PhotoSoftware

This release by Nikon for their digital Image workflow software known as Nikon capture has been anticipated for a while. There is a lot of expectations on my part and perhaps the larger user community for some features… What are we looking for? basically a product that is not so buggy that goes into crash mode, especially when using Snow Leopard 10.6. I can’t tell you the amount of crashes that I’ve seen going up to Snow Leopard. Even with a full fresh install, it was never robust. The perplexing thing was that it did work on Leopard 10.5.8, so I kept a partition on my HDD with Leopard and used NX2 there, not a convient work flow.

The system requirements (pulled from Nikon site) are:

I know that a lot of pro-users seem to be bailing on NX2, Hogan and Chambers both have expressed and published information not recommending the product ( I think Lloyd has resorted to calling the product CraptureNX2 because of all the crashes) and Thom had a blog recommending not using it as a primary convertor in your workflow.

I am breaking with those thoughts and here are my reasons.

1. Nikon Raw File conversion is propieritary and everyone elses RAW conversions are best attempts at reverse engineering.  I want Nikon’s Raw file converted by Nikon not Adobe,CaptureOne,BibblePro,Lightroom,Aperture
2. It’s an easy process to reset your in-camera DLSR sharpen settings back to 0.  I choose to use DLSR in camera sharpening, so I can see a sharpened Image in my D3sLCD, then later deselect the sharpening that was brought into into NX2, and later apply sharpening when and where I want it.  I had forgotten about this workflow and Lloyd and Dr. Jason P. Odell book helped me get it right. (FYI Jason is having special workshops in the Connecticut in September)
3. I happen to really like NIK plugins for NX2, you can quickly set one up, then another, then another, then another, and they immediately become part of your action layer type list. You just can’t be as productive in PS5 using NIK Color Effect Pro, each selection requires the plugin to open, create a layer, then close, then you start again, this opening and closing and creating seperate layers takes to much time, almost 5 times longer  and it is not as interactive, and it’s a drag to the  creative process.   I may use NIK color effect pro maybe one or two final adjustments in PS5, but that’s it.  I always start out in NX2 and I’m flying….
4. Capture NX2 was designed by the folks at NIK who created the  global and selective features  control called U-points.  You can work much faster in NX2 than in PS5. Again Nik has a plugin called Viverza for PS5 but it has the same time limitations as Color Effect Pro, create layer, open plugin, make selection, close plugin, work on PS layer.
5. No other software will allow you to set Black point/white point/grey point easier. And if you’re the creative type, Moose teaches a great tip on using the white point to paint with. I think he has posted it up on his site, I know for a fact what this trick is and how he has used it on some super Images he created while in Camdem, Maine during a Maine Media workshop. I’ve incorporated the ‘tip’ in a lot of my work..it is simple, and extremely effective.
6. The alignment feature in Nikon capture NX2 is quicker as is the spot removal tool.  For those quick hits, I’ll defer to NX2, anything strange or larger than a dust spot then I relay on the PS5 tools.
7. I like having two separate files for my digital darkroom Images.  I know that I’ve worked my RAW NEF in NX2, by saving it with a designation cc before the .NEF extentions.  I’ll always have my original RAW adjustements squirreled away.
8. When I go out to PS with my NX2 raw file, the format goes to tiff, and although the same color space is used in both apps (pro-photo) and I always open in ACR, there tends to be some very slight nuance using the Adobe Raw convertor vs NIkon. I can look at the two separately to see how to tweak Adobe back into shape.

So given the above, I am hopefull that this new release address the robustness issues and after giving it a whirl, I’ll update this posting with results and conclusions.

The link for downloading the Sw is currently UK Nikon, and I’d like to thank the folks over at Nikon Rumor for getting this new release information out !

