Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade)
This Upgrade version of Nikon Capture NX 2 allows owners of Nikon Capture NX to upgrade to NX 2 at a price lower than buying the full version of the software.
Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software is a full-featured non-destructive photo editing program that provides photographers powerful tools to quickly and easily edit their photographs, including the highest quality RAW (NEF) conversions from your Nikon camera. Plus it fully integrates with all Nikon software including Camera Control Pro 2, Image Authentication Software, Transfer and ViewNX. Plus Capture NX 2 has maintained all of the functionality of Capture NX, but has added improvements to the usability of those functions.
- Award-winning U Point Technology
- U Point technology uses Control Points to help realize results envisioned in the editing process. Using NEF files for optimal performance, Control Points allow photographers to select and isolate an entire image or selected areas within the image for enhancement, Furthermore, those enhancements can be instantly cancelled or added with ease, without compromising the original quality of the image, and U Point control is perfectly compatible with each NEF file's Instruction Set.
- Selection Control Points
- Now you can selectively edit photographs without the need to manually outline or mask the area for editing. Simply place a Selection Control Point anywhere on the photograph then choose from almost any adjustment such as D-Lighting, Unsharp Mask or Noise Reduction, while limiting the "reach" of that adjustment to just the selected area.
- Auto-Retouch Brush
- Capture NX 2 adds an automatic retouch tool to its image editing toolbox allowing users to seamlessly remove blemishes, dust and other distracting elements from photographs while maintaining the integrity of the image.
- Shadow/Highlight Adjustment
- With just a simple slider adjustment you can easily open up shadows or recover blown-out highlights. Highlight recovery is most effective for RAW (NEF) files however it will work with JPEG and TIFF files as well.
- Redesigned Interface
- The latest version includes a number of improvements to the user interface including the addition of Customizable Workspaces, Improved Toolbar function and layout, Improved Edit List functionality, a newly designed image browser featuring a Favorites Folder, and Improved Image Resolution adjustment controls.
| System & Software Requirements |
This Upgrade Version of Nikon NX 2 requires a fully licensed version of Nikon NX Software to be previously installed on the computer Windows System Requirements: For the below systems: 32 and 64-bit versions are supported. However, under 64-bit versions, the software operates as a 32-bit application: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Micorosft Windows 7 Enterprise Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Service Pack 2 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 2 Microsoft Windows Vista Business Service Pack 2 Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise Service Pack 2 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack 2 Only the 32-bit versions of Windows XP are supported for the below: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 Microsoft Windows XP Home Service Pack 3 CPU for any Windows Computer: 1GHz or better Intel Celeron / Pentium 4 / Core Series RAM: Windows XP : 768 MB minimum, 1GB or more recommended Windows Vista: 1 GB minimum, 1.5 GB or more recommended Windows 7: 1GB minimum, 1.5 GB or more recommended Hard Disk space: 200MB free spce required for installation Video Resolution: 1024 x 768 or greater (1280 x 1024 or greater recommended); 16-bit color or better (32-bit color recommended) CD-ROM drive required for installation Internet connection required Approved memory cards required to import/export Custom Picture Controls Macintosh System
Mac OS 10.4.11, 10.5.8, 10.6.6 |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 47 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
96%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Accurate colors (21)
- Easy to navigate (16)
- Versatile (12)
- Easy to collaborate across programs (9)
- Easy to use (9)
Cons
- Difficult to navigate (4)
- Freezes or crashes (3)
Best Uses
- Professional quality (18)
- Everyday (11)
- Home (11)
- Travel (8)
- Portraits (7)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Quality oriented (22), Enthusiast (8), Professional (7), Semi-professional (4), Budget shopper (3)
- Primary use:
- Personal (19), Business (8)
Most Liked Positive Review
Wow! What an Upgrade
If you shoot with a Nikon, get this software! I use Capture NX 2 to edit travel photos intended for publication as well as photos for personal use. I bought Capture NX 1 as...Read complete review
If you shoot with a Nikon, get this software! I use Capture NX 2 to edit travel photos intended for publication as well as photos for personal use. I bought Capture NX 1 as soon as it came out. In addition to NX 1's spectacular advance in the editing paradigm to control points, NX 2 has dozens of new and perfected features that a serious photographer will appreciate as superior to the competition. I now save all my photos (jpg and RAW) in the vastly upgraded .nef format. Doing so has cut my workflow time by 25%. For me, each frustration with NX 1 has been addressed in a very satisfactory way. Now I pass only a few images through Photoshop after NX2; before, over half of the 'keepers' needed tools not found in NX 1. The powerful handling of Nikon's .nef files is not even close in any other product and metadata handling is superb. I could easily go on, but you get the idea. On the downside, NX 2 still needs a few tools found in Photoshop. Perhaps NX 3 will be a Photoshop killer. It's that close for Nikon images.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Capture NX 2 - the third generation
As a fine arts/commercial photographer shooting with Nikon DSLR's, I have experimented with all the current RAW processors which convert Nikon's NEF files except for Aperture (sorry - PC is the mainstay of ...Read complete review
As a fine arts/commercial photographer shooting with Nikon DSLR's, I have experimented with all the current RAW processors which convert Nikon's NEF files except for Aperture (sorry - PC is the mainstay of my computer workflow.) With a lot of tweaking, Photoshop's ACR does a creditable job as do the various versions of LightRoom. Bibble Labs does an equally good job with incredible processing speed, especially for batch processing. But none of them to my eyes gives a conversion as rich and flexible as NX 2.
