FREE RAW Processing Software for Nikon - Capture NX-D

[arthurking83]

Definitely not your fault Waz!

It's all Nikon's doing(or is that undoing! )

While NX-D does have a couple of useful features .. they are only useful if you grew up on a diet of previous free Nikon software.
In some instances, NX-D is slightly better than CNX2(the only feature that I can confirm so far is the split screen view, where CNX2 doesn't offer one!)

I'm still persisting with using NX-D .. but only in a sense of seeing what it can do for me, that I can't already do.

If it weren't for its lack of speed and inability to do simple things like add ITPC(metadata) info, I'd probably prefer it to ViewNX2 as my primary raw viewer/converter.
Oh! and it doesn't integrate as well with Nikon's Transfer2 either.
That is, you can induce Nikon Transfer2 from within ViewNX2 if need be, but there is no native tool to do so in CNX-D! (and it doesn't have any useful means to transfer files to the PC).

Like I said earlier .. its as though Nikon have almost deliberately made the decision to forgo any attempt at producing useful software that makes it easy to do stuff(simple stuff) with software that work together.

Adobe successfully(this could be argued tho!) use a multitude of software that work together to allow the user to do meaningful stuff to their images.
eg. you don't use Photoshop to view your raw files, but using ACR to initially view and do preliminary stuff .. then onto Bridge to do more stuff .. then into Ps to do the real stuff, you do eventually get a file(although not raw!) into Ps to do your stuff to it.

Nikon have ViewNX2 which is the most basic of software .. as I said .. really only does preliminary raw editing, such as whitebalance, exposure correcting, tonal adjustments and so on on a global basis.
This was handy because to view and sift through many images in CNX2 was a bit of a nightmare compared to how easy it is in VNX2.
So in effect, VNX2 was to Nikon's software ecosystem what ACR and Bridge are to the Adobe system.
That is, you don't use ACR to do complex editing on your files .. you use Ps for that! ..
In the Nikon system, this is where CaptureNX2 came into the equation! .. simple and effective

Now, you have a new software, that sits between the two established software from Nikon, but for all intents and purposes doesn't fit between them in any manner.
It's a totally new workflow that doesn't help.
In fact not only does it not help .. it's more annoying than anything else.
If you want to replace ViewNX2 in your workflow for NX-D, you can't make any preliminary edits in NX-D that carry over into the raw file in CaptureNX2. The raw file is sent to CNX2 in tiff format, which defeats the purpose of using CNX2
If you add any metadata to the file via CNX2, it's only present in the tiff file if you want to take it back into NX-D(eg. for review or comparison purposes) and hence the metadata isn't present in the raw file.
(it begs the question .. what's the point??!!).
The if you add any metadata into a raw file via CNX2(for example) and then open the raw file in NX-D .. the raw file is locked from editing again in NX-D, unless you reset it to edit it in any way(which is simply lunacy).

if this gives the impression that much is broken in the Nikon software team .. that's because that's exactly what's happened.

Thom says:

“completely avoid because it’s a waste of time”

.. which is an accurate assessment if you want any sort of integration(as there used to be).
Although I disagree with him on it's failure to pass his Photo Mechanic -> CNX-D test! Why would Nikon want to bother with this form of interoperability?(I can't see any NEED to use PM as an initial point of call for raw files!! )

NX-D is more of a curio!
A curious piece of software that is probably best described as beta software for just checking out what it may do.
Maybe in a few years time .... if they produce a CaptureNX-D Pro, which would parallel what CaptureNX2 used to do, we might see what Nikon's end goal is supposed to be.

But you should have no fear of having wasted any time in altering anyone to any news worthy for consideration(no matter the product being discussed).

and FWIW, if anyone else is trialling NX-D too .. there is a new v1.01 update for Windows(only) that fixed some bug (that I couldn't produce, but still doesn't fix the bug that I consistently see!).

[Lance B]

Responses in this thread, while valid and appropriate, pretty much guarantee that I WON'T be posting any more "useful links" for AP members. Sorry. Maybe I'm just too old, or too tired, to appreciate that trying to be helpful can be such a pain in the arse for some people.

Don't know why you're uset, Waz. The link was useful, and thank you for that, but you didn't make the software.

[Hawthy]

Let me state from the outset that I am a rank amateur photographer. I am also what I like to call "sensible with money" but what my wife calls "being a tight ar*e".

