Nikon capture nx2 vs lightroom free download.Capture NX-D vs Lightroom image quality

It’s Lightroom update time again! There’s new Presets in all versions, Super Resolution on the desktop, new Sharing options and more. See this blog post for Lightroom Classic and this blog post for the Lightroom Cloud Ecosystem changes. JavaScript is disabled.

For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Premium Cloud Member. Lightroom Version Classic 9. Disappointingly, I can see a subtle but noticeable difference between the raw conversion of Nikon’s free NX-D software and Lightroom’s, with the former being slightly sharper and with truer colors.

I am using the latest release 9. The difference is noticeable enough to push me to use the Nikon software for raw conversion of important photos, which would be a major hassle.

Does anyone have any idea why I am seeing these differences or what I might be able to do to fix this? Is it possible that Adobe hasn’t fully refined it’s profile for the Z7? Many thanks! Sort by date Sort by votes. Ferguson Linwood Ferguson Staff member. For a freebie, it’s good. But it’s no one-stop-shop. That has downsides and upsides – some people feel the RAW file should never be changed, others do not feel that strong about that point.

It does simplify moving from one system to the other, though. So, sorry, long story. Both of them are only useful if you find Photoshop awkward in any way, or find that it slows you down too much. If not: Photoshop is a powerhouse and much more than most of us ever need, there isn’t a thing it can’t do that the others can. Wouter Willemse , Mar 16, Second Wouter’s response. The overall, closest to doing everything, is Photoshop, but there’s a lot in that program that you may not need for years, if ever.

Since you’ve got it, learn it. You will find yourself growing into it sooner than you would think. JDMvW , Mar 16, I agree with the previous poster. I have ACR set to save the setting in a sidecar xmp file instead of the internal database, if I copy the NEF file and xmp file to another computer I have all the ACR settings available on the other computer. I don’t do this because not all editing software will use a DNG file and I don’t know what I might be using in the future.

Adobe software and other third party software does not read the in camera settings. Adobe has developed Camera profiles Camera Standard v4, Camera Neutral v4, and others that do a good job of matching the Nikon images from the camera if all camera settings are at nominal values and Acitve D Lighting is not used in the camera.

I have set new ACR defaults for my D that are a function of the ASA used for the image, these have noise, sharpening settings for each ASA value 40 different defaults , and lens correction enabled. While I agree with most of what has been said, if you feel you need software to manage your files Lightroom I would strongly suggest taking a look at Apple’s Aperture. If nothing else, it is quite a bit cheaper than Lightroom. And, IMHO, a more productive app.

However, the best program for managing your files is Photo Mechanic. Just curious, but I don’t see where Photo Mechanic offers any image management options? It looks a bit like Adobe Bridge but with better editing?

Thanks Guys for your prompt and informative replies. I think I shall have to just bite the bullet and get to grips with Photoshop. Learning one program will at my advanced stage in life be easier than learning several I expect although I am acutely aware that PS is a powerhouse and with that comes a lot of information to digest. Thanks once again for your time and trouble responding to my question. It is much appreciated. Sorry Curt, just just sounds like way to much work.

Lightroom, after a fashion, still uses the folder hierarchy system within Lightroom. Aperture will allow either a managed or referenced library. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you’ll need a new, separate account here we keep the two sites separate for security purposes.

Forums New posts Search forums. What’s new New posts Latest activity. Log in Register. Search titles only. Search Advanced search…. New posts. Search forums. Log in. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Thread starter Kjellis Start date Apr 10, Kjellis Active member.

And how does work together with Topaz as a workflow? Does enyone have some experience to share in this regard? I start in Lightroom as an organizer, right click to choose “show file in exlorer,” right click again to “open with” DPP4, let dpp4 do the raw conversion making sure I set white balance and other fundamentals, then the menu “transfer to photoshop. One can get a similar toolset using the camera raw filter from within Photoshop.. Finally I save back in the same folder that Lightroom used, and once in a while synchronize that folder in Lightroom so it sees the edit.

It’s a long round trip, but there are a few tools in dpp4 that Lightroom doesn’t have, so I make the effort for keepers. Kjellis Active member Thread starter. Thanks, bleirer. Hermann Member Supporting Member. Patrick M said:. Nikon NX Studio is free, but pretty good. The paid for apps almost always outperform free apps.

Ad Astra Member. The manufacturer’s raw processor software is always much closer to raw file than a third party like Adobe.

Nikon capture nx2 vs lightroom free download. Nikon takes on Lightroom and Capture One with new photo editing software

I’ve been a Nikon Capture NX user for years. Which means that I’ve suffered for years. But not out of any sense of masochism, but rather in the pursuit of the highest quality in converting my RAW files. As any casual user of Nikon software will swear believe me, we all swear when using Capture NX , it’s not for the joy of the experience.

