Performance differences between Capture NX 2.3 (32-bit) vs. In 32-bit mode, Capture NX 2.3 is still significantly faster than CNX 2.2.8 Caveats for Color Efex Pro 3 users Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 3 software will run in Capture NX 2.3, but only as a 32-bit application.

There are currently no plans by Nik to update CEP3 to a 64-bit application, so what should you do? Fortunately, there are some workarounds: 1) For best results, make sure you have already installed CEP3 for Capture NX2 using version 2.2.8, then run the Capture NX 2.3 updater. You will need to use CEP 3.003 (available for registered users by logging in to your account at www.niksoftware.com) because earlier versions are NOT COMPATIBLE with CNX 2.3. 2) Windows users: You will be asked during installation if you want to install the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version of CNX 2.3.

This prompt should occur as long as CEP 3 was previously installed. Choose the 32-bit version if you wish to run CEP3 within Capture NX2. If you choose the 64-bit version, your plug-ins will not work.

3) Mac users: you can toggle between 32-bit and 64-bit modes after installing Capture NX 2.3. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the Capture NX2 application icon and choose “Get Info.” Then check the “Open in 32-bit Mode” box and re-launch Capture NX2. Mac users can toggle between 32-bit and 64-bit mode in the “Get Info” window for Capture NX 2.3 Conclusions Capture NX2 version 2.3 is a much-needed overhaul to Nikon’s RAW conversion/editing software. It’s really fast, and I haven’t been able to crash it doing typical image editing. I am, however, disappointed that there are really no new features, and it’s too bad that we have to make compromises to run Color Efex Pro 3 (the only native plug-in for Capture NX2).

However, this update absolutely breathes new life into my RAW converter of choice. It’s faster, more robust, and works far better than previous versions of Capture NX2. While this update is long overdue, I’m happy it’s here, and I will continue to use it for my fundamental image processing. I recently purchased an iMac 27″ with I5 3.1 GHz processor and 12 gig ram NX2 was and still is very good on my win7 64bit PC and does not have issues.

However on my new mac I have had endless trouble and preferred working on the pc. Now with the new update 2.3 it is rock solid on the mac and a pleasure to use as long as I stay in 64bit. The moment I switch back to 32bit and use one of the filters in COL efex pro it shuts down. So Color effex pro is un usable any way but at least NX2 is now fast and reliable and most of my favorite in Color effex I can reproduce myself in NX2 and save as setting for later use.

The biggest noticeable speed increase is saving after a long series of adjustments and opening files that have been previously edited. Applying the healing tool on large areas is also much faster. The only new feature in view nx that I would like to see in future is full res side by side comparisons of images like you get in Faststone.

Thanks, Jason – appreciate the review of NX 2.3. A bit of a bummer that CEP 3.003 does not work in 64-bit mode, but I’ll take the 64-bit NX2 over the 32-bit version any time for performance (PC). Besides, I typically use NX2 for raw conversions only, with the rest of my workflow on CS5 using the full Nik suite (plus any other plugins and native CS5 work that makes sense). I only use CEP3 in NX2 on occasion for a quick edit or to play around a bit.

So I can live without CEP3 on NX2 till Nik updates it. Again, thanks for the review – very helpful. Jason, Thank you for this review. I find your information so helpful. I have your Capture NX2 Guide (First Edition 2008 – I don’t know whether you allow updates, if we’ve purchased the.pdf), and a whole package of your video tutorials, and an extended one on sharpening.

I am just learning to extend my knowledge of the 7,682 features on my Nikon D700 (and covetous of the new D4). I had just developed a CNX2 workflow that incorporated Photo Mechanic, but did not require CS5 (which I do not own), or LR3 (which I did get at $99). I saw the discount you offered on the bundle of Nik Software that includes CEP4, Silver Efex Pro 2.0, and HDR Efex Pro, and couldn’t resist. Do you have any workflow tutorials that offer suggested variants, based on your main raw processing software? Perhaps it’s a more basic question than most of your readers, but I find the combinations of options, and intermediate steps to share them a bit overwhelming.