I have been using PS Elements 8 which I bought back in 2009(?) to process photos from my Pentax K100D. I upgraded to a Nikon D5100 and the PSE8 software was too old to process RAW files from the camera. So I have been using View NX2 which was supplied with the camera to process RAW files and then convert them to JPEG to process in PSE8.

I just downloaded Capture NXD and had a bit of a fiddle around. First impressions are that it is light years ahead of View NX2. I have had no experience of the other Nikon software mentioned in earlier posts so I can't compare against those programs. For a free program, it is really a pretty good tool for RAW files. So for thrifty people who have older versions of Photoshop but want to shoot in RAW this allows them to do that at no extra expense.

That said, I have been trialling Adobe PS & Lightroom on their Creative Cloud and will probably sign up for that. At $10 per month it is hard to go past it for value.

[arthurking83]

.....

I have been using PS Elements 8 which I bought back in 2009(?) to process photos from my Pentax K100D. I upgraded to a Nikon D5100 and the PSE8 software was too old to process RAW files from the camera. So I have been using View NX2 which was supplied with the camera to process RAW files and then convert them to JPEG to process in PSE8.

I just downloaded Capture NXD and had a bit of a fiddle around. First impressions are that it is light years ahead of View NX2. I have had no experience of the other Nikon software mentioned in earlier posts so I can't compare against those programs. For a free program, it is really a pretty good tool for RAW files. So for thrifty people who have older versions of Photoshop but want to shoot in RAW this allows them to do that at no extra expense.

......

In your situation, CNX-D has potential.
If you haven't invested a lot of time into the Nikon software system, CNX-D could actually make sense(it it usable).
Firstly, if you want to achieve the highest possible quality from your files, go from VNX2 or CNX-D to Elements using the tiff option.
You can set up a quick shortcut to do this automagically in each program .. by setting up an "Open With" shortcut tool.
Using that shortcut will cause either VNX2 or CNX-D to create a tiff file and send it to <insert your favourite program here>

All this does it to bypass the step of manually converting the file and then opening in the other program(in your case Elements).

The only caveat with using tiff files is that I think Elements may not be capable of opening 16 bit uncompressed tiff files! .. which is all that they can provide in this situation.
I have quite a few Open With shortcuts made for VNX2 and they're handy to have if you just want another option.

If it weren't for two important aspects of ViewNX2 that can't be done in Capture NX-D .. I'd dump VNX2 for NX-D yesterday!
The two things I use more than anything else in ViewNX2 are it's instant zoom to mouse cursor feature(makes rating images based on IQ so much more speedy and less tiresom), and of course my keywording.

The reason I use View NX2 for keywording(ITPC data) and hopefully don't lose the ability too in the future, is that it writes the keywording data to the file itself(ie. raw file) and not to some abstract and obscure data set in a file on my PC that no other software can use!
Having the very important bits of metadata in the raw file itself makes the raw file useful some day in the future.
Having metadata stored in an unusable database somewhere on your PC that only is only usable by the software that created it(ie. Lightroom!) guarantees only one thing .. that you will be reliant on that software for ever!
If you have a store of a hundred thousand images and want to easily retrieve an image you made at some time between X date and Y date that you think was taken in a place you've been too 3 times a week every week for the last 8 years .. anyhow.. it does get very difficult to find an specific image once you have lots of them.

Having the metadata in the raw file(the most important file in your image storage system!) is vital (I think). Any other subsequent database can be constructed from this most basic foundation.
Lightroom(and I think CaptureOne Pro that I'm currently trying out) may sound really nice on the face of it ... but I think in the long term ... a fools errand!(or that you have to be totally committed to the one software system for all eternity).

ViewNX2 can be used easily enough to value add your images with metadata, but Nikon haven't made it easy to use .. it takes a bit of patience to get it to work OK.
With respect to metadata .. CNX-D sucks!
Nikon simply decided that, even tho they gave you this ability for all these previous years with both Capture NX2 and ViewNX .. they think it's no longer important to have the ability to add metadata into your raw files!
Not entirely sure what Nikon manageridiot in charge made this decision when they were looking for new software .. but had they worked for me .. I'd have laid charges for subversion and causing harm to my software business!