And while the current NX2 might offer excellent image quality, I’m always on the search for something better that offers a more complete workflow. Enter Lightroom 3. Even as a beta release, Lightroom 3 is impressive. While previous versions of Lightroom have offered a very appealing workflow, with the ability to catalog, edit, and process digital images fluidly in a single application, the image quality has long left something to be desired when working with Nikon NEFs.

This deficit in image quality was something especially true when working with high ISO images — a fact of life for music photographers, wedding photographers, and anyone else shooting in dim and uncontrollable light. While there are other converters like the excellent Raw Photo Processor that offer superlative detail, Capture’s balance of pleasing color and overall image quality kept me coming back.

With Lightroom 3 beta, I think that Capture NX2 finally has a real contender that matches Capture’s image quality in many ways, exceeds it in some, and offers the great user interface and workflow that photographers have come to expect from Adobe Labs. Nikon D3 at ISO Color Reproduction. The saturation, contrast, and gradations of the files, as rendered by Capture, have always made for accurate and pleasing images with zero work.

While previous versions of Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw allowed users to tweak and calibrate default settings, the results never stacked up to the effortless results of Nikon Capture — that is, until now. The elves at Adobe Labs seem to have been working overtime, because the new camera profiles are excellent.

All samples shown here were converted using these camera standard profiles, and the results should be considered specific to them. For all effective purposes, I’m getting all the goodness I loved about Nikon Capture’s conversions with none of the headache.

In live music photography, capturing lights in the frame is not only inevitable, it’s often desirable. With their singular saturation, these gelled incandescent PAR lights or LEDs are a surefire way to blow a color channel with a digital sensor. Let’s look at how Capture NX 2 and Lightroom 3 handle this common effect in live music. While the RAW conversion of both images is very close as seen in the full frame of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler , this detail of defocused lights shows the subtle difference between the two in the rendition of mono-color light sources.

Again, this comparison shows a very close rendition between Capture NX 2 and Lightroom 3 beta. Skintones look very similar, while the starkest difference in the overall image is increased saturation in the smoke behind Lil Wayne. Even then, the overall rendition is extremely close. To my eye, the Lightroom 3 file has a very slightly finer look in comparison to NX 2, while Nikon’s profile with NX 2 has a slightly deeper contrast. Both Capture NX 2 and Lightroom 3 are set to default sharpening.

For image quality, my preference is for the latter, which will enlarge more cleanly for larger prints. At ISO , things get a little more interesting. I always prefer to shoot without noise reduction in-camera, as I feel that image quality is best when NR is performed in RAW conversion or in post-processing. As you can see from this example crop, the Capture NX 2 crop is much more gritty in appearance, while Lightroom 3 renders a much finer noise pattern. Continuing on the thread of channel saturation, we again see from this sample that Lightroom seems to have issues rendering a smooth gradation as color channels approach saturation.

Lightroom ‘s treatment of gradations near the point of clipping is easily the converters biggest flaw at this point due. With haze and stage haze in regular use at most shows, these types of gradients are not only common, but a fact of life for the music photographer.

The artifacts displayed by Lightroom are a big step back in this regard, but one they should be able to easily fix by updating the camera profiles. Clearly, Adobe Lightroom has come a very long way from its earlier versions in the third major release, even in its beta phase.

Compared to Nikon Capture NX 2, which has been my RAW converter of choice since its release, Lightroom 3 offers some very real, if subtle, advantages in its conversion engine. When considering the greatly enhanced workflow and user-friendly interface, Lightroom 3 should be in serious consideration by any digital photographer as a nearly one-stop shop for cataloging and RAW conversion.

Though Nikon Capture NX 2 still has some advantages in overall image quality, I’ll be will be keenly awaiting the full release of Lightroom 3 if they can continue to improve the RAW engine and camera profiles. Nikon Z 7: I use two Nikon Z 7 for my live music photography.

A true do-it-all mirrorless camera with amazing AF, great speed and fantastic resolution. The range is ideal for stage front photography and the image quality is superb. Superb image quality. I love using this lens up-close and personal, where it excels. Remember Me. Lost your password? Music Photography Music Photography See all. Reviews See all. Tutorials See all. Top Posts Now Week Month. Photography Gear Comments views 0.

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Nikon Japan abandons ViewNX 2, ViewNX-i, Capture NX2 and Capture NX-D completely – DIY Photography – File Description

Save Cancel Drag to set position! Photo by Nikon USA. Nikon Digital Learning Center. Overview Discussions Photos Members Map. Which is better as I want to upgrade from PSE6, which doesn’t have all the features I need, which is a better curves function, etc.

Publish Preview. Define “better”. What are you hoping to accomplish? Both have the various adjustments you’d expect: curves that can be executed down to RGB channels, detailed color adjustments, sharpening, workflow management, etc.