I would appreciate your perspectives on ways to use the best of what Nik software has to offer, in fewer steps, for those of us who want to stick to one raw processing tool, or two, at the most. I’m working on a 17″ MacBook Pro, with a 2.3 Ghz Intel 7 chip, 500GB SSD HD, an external 26″ monitor, and Promise 12TB RAID. I also have the i1 Match colorimeter from X-rite, and discovered that it is not compatible with OS X Lion.

X-rite has a beta version that they say works with Lion, but it does not support dual monitor configurations (which is not disclosed until the end of the load). The symptom I see after calibrating both with the puck (that gear was $179, a few months ago, just before it became obsolete), is that the dominant screen will render a NEF in CNX2.3 normally. The secondary monitor (my laptop, in this case) appears as if a heavy blue filter is layered over the image. I checked settings in CNX2, I calibrated both monitors 3x – no change. The image appears normally if viewed through Adobe Photo Shop Elements, Adobe Bridge, or Light Room 3 on the laptop – just not via CNX2. Any suggestions?

Hallo, thanks for these news, jason, let’s hope cep4 will be implemented on the new nx2.3 64bits platform. I am bored running photoshop just for cep4 instead of cep3 for nx2 lets’ also hope they will change the following: – white balance one click instead of dragging rectangle and several clicks possible instead of start button – overlay of highlights and shadows instead of white and grey images – better auto-toning like lightroom with the position of the corresponding sliders so we see how automatic worked and if correction is too much we can, like lightroom, find the guilty slider and retune it best regards marc. Hi Jason, Thanks for the informative review.

I installed Capture NX2.3 and immediately noticed it’s improved speed on my Windows Vista 32 bit computer. I did however find one glitch.

When I save the edited (master).nef file, the saved.nef thumbnail file looks nothing like the original.nef thumbnail image. It almost looks like its zoomed in 400% on a small part of the image. If I double click on it, it opens up in CNX2.3 and all looks fine. When I ‘save as’, the image to a.jpg, its thumbnail image looks just like the original except for the edits. Any idea how I can correct this?

Re Capture Nx For Mac Free Download

I can’t have all my saved.nef master files unrecognizable. Thanks for your help, Dave. Jason, In CNX2.3PreferencesGeneralI had ‘Thumbnail and Preview’ selected in the Embed Preview when saving NEF/NRW setting.

I then selected Thumbnail Only and that’s when Windows (Vista 32 bit) said that I needed to update my NEF Codec. I was directed to this Nikon link:. I downloaded the new codec and all works well. No more thumbnail that’s zoomed in 400%. I’m somewhat surprised that Nikon or Windows hadn’t noticed that when I did the original CNX2.3 download. Thanks for getting back to me. Hi Jason, long time lurker of your site here (your NX2 ebook is how I learned NX2 a couple of years ago).

I’m seeing that the default NX2 (v2.3) NEF conversion no longer matches the (embedded) JPG written by the camera. It is punchier with more contrast and different colors (slightly). I see one of your readers mentions it above, and I’ve seen it mentioned on several forums, but it usually gets written off as a color management issue, and I don’t think it is. Can you try a simple experiment? I’m curious to see if you can reproduce this. Take an out-of-camera NEF, and make a copy of it. Put the two NEFs in the same directory.

Open the 2nd one with NX2 and tick the “quick fix” box, and then untick it. NX2 will allow you to save (will update embedded preview), even though you’ve made no “real” changes. Now compare the original unmodified out-of-camera NEF with the one just saved by NX2 (e.g. Toggle between the full-screen versions of them n the PhotoMechanic browser, which is effectively comparing the OOC embedded JPG preview against the one created by NX2 on a NEF with.no. edits. I’m seeing major differences between them. I’m using D7000 NEFs if it matters.