I guess this downtrodding of CNX-D may be a case of us Nikon software users not wanting regression in the next level of software.
Like you said Hawthy .. in terms of more usable features .. ie. processing/tweaking/editing, NX-D is far superior to ViewNX2.

The sharpening tool in ViewnX2 was a joke(that I usually laughed at, at least).

The USM tool in NX-D is just like most others can be, other than you can't selectively apply it tho. But at least it allows much better quality than VNX2 did.

[Mark L]

Responses in this thread, while valid and appropriate, pretty much guarantee that I WON'T be posting any more "useful links" for AP members. Sorry. Maybe I'm just too old, or too tired, to appreciate that trying to be helpful can be such a pain in the arse for some people.

Hopefully you're to tired and a good nights sleep or two helps that.
You've posted many useful links that I'm sure some have benefited from and while this one may be a a pain in the arse for some people, it don't mean it has to be for you.

And, I'm still a little embarrassed.

[Jorge Arguello]

Capture NX-D is free, has more features than View NX-2.
Also, the RAW file looks that remains untouched, and a work file created, compared with View NX-2 that generates a RAW file that is bigger than the original. I get used to have a single file, something to be considered.
Capture NX-D has more tools, I feel that I need a 2nd screen.
Well, thank you for this post. Hope that a more experienced user writes advantages and disadvantages of this FREE software (compared with View NX-2 that is also FREE).

[arthurking83]

..... Hope that a more experienced user writes advantages and disadvantages of this FREE software (compared with View NX-2 that is also FREE).

I hope that I'm experienced enough(with nearly 10 years of only Nikon software usage)

Advantages: none.
Disadvantages: a totally unusable program that locks up after loading two or three individual images for editing.

To be more accurate, the advantages are plenty(over VNX2) in terms of features .. a few missing tho. The reason that the advantages are listed as none, is simple. I can't the program to run for long enough to use many of those features!
The crucial annoyance is not just the instability of the software, but it's refusal to open again after it's hissy fit crash and burn routine after a few minutes of editing.
Once it crashes, any subsequent attempts to start the program result in "CNX-D refused to start - do you want to send an error report(etc, etc)"

As a summary of this software ability and place in the world of editing(as I currently see it):
If this is Nikon's new strategy for software and support for those of us not really interested in other software .. no matter how little you pay for it .. it's pretty miserable!
I'd rather pay more than the third party software vendors current pricing for an updated Capture NX2!

I used to read many people complain of Nikon's software, with many comments of slowness and stability issues. I've never experienced this with either CNX2 nor VNX2(of any note).
I think I now see with CNX-D, what others found (with their issues) in CaptureNX2 and VNX2.

I think I must be alone in my contra view that the original raw file needs to be protected from any form of tweaking by any software.
While it's perfectly understandable that as you edit the image in strange and interesting directions, what's important is the ability to reset the raw image back to an original state.
ViewNX2 has the ability to do this, even tho it still adds it's edits into the raw file, rather than this separate sidecar file idea that Nikon have now adopted too(with CNX-D).
The problem tho, is that simple edits such as tagging, don't attach to the raw file either.
So, you end up becoming tied to the software that tags the images if you want to view those tags.

One of my principle uses for ViewNX2(among a few others) .. is it's ability to tag raw files. And properly tag them .. not some psuedo tag that mean really nothing to any other viewer(if the need arises).
ViewNX2(as well as CapturenX2 where possible) .. allows you to add ITPC info into the raw file directly. So my images of the man on the moon, I add tags with ViewNX2 such as Moon, Man, Man on Moon, and so on via the ITPC tag tool. The ability to do this is easy, but implemented in a slightly lunatic manner by Nikon(as usual *1* .. see below).
Once I do this, I can then see this tagged info in the raw files from simple file management software like Windows Explorer(if the raw codec is installed on Windows) ..and almost every other software that recognises the raw files(eg. Lr, IrfanView, FSViewer, and a host of so many .. I'm yet to find one that doesn't read these tags).
For cataloging, I use a dedicated software which is discontinued now, but again .. it built it's database simply from the ITPC tags I've entered into the raw files .. long before I started using the cataloging software.
I can also do this with Lr if I wanted, as Lr sees the tags.