My impressions are that if you have high throughput where you need to process things quickly and efficiently, Lightroom is a better choice. If you’re wanting the best possible treatment of your raw images, including preservation of all your in-camera settings and adjustments, CNX2 is the way to go. But I’m a hobbyist, and motoring through this stuff quickly isn’t a priority for me.

If I were pro, I’d probably look at this differently. One other consideration: not that Adobe is particularly good at designing easy-to-use interfaces, but Lightroom is loads easier to figure out than CNX2. It’s easy to use once you get used to a few quirks and spend a little time in the manual, but I think it takes more time to get the most out of it compared to Lightroom.

Post Reply Preview. Thanks I’ll try the trial for capturenx, then make my decision off that. Is there a trial for lightroom? JaysterDotCom 13 years ago. Lightroom 2 is much, much easier to use than Capture NX and the results are very good. I don’t feel that Capture NX gives that much better results. LR 2 also has a trial. So far I prefer Nikon’s software, my raw files are coming out better than pse6.

I use lightroom 2. I was using Photoshop 7. CS3 gets the job done, but Lightroom lets you get that extra step over raw development. As well as being very easy to use. There seems to be a little bit of a annoying lag on my computer when using it, but like all Adobe programs, they put some strain on your basic computer set ups. They are completely different applications. NX is an image processing application designed to maximise the quality of your output from Nikon RAW files It’s primary function is to catalogue and process digital image files from any source and to allow batch processing to speed up the production process.

Photoshop is closer to NX in function. Jack Baty 13 years ago. I wouldn’t say they’re completely different apps. To me, they both start out as Raw processors.

I’ve been struggling with this choice myself. I like NX for U-Points, keeping everything it the Raw file, using camera presets automatically, and integrating very well with Photo Mechanic. I like Lightroom’s UI much better, and it’s all-in-one workflow is nice; from ingest to print. Lightroom also has a very large community and tons of resources available for help, presets, etc.

Oh and it includes DAM features. Tough choice! Once that you use Lightroom 2 you will not go back. Barry Wallis 13 years ago. I still struggle with the decision between Lightroom vs NX. I’ve always preferred the results I get out of NX over Adobe. I’ve invested in the time to develop a workflow and settings files. On the otherhand, Lightroom is such a joy to use! In addition, the output sharpening though probably adequate takes all of the control away from me.

After my last two shoots, I double processed my images. It took me 3 times as long to get comparable results out of Lightroom. I attribute some of that to the fact that I don’t have a library of presets for Lightroom to help me automate my work. Edited by photopath member 13 years ago.

JaysterDotCom Unless you get to try Iview I have both on my PC and as an archive manager iView leaves Lightroom in the dust. Lightroom was conceived as a simple digital workflow manager, built around a DAM application.

I feel that a lot of it’s processing tools are still too clunky and lack subtlety, which is where NX scores. Maybe Lightroom 3 will be the killer application which we’ve all been waiting for – but then Adobe would be stealing sales from Photoshop As far as control and output are concerned, if you need to deal with other RAW files and not just NEFs, Bibble Pro is still a contender – no organisational tools but it’s still the fastest batch processing engine around and has a good range of plug-ins for noise reduction, BW conversion etc.

If I didn’t use Nikon cameras then iView and Bibble would be my “toolbox” with Lightroom as a “quick and dirty” editor for producing proof sets etc. JRDesign1 Posted 13 years ago. Edited by JRDesign1 member 13 years ago. I also tried doing the double processing of a batch of images the same set in NX first and then in Lightroom and was definitely torn between the accuracy of NX in rendering my NEF file, and the speedy workflow of Lightroom. I’m with mischiru and JRDesign1.

I, too, have found that I need multiple programs. Each shot is unique and there always seems to be that one step in processing a photo that causes me to have to switch applications. The biggest problem I have experienced recently is NX and Lightroom both lack a layering function if I am incorrect on this someone please correct me and advise! The only program I have worked with that has this feature is CS3, but I was unhappy with some of its other features and I’m not about to drop a load like that while still an amateur.

I’ve never tried iView and Bibble. I’ll have to look into those. My advise would be to check out which software offers a free trial. These are invaluable because you get to work with the software for 30 days for free before having to make a financial committment. Also, if the program was published by adobe and it’s updated while you are using it, you can download the update and your 30 day trial starts over!

I was using both, NX2 to convert from raw because it recognized the in-camera color settings and LR2 for my workflow. I find the user interface in NX2 to be borderline primative and resented using it. Recently, LR2 added color profiles for nikon cameras. I now shoot neutral in-camera and only use Lightroom2. Groups Beta.

Nikon capture nx2 vs lightroom free download.Lightroom RAW Conversion vs Nikon NX-D

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