Capture NX2 update(plus ViewNX2 update too)

[arthurking83]

It's not normally a talking point, this CaptureNX2 updating process .. usually due to the lack of new features, or any improvement on the old features workings .... But!

CNX2 updates usually only involve added camera support for the newly released camera bodies and the odd bug fix or whatever(OS support update, etc), but additions and improvements to feature set are few and far between.

But!!! .... this update to v 2.3.5 could be a worthwhile waste of bandwidth for some of us.

If your usual workflow is to use as little software as possible, and in trying to do so, you're also unimpressed by the lackluster noise reduction tool in CNX2 .. well there's a slight change.
Well, that's sounds almost like me, but in the new v2.3.5 update to CNX2 is a new noise reduction feature.
Where there were two options for NR(in CNX2), now there's three .. Faster, Better Quality and now Better Quality 2012.

Had a quick play, compared a newly captured image at ISO3200 on the D300 just to see if there's any reason to use it, and it looks perfectly fine.

AND!!!! to top it off, NR is now a lot quicker to process too.

I've always found CNX2 to operate quite quickly on most of my PC's, and the latest version similarly quick .. but NR on the other hand has always taken it's sweet time about crunching it's numbers.
The faster option has been just that .. faster, but pretty much useless as an NR tool on any image above base ISO!
The best option was obviously Better Quality, but even this wasn't massively impressive in it's ability, such as LR's NR tool, or something specialised like Neat Image .. etc.

But this new option give better results than the old Better Quality option of previous incarnations.
Not the same level of performance as dedicated software, but at least giving LR a run for it's money.

Nikon Capture NX2 update
There is an update to ViewNX2 in there as well (updated to v2.6.0 now), but no fantastic or even basic elementary features updated or added .. ie. these NR tools in CNX would be nice to see in VNX2 too!

[Goatch]

Hi Arthur ,
as a side note have you ever experienced problems with ViewNX2 , I can open NEF and JPG but if I try to open a TIFF file which has been saved in CNX2 I keep getting an error up saying that "Windows has experienced a problem with this program and closes it down" , I'll be checking for the upgrade as soon as I get off here .
Cheers
Goatch

[I @ M]

The recent Capture NX2 update that AK83 has linked is the USA download site and the version available from it contains the "new" noise reduction settings.
If the same version 2.3.5 is downloaded from the Australian ( Asia ) site the added noise reduction settings are not included.

Goatch, I just tried saving an image edited in CNX2 ( 2.3.5 ) as a TIFF ( 16 bit RGB no compression ) and then viewing it in View NX2 ( 2.5.1 - 64 bit ) and there are no problems with opening it or any other saved TIFF files on the machine.

[gerry]

Nice find Arthur.

With regard to the Tiff issues in ViewNX, i have experienced some strange things with some program's tiff file output, from memory if I push out a photomatix tiff file, that always seems to crash viewnx (when viewing it or even just the folder!), however PS tiff files work fine.

[arthurking83]

I think from memory, ViewNX is particular about the compression involved within TIFF files.

I never use any compression anyhow, but as long as the TIFF file (eg, rendered in Photomatix, Neat Image, or PTGui, that I've used) is saved as 16bit(or some use 48bit .. 3x16=48!) and with no compression or alpha channel .. ViewNX2 will read it.

I once tried to use a program called Paintdotnet, and the way it handles TIFF files is incompatible with ViewNX(and CNX), simply because it doesn't offer the ability to disable LZW compression! And it's idea of LZW compression was incompatible with Nikon software. I had to open each file in FSViewer and resave again, where they rendered fine in the Nikon software.

Goatch! Try uninstalling VNX2 prior to updating too. If there's a driver or dll issue, it may not be updated with the update .. and also, update .NET to the latest version(which is v4 I think) too, and remove any earlier versions(unless it's absolutely required for something else .... which I've found is rare).

if you have software to clean out registry(something like CCCleaner) run it after uninstalling VNX2 as well, prior to installing any update.

Long ago I had issues with v1.5 of ViewNX where I couldn't run it at all, if the folder contained any images(jpg/nef/tiff). But ever since that one, I've never had issues with either software(except for any times I've stuffed something up).


I haven't downloaded from the Au site for years now.
A while back, Nikon in their wisdom had region locked their software and tied it to specific sites. So that if you had the Au version of CaptureNX2, then you could only update it via the Nikon Au update site.
Any attempt to update it from another site(say the global or USA sites) would result in an error message saying that there was no valid copy of CaptureNX2 present or that it'd be a full install.
They sometimes have two versions of the download .. a full version or an update version.

But as some point in the recent past, Nikon stopped this region madness!
I've been updating from whichever site I stumble across without any hitch. Obviously this time from the USA site(I thought I had a link to the global site)

I've found the Nikon Au site to be woefully slow to the point I close it 30 sec after I open it, and barely even the top banner has loaded!
But when Andrew mentioned the issue with the new update on the Au site, it loaded up pretty quick this time around.

[Goatch]

Funny that Photomatix is being mentioned as after a bit of a fiddle it's only when I try to open a TIFF file that I have converted from RAW to TIFF then process it in Photomatix that I am striking the problem , I also am saving in 16BIT ,mmm
That's a great find with CaptureNX2 from the US site , I'll be picking that one up.

[Goatch]

Well have I got something to share , after uninstalling the Aus version of CNX2 I downloaded and installed the US version , during this I suffered a bit of a computer drive partition problem and was forced to uninstal the US version and try redownloading , this is where the fun started , it wouldn't let me instal the download as the drive was still saying that the original US CNX2 was still installed , but search as I did I was unable to find any reference to it anywhere on my drives , this did my head in for a couple of days trying to find it , I got to the point where I was going to do a system wipe and reboot windows and start from scratch (I had searched in depth the registry files), anyway I got onto a self taught computer repairer here in Tom Price who did a house visit , well after 2 hours it had him beaten as well , he was suggesting a reboot . He then Googled "Can't unistal CNX2" which led him to a Nikon site , what happens is after uninstal CNX2 leaves a couple of scripts of text in the registry , he downloaded a program called Regsweeper to locate them , they were very well hidden , I've attached the info text that relates to the program ,

This program allows you to delete the registry keys that were not deleted when Capture NX 2 was uninstalled. Only the registry keys that have been created by Capture NX 2 will be deleted.

[Precautions When Using This Program]
Do not make any change to "RemKeyList.txt", "RemKeyList2.txt", and "RemKeyExclude.ini" in the folder. If you do, "RegSweeper.exe" will not operate correctly.

[Before Launching]
Before launching this program, uninstall Capture NX 2 and close any open programs.

[How to Launch]
Follow the procedure below to launch the program.
1. Copy the Capture NX 2\Utilities\EN\ folder from the CD-ROM to your hard disk.
2. Open the Utilities folder that has been copied to your hard disk and run RegSweeper.exe.
3. The "When using this application..." dialog box will appear. Make sure that Capture NX 2 has been uninstalled and that there are no other open programs. Click "Yes" to continue, or click "No" to quit.
4. The registry keys created by Capture NX 2 will be deleted.