BUT! ... and this is a major annoyance I have with almost all other of these so called cataloging/editing/managing software .. an example of why I can't use Lr as my sole software.
If I add any metadata to the image, Lr keeps it in it's database .. not in the image.
So raw files I tag with Lr are only any good if I use Lr only. No other software that I know of can see this tagged info. So for me to tag files now and to maintain the ability to access this tagged info in (say) 10 years time, Adobe expects/assumes I'm going to be tied to Lr for those next 10 years.
You can't see Lr tagged info via any other software (that I know of), such as Windows Explorer(only as an example).

CaptureNX-D follows this annoying philosophy too now.
To begin with, you can't actually add any tag info as metadata at all, let alone into the image.
The rating/label that you can add(ie. colour/number labels and or star/number ratings) which I use with every session to keep a track of the good/bad/ugly .. in CNX-D, they decided to keep this info separate too, so that only in CNX-D can you see these labels/ratings.

If you do this in VNX2(and CNX2 on images that it recognises) .. because the metadata is embedded into the image, you see it in CNX-D.
Remember, if you label it in VNX2, you can see it in almost any other software as it's embedded into the raw file.

But CNX-D added metadata can't be viewed in VNX2 (remember both Nikon software!!) because it's kept separate from the actual raw file.

Why is this a problem(worth mentioning)? .. backups! Backups are hard enough to do .. just the idea of remembering to do them is hard enough for some .. but remembering to backup those stupid separate sidecar files too!
If you don't backup the sidecar files as well .. all your metadata is then lost.
The importance of this becomes apparent as your image archives start to approach the tens of thousands .. without trying to explain the difficulty of an archive of 100,000 raw files and nearly 10 years. Trying to find an image of a place or situation you've been too so many times before but you know you had this one image of a specific situation! .. metadata is your best friend at times like these.

So, my major hope is that CNX-D is a halfway stepping stone, that Nikon had to settle on, to get beyond the CaptureNX2 saga they got themselves into.
VNX2 and CNX2 worked 75% happily together if your routine was structured correctly. A few annoyances between the two, but nothing worth complaining about.

VNX2 and CNX-D are a much less happy pair. More like 1% happy to work together, if you treat them as separate entities, where one knows about the other and puts the effort into maintaining a relationship(ie. VNX2) .. but the other doesn't give a stuff about the existence of the others presence(CNX-D).

Do it in VNX2, and CNX-D is happy to oblige with it's version of the raw file.
Do it in CNX-D and VNX2 can't see it at all.
With respect to the snobbery of CNX-D .. it's not as tho it's some super Uber totally capable raw editing hero either! It has basic ability, that is still in dark ages compared to almost all other raw editors. CNX2 was at least twice as capable by comparison. There are very few features improvements in CNX-D over CNX2(multi-window comparison for example) .. but this sort of features pale into uselessness compared to the features in CNX2 .. now lost in CNX-D!!


*1* earlier I made a reference to Nikon's lunatic manner, which is simply an addendum to describe the traditional Nikon way.
This is a traditional Nikon nuance, whereby they enable a very cool feature(usually something along the lines of an must have feature such as ITPC/Keyword tagging) but make it close to impossible to use it easy to apply repetitive manner .. or make the feature worthy of it's inherent value. (and something not to be underestimated is the value of tagging images, especially as the archive grows .. a lot!).
So you can't easily or efficiently add already created tag data into images.(well, to be more accurate, you can .. it's that Nikon made it very hard too!!).
The other issue is that you can't search for it,at all .. in the very same program that allowed you to create it in the first place!
So for many years now, I've had to use this other software(for cataloging) that used data I entered via VNX2 .. because VNX2 can't really find the data it allowed me to create in the first place!
(how's that for lunatic Nikon manner! )
I have other gripes against ViewNX2 .. but these are my biggest gripes, as it's really the main reason I actually use it for.
I do the general overall global edit, like whitebalance/exposure/etc, and it's much easier to do this in a batch situation than with either CNX2 or CNX-D. But for intricate edits, I still use CNX2(as my cameras are still supported by CNX2.
If I ever get a new camera model(not likely in the near future) I have no idea what I'll use .. unlikely to be CNX-D, as it won't run properly for long enough(yet).

[Jorge Arguello]

Thank ArthurKing you for your comments, and for taking the time to explain with details.

Capture NX-D has been the most controversial photo software that I have been across.

