop CS6 or Lightroom 5. I always get better images than the camera JPG's. </p>

 

<p>Nothing new, but having poked at the new program a few times the biggest loss to me is the brushes and mask functions that allow targeted application of adjustment tools. That could even make up the loss of the control point technology, although the latter was probably a faster way to do some things. The new user interface is confusing after using NX2, ie changing the location of functions such as "view lost highlights" from the View menu to the Image menu. I can live with the moving around of functions, although I don't see why it was necessary. The chroma tool in LCH is also not as user friendly as the old one in NX2.<br>

It's really too bad. For the many RAW images that come out of camera only needing a little touch-up, NX2 was useful. NX-D seems less so. Any other observations from those who have used it? Forwarding to Nikon (as I did) might lead to a better product on release.</p>