The impending doom of CaptureNX2

[arthurking83]

With the announcement of the D810, Nikon also announced Capture NX-D (their new free raw conversion software) release date.

July 15th is the official date for this software to be released into the wild.
My initial thoughts on this announcement was that CNX-D will get mauled by all and sundry!

I actually like the way it works in some areas, but it's dreadful in most areas .. and still so buggy in so many ways.
That is, the tools are super handy to have access too(where they aren't in ViewNX2) in a free version of software .. but the bugs are way too numerous to list in a short post .. and so many features missing from this software considering Nikon is hailing it as a replacement for Capture!


I reckon Nikon are going to burn themselves with this software, even if they have some sort of future plan to introduce a more feature rich version or add new detailed editing features into this one.
But going from the incapable workings of last version (which was beta) they released v 0.9.2 .. I can't see how they miraculously fixed all the annoyances it contained.
If they did .. they're geniuses!

My personal feeling is that they'll collaborate with the makers of SilkyPix to create a Pro version, with many of the standard features we now expect in a basic software package in the future.

Anyhow ... come 15th of July ... it looks like CNX2 is going to cease to exist.
For some of us that relied heavily on it's ability .. that basically means any new camera upgrades have to be carefully considered.
The D810 will most likely not be supported in CNX2(officially)

[Lance B]

Yes, I did read about that, Arthur.

However, I do not use Capture NX2, but use Capture One Pro7 for my RAW conversion and love it, very intuitive, easy to use with great output IQ, especially if you are processing many images. The only time I use Capture NX2 is when I am testing AF accuracy on my lenses as I can see where my focus point was and judge whether I need to adjust for back or front focus.

[I @ M]

They will be burned even more if it is the bundled software with all cameras and it takes 3 versions to iron the bugs out, whatever else View NX2 wasn't, at least it was stable and reliable.

[arthurking83]

..... whatever else View NX2 wasn't, at least it was stable and reliable.

Spot on!

Like I said, I like the added tools in CNX-D compared to VNX2, but as of the last beta release v0.9.2 .. it's still so buggy that it's bordering on a class action waiting to happen.

Without having used any other version that would classify as a pre release version ... which would usually be the last beta version prior to release, it seems as tho v.0.9.2 is the pre release version.


I hope Nikon have their collective flame proof suits on and tightly zipped up(doubled up in fact) .. the next installment of Nikon bashing is going to be fun to read


ps. Lance. You don't need the entire barrage of CNX2 to review your images for focus point location. ViewNX2 is a better application for that( ie. it's a better viewer/sorting program).


I'm also wondering who else on AP has tried out CaptureNX-D?

[I @ M]

I'm also wondering who else on AP has tried out CaptureNX-D?

Seriously, I had forgotten all about it after expunging it from the 'puter about 12 hours after installing it.

I, wisely in my view, set about backing up all recent versions of CNX2 in order to keep a current version on hand ( as well as the original disc ) in order to use it into the future.
I know, I am old and sentimental but I still firmly believe in CNX2 as a good image editor. It has never had speed issues or crashes on the editing machine, it is faster than lightroom at rendering images and saving them, it has only ever cost the initial sub $200.00 purchase price with quite a few years of updates supplied at no cost and most importantly I don't have to rent it.

[davidd]

I have been using Capture NX2 for years, together with Nik Color Efex 3, plus a variety of other editors and filters, NX2 is always the beginning of my editing procedure. I have tried NX-D briefly, but was very disappointed, and have not tried the latest Beta version. When the final release version is available I will try it, but my plan at the moment is to continue using NX2 until it won't run on my computer any more, due to OS upgrades etc. If I get a new camera that isn't supported by NX2, I will probably do basic processing and TIFF conversion in NX-D then open the TIFF in NX2 and save as a NEF to get non-destructive editing again. I know the NEF created from a TIFF is not the same as a NEF created in camera, but it will have to do.

[arthurking83]

OK . so there are 3 of us!

The only problem with CNX2 is that at some point in the future, Nikon will no longer support it at all.
That means with future versions of operating systems ... and not just the issue of new camera compatibility.

This can be gotten around with various ways(virtual OSes within OSes) or having a separate box .... but in the years to come at some point we'll have to find either a new software, or allocate a small amount of hardware/resources to keeping it going.

My biggest gripe with Nikon ATM is not CNX-D as such .. I'm sure at some point before I die, it may even work as software should .. but my gripe is that you can't convert your already edited CNX2 images into usable formats.
So my 100K + library of raw files will either have to be converted to an undesirable format(NEF is best for archival) or I have to re edit(again) any image I may want to convert to a usable format in the future.
CNX-D can see the NX2 edits in preview mode, but of course can't really do much else.

I know I'm not the only one that needs to come to grips with this issue. So far re editing on an as needed basis may be the only viable long term solution.

Nikon really need to pick their game up, and start operating their business as one that is there for the benefit of the customer.
If they have plans for a paid for program that is more advanced than CNX-D, then they should make this known.
To say that they have plans for future feature updates to NX-D is a retarded outlook in a business sense.

They either are going to look after their loyal customer base and give us what we need to not break our workflow .. or they have admitted defeat on this front and want us all to look elsewhere for editing software.

