New for RAW - View NX2 v. 2.2.3 - anyone used it?

This free download was published on 8.11.2011. Nikon describe it as follows:

"NEW - ViewNX2 [2.2.3] is an all-in-one image browsing and editing software application for both still images and movies. Nikon Transfer 2 is incorporated into ViewNX 2 for transferring images to a computer."

"This is the full install version of ViewNX2 2.2.3 for Windows and Macintosh computers. If you are currently using ViewNX2 this download will upgrade the existing software to version 2.2.3. This software supports all Nikon D-SLR cameras and all COOLPIX cameras with USB support."

I have just downloaded View NX2 v. 2.2.3 and it seems to offer a comprehensive package for processing RAW, JPEG and video files.

It might offer a quicker, simpler solution than Capture NX for processing RAW files?

What do you think? (I am a newcomer to RAW processing.)

Mike

ViewNX is a very weak RAW processor and has a quirky interface. You might as well shoot JPEGs and adjust the images in the camera.

One significant issue I have with ViewNX is that it always boosts the exposure of my images. Every image needs -0.8 EC to put the exposure where it should be (I'm talking about spot metered images...matrix metering is unpredictable.) And I know it's not the RAW file because I've examined the RAW data using a program called Rawnalyze and the RAW levels are exactly where they should be.

I use Raw Therapee, which is much better than ViewNX.

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View Nx2 is a simpler solution than Capture NX2 because it can only do so much. I'm pretty sure this newest version just adds cameras, and does not change the functionality of the program.

The sliders and the picture control utility do allow for many interesting ways to process your picture for a different look. What View NX2 lacks is ability to adjust selectively, ie. applying a change to just one part of the picture rather than all of it. It also lacks noise reduction control. If you can live without those functions then it is simple and easy and gives good results for raw files. If you need local adjustments and noise reduction then you'll want a more comprehensive solution.

I have only used Capture NX2, Adobe Lightroom3 and Photoshop Elements. These are all good programs.

Do you have CNX2?

I don't understand the exposure comment - I'm not knowledgeable on how RAW works.

The "exposure" has already occurred. All that's left is to compensate when processing the raw data, which is the whole point of the app. How do you determine that what comes out of the app is off when you decide how you want to adjust above the raw exposure yourself?

Yendawg said:

I don't understand the exposure comment - I'm not knowledgeable on how RAW works.

The "exposure" has already occurred. All that's left is to compensate when processing the raw data, which is the whole point of the app. How do you determine that what comes out of the app is off when you decide how you want to adjust above the raw exposure yourself?

Click to expand...

The meter on a camera is calibrated to set exposure for a particular shade of gray...that shade being about 12.7% reflectance. Said another way...the camera meter is presuming that the scene is reflecting 12.7% of the light that is falling upon it (which is a fairly valid presumption most of the time.) The camera does this because that's what our eyes do. Most white objects will reflect 90% of the light that falls on the object...black objects reflect 5%. So reflecting 12.7% of the light results in a middle-ish shade of gray. I won't work out the calculations here, but suffice to say that a 12.7% shade of gray equals the sRGB values of 100, 100, 100.

What does all that mean? In a nutshell, it means that if you take a picture of a neutral surface (black-gray-white) that is evenly lit, the camera will adjust exposure so that the final image is a gray field with the RGB values of 100, 100, 100. That's standard exposure. When you load the RAW file into a RAW editor such as Raw Therapee, or an analysis tool such as Rawnalyze, those tools will indicate that the image is gray, and that the sRGB values for the gray is 100, 100, 100.

However...if you load the same RAW file into ViewNX, then the gray level presented will be higher...from 135 to 155, depending on what picture control you use. That's because ViewNX is increasing the brightness by applying Exposure Compensation. This application of EC isn't defined in the picture control. Therefore, the only way to get rid of it is to apply negative EC for every image.

I have a custom picture control that I created called "RAW". In this control I disable as much processing as possible and I have the Custom Curve set to give a linear response. That means that the RGB values that are calculated before the curve is applied will remain the same, because the Custom Curve doesn't change anything. The Picture Control app even tells me what the output will be from a certain input, and it tells me that an input of 100 will give an output of 100. Yet, when I apply that custom picture control that's not what happens. The output is 135.

This behavior of ViewNX (and CaptureNX as well, I believe) is likely the reason why some people thing that Nikon cameras overexpose scenes. Some people go so far as to apply -0.7 EC on the camera. Others say that the exposure is fine. The difference is in the software one uses.

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A great, although limited function, raw/jpeg viewer, organizer, editor, converter. One of the few programs that actually recognizes and can utilize the Nikon 'in camera' settings.

No it's not Photoshop or CaptureNX, but it flows well and is quick. When you enter, DO always click on "RAW" at top left, otherwise you will be viewing embedded jpeg.

Nice, non destructive front end, which will be enough for many shots. If people haven't tried recent versions, they don'y know ViewNX...

Can't beat the price - always download Nikon Transfer and View NX if you are shooting Nikon cameras...

Good luck!

CaptureNX however... (very powerful, but horrible workflow - needs a rewrite/update)

Graystar said:

ViewNX is a very weak RAW processor and has a quirky interface. You might as well shoot JPEGs and adjust the images in the camera.

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Thanks, but I am wondering whether the new version 2.2.3 is reworked to be a better all-rounder.

Graystar said:

One significant issue I have with ViewNX is that it always boosts the exposure of my images. . . . . .

Click to expand...