I have been using capture for the last four years in its various generations. The control points and camera control options allow me to create masks in moments that would be very laborious in PhotoShop.
NX 2 introduces a cloning tool that lacks the sophistication of a similar PhotoShop tool. It can not be sized as specifically as the PhotoShop tool. It is useful for some areas but not as fine a tool as I would like.
Speed is not the forte of NX 2. Saving images, even on a dual processor PC with 8 GB of RAM is slow. Batch processes have always been slow with Nikon Software. NX 2 is no exception. For general batch processes or adjustment, Nikon strongly recommends using their ViewNX. Using ViewNX as a browser/minor adjuster in conjunction with NX 2 does seem to speed up processes a bit.
In summary, if you are shooting hundreds or thousands of images and need rapid processing, NX 2 is not for you. If you are working in less ambitious numbers and want to achieve the best possible conversion of NEF to Tif, then I believe NX 2 is the necessary starting point. You can expect to be able to process and fine tune your image to a remarkable degree before turning to PhotoShop or Bibble for the final finishing. The UI is unusual at first but becomes second nature quickly. Workflow is easily set up. If you shoot Nikon, there really isn't a better tool on the market. If it were faster, I would have rated it much higher.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 47 customers
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Pros
- Easy To Navigate
Cons
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
Great improvement in speed.
(Why did I give it only 4 out of 5 Stars? NOTHING IS PERFECT)
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Customize
Cons
Best Uses
- Nikon Raw processing
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
Install went well, gave it the product key, and since this system did not have Capture NX 1 installed on it, it asked for the product key for NX 1. Have processed many NEF's in CaptureNX 1 and 2 and love the results I get from them. If you want the very best out of your Nikon camera files, use this. Currently using it on a Lenovo T60 Core 2 T7200 2Ghz with 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, running Windows 7 Pro 64-bit and the program runs without a hitch.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
To those still using Capture NX, highly recommend this upgrade to Capture NX2. The new Selection Control Point feature in Capture NX2 works similar to the existing Color Control Point feature in Capture NX (and retained in Capture NX2), but does much more. By using a Selection Control Point, I can quickly and precisely pick out an area for application of many more localized adjustments, such as selective D-Lighting, selective sharpening, or selective noise control, or various linked combinations. Seems magical as the Selection Control Point intuitively picks out the area I want, more effectively compared with more tedious methods such as by brush or marquee selection, still available. Also, the new Auto Retouch Brush is quick and precise for erasing unwanted details, such as dust spots, blemishes, and stray objects in background areas. Again, highly recommend this upgrade.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Easy To Navigate
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
I was very happy with Capture NX, but NX2 is an improvement that is well worth the cost.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Best at reading NEF files
- Easy To Customize
- Easy To Navigate
- U Point Technology
Cons
- Filters could be better
- Freezes or Crashes
- No manual cloning
Best Uses
- Presentations
- Professional Quality
- RAW processing
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
If you are a Nikon user shooting RAW most of the time, then this program is the best that will read and process your files.
I tried many other good programs, but Capture NX2 is the best for NEF files.
I was happy that I purchased the NX1 awhile ago, so that I could purchase this upgrade version., and when the NX3 comes along, I am sure will get it too.
All of my work are processed with this program, and only the files that I will use filters on are the ones that will be opened in Photoshop.
You need a good desktop, RAM, and processor, to work with this program, it will be slow if your desktop is not good enough especially on the new large uncompressed RAW files.
I use a new iMac with 4GB RAM and it works fast, I can still upgrade my RAM to 8GB and get more speed.