I don't know what their product strategy team have in mind for the future, but they need to see that CNX-D is a liability for Nikon at the moment.
Companies like Nikon only really exist because of a reputation once held .. D800 and D600 are recent issues that have knocked this reputation for six(each)!
CNX-D has now knocked it for another 4!
That's 16 points against it with just three moves. Any more bad moves and things could get dire. They need to make some good moves, no matter which area of their company does it!

I'm going to try it(NX-D)for as long as I can .. but with my next camera update(unless Nikon produce this good move) I'll probably have to switch to my second choice of editing software.

...... I will probably do basic processing and TIFF conversion in NX-D then open the TIFF in NX2 and save as a NEF to get non-destructive editing again. I know the NEF created from a TIFF is not the same as a NEF created in camera, but it will have to do.

Only problem is (apart from losing raw editing ability) is that of space.
An NEF created from tiff is still 2-3x the size of a raw NEF. 90Mb raw NEF inflates to a 220Mb tiff generated NEF.

For me that means my 2Tb drive now needs to be a 4Tb drive(allowing for free space) .. and as that grows .. etc, etc.
Obviously not ideal.
An easy solution is to maintain the NEF workflow all the way through as they have done basically from day one!
With the move from the old Nikon Capture(v4 was the last of these) to CaptureNX your raw files were all editable, and with the subsequent move to CNX2 .. again all NEFs edited in both CNX and Nikon Capture were still editable .. and more importantly convertible to a raster format(ie tiff or jpg).
This is the broken bit that is the core of their (reputation) issue.
It's as tho some new guard has come into the fold and weren't educated on the traits that made Nikon what they are .. backward compatibility.

[I @ M]

I'm going to try it(NX-D)for as long as I can .. but with my next camera update(unless Nikon produce this good move) I'll probably have to switch to my second choice of editing software.

My approach to the "problem" ( this week at least ) is to ignore NX-D and to continue to use good old View NX2 for importing and cataloguing and CNX2 for editing. The issue of operating system and new camera compatibility shouldn't be a problem for a long time hopefully. My usual practise of a 'puter dedicated to photo editing and not overburdened with a lot of other crap running a version of Win 7 should last for quite some time. New camera issues --- I can't see any new cameras on the horizon here for a while and if and when the need arises, it might not be a Nikon that I will look at ----
My second choice of software is undecided. I had a right debacle with Phase One, their customer service would have to rank about 50% worse than that of Nikon at the least. I tried Capture One pro ( but only after a Melbourne retailer uploaded a version to drop box for me to grab because my attempt at logging into the Phase One site using my created account proved futile on 3 machines and 4 browsers ) and had started to get a grip on it and began to like the results within the 30 day trial period. I liked it so much that when they announced a 50% price cut I decided to buy it. The only problem was that I had to log in to my account that was created when I attempted to download the program. Of course that didn't work so after to numerous emails to Phase One support and no answer within 2 weeks it was only after the extremely helpful Melbourne retailer actually made a phone call to their customer support people did they then contact with a way to log in to the account. Strangely enough, that email arrived 6 hours after the bargain price had ended.

The other software in use here is Photo Ninja which was purchased to handle Fuji raw files. It was extremely cheap ( educational discount applied ) and it does a very good job with the Fuji files but I don't like it for NEF conversions. Maybe I will try again with some NEF files to see if I can get them looking respectable.

All in all it is a shame really, had Nikon made an effort for someone to refine and develop CNX2 more thoroughly I could see it being the choice of editing program for potentially all Nikon owners.

[arthurking83]

My approach to the "problem" ( this week at least ) is to ignore NX-D and to continue to use good old ......

Aha!

The good 'ol Ostrich solution.
I'm going to try to use the Raging Spanish Bull solution .. well at least until I get stabbed through some major organs a few times .. at which point I'm going to have to admit defeat and move over to the dark side(yep Adobe!! ).

At some point in the next couple of weeks, or so .. one of us will have made the right choice(and I'm 99% sure it will have been you )

Good to know that Nikon's customer service isn't the worst experience

For some reason I was looking at Silky Pix's site just before, and looking at what they think their software 'can do'. <- I know .. a distortion of the reality, but the more polite way to describe the process.

Anyhow, they are now at version 6 of their software. Last time I looked they were at v5, and I had just got the Silky Pix for Tamron loaded to try it out.
I have a feeling that Nikon are going to collaborate with Iwajima Labs(or whatever they're called) and produce a more full featured version as a pro(paid for) version with more extended editing ability.
This will most likely be the v5 pro version.

In the end, I wouldn't be surprised to see VNX2 go the same way as CNX2 soon.
Of course, I have no inside info on any of this, but the way it's all panning out ... it seems to me what will eventually transpire.

[davidd]

Quote by me " but my plan at the moment is to continue using NX2 until it won't run on my computer any more"....

Well, things don't always work out as expected!

I was smugly thinking that NX2 supports my D300, and the only likely upgrade would be a D800e around the end of the year, and that is also supported by NX2, so I have no worries!
Then Nikon brought out the D810...

A few things happened, and now I am sitting looking at my new D810. I also have Capture One Pro 8 on my computer, and I have a steep learning curve for both of them. I must say I am enjoying it though! Suddenly Capture NX2 looks very outdated. Strange how your perspective can change.