Thom Hogan has experienced some issues,
http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/...announced.html
http://www.dslrbodies.com/accessorie...-workflow.html

but in the next link, my understanding is that the program is not as bad as it was when was launched, especially when suggest that we want to install it.
http://www.dslrbodies.com/accessorie...od-enough.html

I have not found any user comment where said that Capture NX-D has “replaced” any of his programs (including View NX-2) in their workflow.

My understanding so far is:

• In general, All (or almost) of the users are not willing to change the work flow to ADD this software into it. Why? So far, the program does not add a big/any difference in the image quality (should I say “yet”) neither making a simpler or faster workflow.
• Users of new cameras that needs RAW converter, might need it (what a shame that Capture NX-2 can’t be updated to support new RAWs).
• If View NX-2 is the only program in the work flow then Capture NX-D looks to be a good free option to be added.

Again, thank you for sharing your experience with this program.

[arthurking83]

LOL!
I can't imagine anyone(serious about image editing) replacing their current software with CNX-D, to be honest.
As already said, the feature benefits over ViewNX2 are definitely there .. with tools such as the LCH editor, and proper sharpening(USM) tool .. etc.
VNX2 is as basic as image editing comes(to my knowledge) .. and that's one of the appealing aspects of it.
The major reason I like it(and partly why I kind of like CNX-D too .. even tho I can't believe I just used those two terms .. like and CNX-D!! .. in the one sentence )
Simple software, like these, forces you to make sure your images are captured properly from within the camera.

......

My understanding so far is:

• In general, All (or almost) of the users are not willing to change the work flow to ADD this software into it. Why? So far, the program does not add a big/any difference in the image quality (should I say “yet”) neither making a simpler or faster workflow.
• Users of new cameras that needs RAW converter, might need it (what a shame that Capture NX-2 can’t be updated to support new RAWs).
• If View NX-2 is the only program in the work flow then Capture NX-D looks to be a good free option to be added.

.....

I think you just about summed it up perfectly there.
I would have no issue in using it more regularly, if not for the fact that I struggle to get it to run on my PC. I just updated to the latest v1.03 and opened it 9 or 10 times(with short breaks between each attempt, and for a while things looked good. It seemed(for a moment) that Nikon have fixed bugs that caused me grief.
That only lasted a few minutes later tho, as on my nearly 10th attempt at doing something with it, it crashed again. I when to use the image comparison tool this time and noted that it took forever to generate one of the preview images in the multi window, and clicked on something else in the window and as per usual it died.
Strangely tho . I never had issues with it crashing while it was beta software .. the initial release as you commented.
If the software was still beta .. I'd have no problems with crashing and slowness and whatnot.

With point #2 in your summary .. I suspect that Nikon have lost, or will lose many customers/potential customers with this software now.

That is, in a market that has been declining for a while now, and as manufacturers look to different ways to generate income(to compensate for falling sales) .. it made/makes sense for the manufacturers to offer good quality software to go with their products.
But the point that needs highlighting .. ie strong emphasis here is ... GOOD QUALITY!! .. of which both CNX/CNX2 were good quality software.
I don't know of any other camera maker that offered software close to that sort of capability of image processing/raw conversion

It seemed that Nikon should have been 'onto a good thing' .. and over time, make it better.
But they seemed to have gone the other way.


I have to say again too tho(so it's clear) that my PC is now on a very old installation of it's OS, and this may be causing some issue in CNX-D. I doubt it, but it could be a possibility.
No other software is causing me trouble.. and I have lots of software installed. CNX-D is the single most irritating .. in that I'm hoping that it may come good at some point.
If it were not software I'd want to keep, I'd have deleted it ages ago, as I do a lot of, and never have to deal with it ever again.
Over the next few months, I'll go through the process of a total reinstallation of my PC environment and see if this affects how CNX-D work after this process .. so my thoughts on it may change.
But the lack of certain features(like keywording input) is an issue that won't be rectified until they rectify it!
And then of course even if they did, would they do it as they did it before(embedded into the image) or as they seem to want to do it now(separate meta info files)?

[Jorge Arguello]

Hello:

Thank you for sharing your experience with CNXD. I have not used photoshop so I can't compare.
I have used View NX2, Capture NX2, GIMP, and Capture NXD.

It might not be good for everybody but I do like CNXD a lot. It is pretty easy to use and NEF files remains untouched.

Here is a couple of links
https://www.flickr.com/groups/capturenx/
https://www.flickr.com/groups/268007...7648800172542/