Update: 08/24/10-pm

1. Download from UK site no problems okay
2. Loaded on Mac Pro 2.66 Quad-Core Intel Xeon on Solid State drive running Snow Leopard 10.6.4 w/all current software updates.
3. Nikon NX2 V2.2.5 starts up ok.
4. PlugIn for NIK Capture Efex Pro 3.0 do not display correctly.**(see below)
5. Google for community help, nothing
6. Head over to Nikon Rumors Blog others who have done install report same problem. Thanks Alvix and Ralph D
7. Fix is to download and reinstall Nik Capture Efex Pro 3.0
8. Everything okay to start testing V225

This is one set of plugs in that I have been waiting to drop in price, and discounts are rare, and my NAPP membership is not part of their stable…..so when I received this information…I didn’t wait long to put into my photoshop workflow….the plugin filter set is superb, the work interface is intuitive with one click you can see you image with the effect applied,,,a real sturdy and robust plug in..highly recommended.   The software also is available for lightroon, aperture, mac or windows, or as a standalone, and at various OS releases and speeds.

Lordy, Lordy Lordy…..it’s finally released……and with an apology….as you may be aware the NIK suite is slowing down 3/4 of the photog’s pc’s in the world because you have to disable Photoshop’s 64bit to use their currect old school  sw.

I wasn’t to thrilled throttling back the new PS CS5 ….other plug-in mfg.’s had stepped up and supplied 64 bit (onOne,Topaz  for example) on/before CS5…The NIK suite is core to my workflow and there was nothing coming-out of the NIK web site on availability …..until today….

and in the meantime, guys like Tom Hogan, Scott Kelby and I have switched over to Topaz for ‘deNoise 5, what a great product…..

While working on my Epson 3880, I decided to update drivers and paper profiles over at the Epson site.  The process is very straight forward, the only issue is that Epson has a limited number of profiles available and these all tie into the new paper types that they are selling.  I have an inventory of some stock that I could not find any profiles for.

Off to Google land I went and found a site that you might be interested in.  The site author, Eric Chan has been developing and profiling various paper stock for the 3880 and the older 3800.  The 3880 profiles are based on the UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink set, with the emphasis on the Advance Black&White (ABW) mode of the Epson 3880.

I ran a number of prints for Velvet Fine Art and was impressed with the results.  You may want to give the site a peek and see if you have any of the paper that Eric has profiled for the 3880 or the 3800.

If you have been considering an upgrade or full purchase of Topaz series of CS5 plugins, the time to do your research and act is now. The recent release by Topaz now gives you full 64 bit compatibility with Photoshop CS5. I decided to get the Suite and besides the 50% off, I was also able to use my NAPP membership for an extra discount bump and after downloading was into it for only $134 vs the $340 list price…..

The Topaz Denoise 4 , has really caught my attention after some recent fine reviews over at Luminance Landscape and a special mention in Thom Hogan’s workflow blog.  The software has also the endorsement of Scott Kelby (Topaz Adjust) and MAC/User (5 of 5 stars).  I have no affiliation with the company so no bias on my part…

If  you are like me and many others, NIK has been your goto plug ins but it’s time to expand the learning process and incorporate a few other quality products into our workflow…

FYI- The update for OnOne Suite 5 has been release, and the product is now compatible with CS5 and is 64 bit compatible.  The upgrade is free to registered users of current version. The Plud-In Suite 5 is also on sale for $100 off .  In my workflow I’ll use Genuine Fractals, Focal Point and Photo Frame.  I like the product for c;ean user interface and also for its documentation and tutorials. You can download the appropriate installer here: OnOne Software Update

Nothing is more frustrating and time wasting than trying to recreate your software customizations once you have migrated your software to another computer after a fresh OS install.  In my case, both my Photo Mechanic preferences were highly customized for my workflow optimization and my PhotoShop Actions (really a fancy macro executions) were just very complicated.

Going off to Google land, ended up with a lot of funky feedback, so I then went direct to experts.

Photomechanic: ….. Thank you for contacting Camera Bits.