It only crashes if you opened too much files at the same time, I usually open 3 to 5 photos only at a time.
Finally, I don't have to tell you that the U point technology changed the way I edit my photos tremendously, it saved time and effort, and I can now focus on what I want to do and not on the How.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- I am stilll learning how
Cons
- Difficult To Navigate
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
I am running Windows 7 Home Premium version 4GB RAM 500GB drive. Capture NX2 is running fine under that setup.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Navigate
- Great RAW conversions
- So simple to use and get
- Versatile
Cons
- Can't add text to image
- No drop shadow capability
Best Uses
- Also fine JPEG files
- Editing hi res RAW files
- Print directly from NX2
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
I shoot thousands of NEF RAW photo files and use this software for almost all my editing workflow. This upgrade from the earlier version is well worth the money spent, just check out the new features online and you will see. The bestt hing is how easy it is to use with U-point technology, no layers and masks to keep track of and the original file is never altered in the process.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Easy To Customize
- Easy To Navigate
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
I use the software non professionally. I think that I have the full control on images.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Navigate
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
More streamlined and process faster than the older version.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
Cons
- Cluttered user interface
- Difficult To Navigate
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
This is a NEF file converter mostly useful to Nikon users shooting in RAW format. The software can import settings from NIkon cameras and offers a wealth of adjustments. However, I find that other solutions (Apple Aperture) offers better workflow solutions than Capture NX 2.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Navigate
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
Having used Capture-NX decided to upgrade to NX-2.
Great features, easy to use.
Installation easy, after typing NX2 code, simply asked for NX code: no need to have NX installed first.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Navigate
- Versatile
Cons
- Freezes or Crashes
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
Compared with Capture NX, the NX2 upgrade threatens to displace even Adobe Photoshop for those professional "post-processing" tasks that emulate a wet darkroom - burning, dodging, sharpening and white balance, etc. This means it does NEARLY all of what I want it to do and performs these functions the way I want them performed. One big exception is the fairly clumsy access to local edits of part of an image using "U-point" tools. Sometimes the U-point control just disappears mid-edit, leaving the image where it was before that step and consigning me (the user) to utter confusion!
Unfortunately, NX2 also is a relative "resource hog" when running on Windows Vista on my computer - i.e., freezing and crashing after editing 20-30 successive 12-15MB raw (NEF) files. NX2 seems to just run out of steam and needs to be restarted after such a series of edits.
There needs to be a free NX2 upgrade to correct these issues. On the whole, however, the application is much easier to use than Photoshop with multiple layers, and far less expensive to own or upgrade.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Presentations
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
In only two days of using it I'm not going back to NX, which was very good on its own.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Navigate
Cons
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
NX was good. NX2 is a big improvement.
Be sure to go online to Nikon and get the latest updates.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Navigate
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
While it's still slow, NX2 is a nice update to NX. The healing brush works like magic. Being able to localize adjustments such as sharpening and curves is also much simpler than with NX.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Easy To Navigate
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Presentations
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
I have been useing Capture NX for two years, and this upgrade is better than NX. It is easy to use and the result is great.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
Cons
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
Was glad for the upgrade, only had to purchase this instead of the other version, saved me $$$.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Easy To Navigate
Cons
- Have not found any cons
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
I have been using Capture NX 2 Photo Editing software a couple of weeks and so far I really enjoy using it. I have not found a problem and would recomend it to any photogrpher.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
- Best NEF conversion
Cons
- No Advance Editing
Best Uses
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
No doubt, NX2 handle NEF files better than anyone else... camera raw included.
Even if there are better image editor programs around, with NX2 you will be able of performing basic to medium image editing in a very intuitive way. That does not mean the NX2 can be your ONLY image editor....
So, here is my workflow: open the NEF in NX2, basic editing, convert the file to TIFF and open it in CS4 (IF more advance editing is needed).
If you use Lightroom as photo archive manager, be aware that there are some issues with NX2 and it is not possible to visualize in one program the editing made to the NEF file using the other one.
No issue if you use the Nikon viewNX
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Colors and Controls
Cons
Best Uses
- Professional Quality
Comments about Nikon Capture NX 2 Photo Editing Software (Upgrade):
bought this as an upgrade to the NX 1.5, that I don't use much.
I bought this wanting to see if it was better to use than CS4. I'm not really sure at this point. It does seem slower redrawing the image as I make changes for sure.
- Primary use:
- Business
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- Software CD-ROM
- User Guide
- On-line Technical Support
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