Spotlight On . . . Nikon CaptureNX
CaptureNX is a non-destructive RAW photo processor developed specifically for Nikon by Nik Software. CaptureNX runs on Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X Tiger. Experienced digital photographers use a consistent process after every photo shoot. Copy photos from camera to computer; cull and delete the junk; tag, rank and sort; adjust white balance, brightness, color, etc., as needed; convert to TIFF or JPEG and file everything away; back up all the files; crop, adjust, alter and otherwise process selected shots. Using a consistent digital photo workflow often requires a couple of different programs to get everything done. For many serious Nikon photographers, CaptureNX is the software of choice for getting RAW photos through the crucially important initial workflow processes. I found that CaptureNX actually does a better job of handling dynamic lighting, sharpening and noise reduction than Photoshop CS2. A few problems have crept into NX which did not exist in the previous version (4.x). The Windows version is a slowpoke unless you've got a real fast dual core system with 4GB of RAM. The Mac OS X version is noticeably faster at thumbnail rendering, screen draws and editor updates among other things. I did some base measurements and found that LAB values don't seem to be converted properly to Adobe RGB. CaptureNX offers something called U Point Color Control Points which let you select image areas to enhance without having to use of masks, selections or layers. The software handles all Nikon digital SLR files (including D80 NEFs). CaptureNX has the potential to be a very good product, but the Windows version is marred by some glaring bugs and a lack of horsepower. 3 out of 5 stars Labels: CaptureNX, Digital Photo, Digital Processing, Nikon, Photo Editing Software, Workflow |
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