Export the Photo Mechanic settings to your computer. Open the Photo Mechanic Preferences and click on the Export button, then save the file to your local machine. Give the file any name that you will remember. Once the file has been saved, copy or move the preference file over to the new computer.

Import the preference file. Open Photo Mechanic’s Preferences on the new computer and click Import. Choose the file that you exported on the old machine and import the settings.

Well, that was easy enough ! The one area that will need your attention is to set your cache folder location and colorspace (ProPhoto-nothing else recommended as an alternative due to its hugh color space).

CS5

My resource for migrating CS4 ACTIONS to CS5 ACTIONS, was a concern to me.  To the rescue was a small how to video that Moose Peterson did on preparing your computer for CS5 migration.  It was another very simple tip and worked for me flawlessly.

Simple open up your PS4 Actions,

1) Highlight the Action Folder to Export

2) In the upper right hand corners are some small arrows that once you press will display a drop down list, Select Save Actions

3) Open up CS5, goto ACTIONS, and Load Actions.

Very simple…very easy….

I also read that you should keep a copy of  your Actions backup in case of a Hard Drive failure..So making the process above part of your backup routine might be something you’d want to consider.

If you have tried using an Iphone to get to this site’s content using the G3 ATT network, you know that it has been a slow process…(ugh)..  I’ll often check my site for reference information on gear, library or links but trying to hunt and peck micro-fonts while waiting for the download is like watching film develop (Prez, be nice)…

The Iphone experience to link into the site, for me, was unproductive, nice to have access but no value, because of the Neanderthal process to get to it.

However, Speed has been improved and Iphone access has been greatly improved.

How ?  Backoffice software stuff  ….you don’t have do anything….

With the speed, there is now a slight format change on the Iphone, but the content remains the same, and you send emails or search much more easily.

The drop down arrow on the left allows improved navigation.

Here are some Iphone screen shots :

Continue Reading ➞

As I was perusing the various trades set up at PSW, there was little that I did not recognize, own or have read about.   I remember coming around the corner and seeing a lime green and black logo, with a bunch of fellow photog’s milling about…mmm this looks different.

Indeed it was, although new to me, the company Action Runner has been around for about two years, but it was appearing at PSW for the first time, with a beefed up version of their software.

This product, made by a photographer, is a HUGH time saver if you are using Photoshop actions !  I’m fairly new to Actions but could readily see the benefit and time saving that this product allowed and pounced on the chance to spend $160 (special show price)…..in another twenty minutes it was going to be $180..because during the demo it was announced that the PSW trade show was soon ending ….kind of like last call at my favorite bar, but I was still imbibing in my passion..new software..(sorry Prez)

The beauty of this software is that it allows you to take photo shop actions that you have created or purchased and drag and drop them onto this external application, then you have the option to save as JPG, and to a drive or folder of your choice. (It is not a plug in, but it seems to work inside PS seamlessly..even better than some plugins that I own…)

This is hugh time savings for me, now I can edit my photos in PS and then batch them off to actions,… or at a later date, I can modify my actions and the rebatch my photo masters and have the new actions applied to those photos. Neat very Neat !

I may not really doing the program enough justice here, and you should go over to the company’s web site and take a look at their video instructions.   The product also runs on a MAC or pc   ACTIONRUNNER

FYI: If you are hunting for the location where Photoshop stores your actions here is the path: Your Name/Library/Prefererences/Adobe Photoshop CS4 Settings

I came across an Iphone App that you may want to check out.

PhotoCalc, combines two apps I have previously recommended into one…This apps will calculate depth of field and it will provide you with a solar and lunar calculator. I like this apps because it also gives you a few extras, like a twilight begins and end, high noon. The also have a flash exposure database as well as reference terminology.

NIkon has announced an update for their ViewNX Software….. Yay…and now it works with the August 2009 Snow Leopard release… Better late than never, but the Nikon folks did not have their core imaging software compatible with SL powered MACs for about six months. What a way to disenfranchise your install base and then not let anyone know what their release timetable was, for this situation, I’ll  have to agree with Thom Hogan about Nikon’s battle with their marketing malfeasance…

This was one piece of Sw that had limited use in my workflow, but was totally junked by SL. There are a lot of  photo viewers options out there, but still it may have a place in your third tier goto apps.

