Nikon Capture NX2 Out - Even More High ISO Magic

[jpeyton]

If you're a Nikon shooter, you might already know that Capture NX is the best RAW processing tool for your photos. Capture NX2 just came out, and Nikon has a 60-day demo on their website:

Download (a speedy computer is recommended)

Anyway, there were a couple of threads on DPReview I was following, and they show Capture NX2 can really do some magic on high ISO NEFs compared to Aperture, Lightroom or CS3 (although with some work, you can get close with Lightroom/CS3).

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With proper exposure and a touch of PP with NX2, the ISO6400 pictures are more usable than I previously thought.

 

[The Stigenator]

ddamn my friend just bought capture NX 1.3.3

 

[Deadtrees]

It's the best only it comes to Nikon RAW images because it's the only software that can fully and legally 'decode' NEF files.
I can only hope that Nikon will someday stop playing proprietary game.

 

[The Stigenator]

well she has a nikon D80..

I use Canon DPP.

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: Deadtrees
It's the best only it comes to Nikon RAW images because it's the only software that can fully and legally 'decode' NEF files.
I can only hope that Nikon will someday stop playing proprietary game.

so when I open the NEF files with photoshop, adobe is doing something illegal?

 

[tdawg]

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Deadtrees
It's the best only it comes to Nikon RAW images because it's the only software that can fully and legally 'decode' NEF files.
I can only hope that Nikon will someday stop playing proprietary game.

so when I open the NEF files with photoshop, adobe is doing something illegal?

There was a licensing issue back in the days around the D200 release, I believe, but that was resolved quite some time ago and Adobe was allowed to implement the ability to work with Nikon raw files in Adobe Camera Raw.

Edit: It looks like it was the WB encryption on the D2X that had to be sorted out. Here's a small snippet from back in 2005: Text

Edit2: And here's the resolution of the issue back in Sept 2005: Text

 

[blurredvision]

NX2 does look mightily impressive, but I can't justify the $120 upgrade price over NX1.3 because I don't think the new feature set demands it. Nikon's software solutions just keep getting more expensive as time goes on, but in the end, it is good software.