I’m pretty sure you can see the difference even between the full-screen preview of the OOC NEF and the initial rendering of it in the NX2 edit window. Can you reproduce this, using either approach? I’ve never had a discrepancy using this approach until v2.3. I think something has changed. I have not seen anyone formally address this issue. I’ve seen enough people mention it that I believe it is not a totally isolated thing, but I felt like if it were widespread more people would be talking about it.

If you can reproduce it I would like to hear your thoughts on it. If it is true that NX2 default NEF conversion no longer matches the rendering of the camera’s JPG engine, then it takes away one of the main reasons I chose to use NX2 in the first place. I wanted my raw conversion starting point to simply match the OOC JPG, now I’m getting something else. Keep up the good work. I always learn something when I visit this site.

Hi Jason, OK thanks, I appreciate you trying. It means I may have a somewhat isolated incident which means it’s going to be even harder to fix. The differences I’m seeing are definitely not minor. I’m seeing boosted saturation and contrast. I’m glad I have always save off a “baked” JPG (and sometimes TIF) when done with my NX2 NEF edits, otherwise I would have effectively lost all my editing work. For example, the boosted contrast is messing up my old portrait shots. There were a couple of threads in the Capture NX flickr group that looked promising (folks having similar issues) but there was no conclusion far as I can tell.

Frustrating that it seems to have been introduced with the 2.3 update, just when it started to get good (due to speed, etc.). Perhaps I’ve inadvertently changed a setting somewhere, I’ll dig around in the preferences and in the Picture Control Utility.

Embed this Program Add this Program to your website by copying the code below. Preview Preview. Nikon claims that its Capture NX software releases not only the power of Nikon's Electronic Format (NEF) files, but also makes JPEG and TIFF processing and editing elegant and easy enough for even novice photographers to use. Nikon CaptureNX 2 makes many improvements to Nikon's original photo editing software which Nikon claims has been designed for photographers by photographers.

The application is notable for its 'Color Control Points', which allow you to select and adjust colors simply by pointing, clicking and adjusting a sliders. There are 25 adjustments for users of JPEG and TIFF images and additional RAW functions for those who shoot Nikon Electronic File (NEF) RAW images with their cameras. The Color Control Point feature of Nikon CaptureNX 2 has seen some of the biggest changes in the latest update. You can target any area of the photo that you want to alter and then you have 26 different and precise tools to give you a very high degree of precision over changes. Finally, there's also an 'Auto Retouch Brush', which is designed to get rid of blemishes that mark your photos. You can even remove certain objects by sampling the background and then brushing over them.

Nikon Capture NX 2 is a highly professional yet surprisingly easy to use too, making it a must-have for all Nikon camera owners. Compatibility with Mac OS X version 10.6.2 has been added. Specifications have been modified so that when 25 Photos on Page, or a higher number of photos per page, is selected for Select Layout in the Print layout dialog, the Use Thumbnail Data (Draft Use Only) box is automatically checked. This resolves an issue that prevented printing when 25 Photos on Page, or a higher number of photos per page, was selected for Select Layout.

Capture NX 2 would quit unexpectedly when certain settings files were applied with the Apply Settings box checked in the Watched Folder panel of the Batch Process dialog. This issue has been resolved. An issue that caused Capture NX 2 to freeze when switching images after the Color Picker had been opened has been resolved. Changes. Compatibility with Mac OS X version 10.6.2 has been added.

Specifications have been modified so that when 25 Photos on Page, or a higher number of photos per page, is selected for Select Layout in the Print layout dialog, the Use Thumbnail Data (Draft Use Only) box is automatically checked. This resolves an issue that prevented printing when 25 Photos on Page, or a higher number of photos per page, was selected for Select Layout. Capture NX 2 would quit unexpectedly when certain settings files were applied with the Apply Settings box checked in the Watched Folder panel of the Batch Process dialog. This issue has been resolved. An issue that caused Capture NX 2 to freeze when switching images after the Color Picker had been opened has been resolved.

Nikon Capture NX supports the following formats JPEG, TIFF, NEF RAW.