NikonRSS

Now available over at the Nikon site,is the LOOOOONG awaited update to NX2 for Snow Leopard compatibility. Baaack in September when SL was released, the only critical software  that was not compatible with SL and in my work flow was NX2 and View NX. And I really lost quite a bit of hard DD work as I tried work around after work around. I finally had to reinstall SL and so I was not a happy camper with NX2.  And I’m not going to be an early adopter on this release either. I’m going to wait a bit, check it out on a partitioned drive with SL on it, then if all works out… then it will be time to totally upgrade to Snow Leopard again…sigh

This NIK plugin has a silent upgrade announced via subscriber email. Not really sure what it fixed as I didn’t notice any difference.  However, Version 2 this is a very nice plug in and does a lot of the work NX2 does inside of PS4 along with Color Efex Pro.  So you have your choice, use NX2 or use the 2 NIK plug ins….or I’m sure there are many other useful solutions…(it sb mentioned that Viveza2 plugin also is used in Lightroom)

Truth be known,

• The Nikon release is just a mess, lots of complaints out there, and a lot of Mac SL users left NX2 for Lightroom… SL came out in September ! and nothing from NIKON for ~ six months..shame on them.
• And the folks at NIK, the version 1 of  Viveza was featureless crap, which should have been free until the real stuff came out…..but nooo they charged way too much for release 1 and then more $$ for the version 2 upgrade, ….
• I keep track of and own and buy and am involved in over a couple hundred  apps and software and both of these guys get a flat-out “F” for release management and customer management and support of their customer base…..
• maybe they can get their act together now that this release is behind them….let’s hope so

The folks over at NIK software sent out a prerelease announcement on this upgrade back in November. I total enjoy using NIK plugs in, but when I bought version 1 1n Sept. ’09 for $129, I was disappointed, it was anemic and had little use in my workflow.  Then to add salt to the wound,  version 2, would be a $99 upgrade, unless you purchased after Oct. 1.  I tried calling and talking to someone at NIK to get a break, but they were to busy to ever get back…anyway, I went ahead and using my NAPP discount purchased V2 for $79 and downloaded the plug in for PS4 for MAC.

The technology for the software is based on U-Point technology, first found on Nikon Capture NX.  For comparison I have a screenshot for each of the plugins:

1) NIKON CAPTURE NX2 – Color Control Point

2) Viveza 1

3) Viveza 2

The interface for Nik V2, is totally beefed up !,  and now includes so much more control than before. During my work flow, I try to use color control point whenever I need it in NX2, but when I goto PS4 to finish off my Image, it was a pain not having the control points in PS4, and having to decide if I could find a layer to get what I wanted done, or go back out to NX2. The primary benefit here is that you can do both global or selective adjustments with this plug in. This is something that the NX2 color control point can not really do unless you make the entire Image a control point.

In practice, I used this plugin on my image HEAD SOUTH, I wanted to tone down the green color cast on the ocean, soften the vibrance of the warmth, and brighten the foreground. I first did a global on the green color cast and dialed it down -2, then put a control point in for both the warmth and another control point for the foreground and made my adjustments The adjustments levels on the control points are backlit and isolated so that they are now really easy to read your setting. Finally, I prefer to selectively apply my adjustments, so I press the brush button and go back to PS4 and Brush in my changes, then hit apply and your finished. Very smooth, very simple, very cool…..

So for now, I find this new release at PAR with the other NIK plug ins, including DEFINE,SILVER,SHARPEN,COLOR EFFECT PRO…., along with OnOne, these are my goto plug in my Digital Darkroom Development.

As I mentioned before, I purchase and use these products on my own, and have no affiliation with any of these developers, I’m just a user of this great technology that they make for us !