Photoshop Element vs. Nikon Capture NX

[frankie_frank1]

They are about the same price. How do you compare these 2 softwares? What are

the advantages and disadvantages of each one?

[russ_konrad]

If you shoot RAW with a Nikon DSLR - Capture NX is simply the best and IMHO required to get the best out of your images.

 

But if you want to do some more of the "artsy" effects - you will also need some version of Photoshop or equivalent type of program.

 

We use Capture NX to convert our files to JPEG and then use Elements on some of the images for some of the "artistic" effects in our wedding images (sepia, black and white, vignetting, selective coloring, etc).

[Matt Laur]

Capture NX "understands" your Nikon body's output better than any other piece of software. I would head that direction first. You'll find that its system of rating your images, bulk processing, etc., can take a little getting used to... but you'll also quickly learn to like the control-point interface for altering the renderings. It's a great piece of software (but have at least 2GB of RAM!).

[joseph_smith3]

Read the responses to "D 200 workflow" just three posts below. NX is the only raw processor that will read the image settings you made when you captured the image in your camera. Joe Smith

[User_276104]

I finally upgraded to a computer that will run NX at a reasonable speed and I hardly use anything else anymore.

 

Actually, I've taken to leaving a lot of settings in the camera set to Auto and shoot RAW only. If everything looks good when I open it in NX then I just make a JPEG and go from there.

 

I should qualify the above statement by saying that I don't like messing with images a lot on the computer.

[kevin_lee5]

Not to muddy the water. There is another alternative: Bibble 4.9.8 (or later) by Bibble Labs. It reads .NEF file very well and its Noise Ninja is awesome. It also has a couple of canned B&W settings that give you instantaneous B&W conversion to popular B&W film types. However, its user interface has some room to improve. I think it is at same price range as Nikon NX and Photoshop Element. The best thing about them is that you can actually call their staff and ask technical/operational questions.

 

Cheers;

[liljuddakalilknyttphotogra]

I have CS3, NX & Elements 4.0- - - - shoot RAW + JPG fine.

 

I always start in NX & most that I do I do in NX. It really comes down to what kind of pp'ing you do. Download & test NX before you buy anything. That would be my only advise.

 

Lil

[simon_hickie1]

I use NX for RAW conversions & some tweaking & use CS2 for the other stuff. It's a combination that works well for me. I tested NX RAW conversions from a D80 against Bibble, Lightroom, DXO and CS2. No doubt about it - the NX conversions were superior in all departments.

[Mike_R1664876643]

I have NX and Elements 3, and hardly use the Photoshop anymore. NX is so much better and easier to use IMO. The photos just pop, and I don't get that with Elements. The only thing I might use Elements for are things like perspective control or layers, but only after I've done everything else with NX. It's really good to have both programs. I can't imagine needing anything else. Full Photoshop for me would be like buying a Winnebago to commute back & forth to work.

[shoshana]

For me the biggest difference is that my computer bogged down when I tried NX. I like it better, but I have a PIII 1 Ghz processor w/ 512 mb RAM. It does work, but sloooowly!

 

I have Elements 4.0 w/ the RAW converter and I haven't found it as easy to use as NX.

 

Maybe cause I'm used to PhotoImpact?