I don't know - so far I have only shot JPEGs, and have found that I prefer the results, outdoors in reasonable light, if I leave the D90 on -.67 EV - but that is true of all the compacts I have owned too.

Graystar said:

I use Raw Therapee, which is much better than ViewNX.

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I had heard that Raw Therapee is quite popular.

Mike

pansycan said:

View Nx2 is a simpler solution than Capture NX2 because it can only do so much. I'm pretty sure this newest version just adds cameras, and does not change the functionality of the program.

Click to expand...

I don't know - there are some notes about the differences in the Nikon download procedure for the new version. It might be worth a look.

pansycan said:

The sliders and the picture control utility do allow for many interesting ways to process your picture for a different look. What View NX2 lacks is ability to adjust selectively, ie. applying a change to just one part of the picture rather than all of it. It also lacks noise reduction control. If you can live without those functions then it is simple and easy and gives good results for raw files. If you need local adjustments and noise reduction then you'll want a more comprehensive solution.

Click to expand...

It sounds OK then within its limitations, but maybe the new version does a bit more?

pansycan said:

I have only used Capture NX2, Adobe Lightroom3 and Photoshop Elements. These are all good programs.

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Yes, Lightroom 3 in particular seems to get rave reviews from the pros.

Mike

Reilly Diefenbach said:

Do you have CNX2?

Click to expand...

No, what is it?

Mike

rbmphoto said:

A great, although limited function, raw/jpeg viewer, organizer, editor, converter. One of the few programs that actually recognizes and can utilize the Nikon 'in camera' settings. . . . . . .

Click to expand...

Thanks, but are you talking about the old version? I am wondering whether the new version is better or expanded.

rbmphoto said:

. . . . Can't beat the price - always download Nikon Transfer and View NX if you are shooting Nikon cameras. . . . .

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Transfer is now integrated into the ViewNX 2.2.3 version, by the way.

Mike

The one to get.

Ah, I'm getting a clue. My brain gears are turning...

(a) Wouldn't this gray be dependent on the colorspace used to process the data, or is the gray level supposed to be neutral regardless of colorspace?

(b) It seems like the gray would move a little depending on the dynamic range of the sensor - imagine narrowing or widening the bandwidth, then expanding or compressing it dynamically to fit the RGB value range.

(c) When it overexposes, does it actually shift everything and potentially blow hilights, or is it applying a curve that is going to effect the range differently?

Yendawg said:

Ah, I'm getting a clue. My brain gears are turning...

(a) Wouldn't this gray be dependent on the colorspace used to process the data, or is the gray level supposed to be neutral regardless of colorspace?

Click to expand...

Very good! Yes it does. The value of 100 is an sRGB value, and the Adobe RGB value is different by about 0.2...so it's essentially the same visually. I don't know what the value is for other large spaces, such as ProPhoto, but you never see those numbers anyways as the values always get converted into the color space of the monitor for display...and that's practically always sRGB or a custom profile that very close to sRGB or Adobe RGB.

Yendawg said:

(b) It seems like the gray would move a little depending on the dynamic range of the sensor - imagine narrowing or widening the bandwidth, then expanding or compressing it dynamically to fit the RGB value range.

Click to expand...

The gray level is driven by the meter. The camera maker will map a signal level from the sensor to a mid-gray (12.7% gray.) That mapping changes with changes to ISO, but it always represents the same sRGB value of 100, 100, 100, as that's what the meter is looking for. The cameras DR doesn't affect the meter calibration.

Yendawg said:

(c) When it overexposes, does it actually shift everything and potentially blow hilights, or is it applying a curve that is going to effect the range differently?

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Yes, it shifts and blows. That's why it's a problem.

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I have always used View NX to download to the computer, and to convert the NEF's to jpg's. While it's not a powerful editor it does provide the control to convert to a pleasing jpg for use. I don't find the interface to be "quirky", and I don't know what a "weak RAW" processor actually is, I do know that View NX 2 works for me. I have found that 2.2.3 has fixed some issues that I didn't like in previous versions (most notably View NX).

You may or may not like the way the program looks, and works, but for me it is great for getting a useable jpeg from my raw files. When I want to delve deeper I will use some other program.
View NX will also convert to a 8, or 16 bit .tif for editing in other programs.
--
Michael

This is similar to what I use ViewNX for. I convert the NEF to compressed tiff which goes into Aperture for further tinkering and enhancement. Using ViewNX lets me get picture settings and whatnot from the camera and I get a tiff to work with which pretty good.

The downside is that it is so SLOOOOOOOOOW. Normally I copy the NEF from the SD card to the working directory on my machine and start to have ViewNX convert to tiff and then shower, clean the camera, write a novel, etc and wait to come back to all of the tiffs.

MRM4350 said:

I have always used View NX to download to the computer, and to convert the NEF's to jpg's. While it's not a powerful editor it does provide the control to convert to a pleasing jpg for use. . . . . .

Click to expand...

Thanks Michael, this is very helpful, especially as you are already using 2.2.3.

It encourages me to have a serious go with 2.2.3, as I don't want to do anything very complicated.

Is NEF the same as RAW?

Mike

Yes, NEF is the propriatary file format for Nikon RAW files. Only ViewNX and Capture NX2 can render NEF files as intended by the camera. Adobe is getting close but how close depends on the camera model since each has a different file spec, which is kept secret from the software development community.

My work flow uses bulk transfer of RAW files in Adobe Lightroom 3.5 where I can grade and sort images. Most are processed in Lightroom but when one image is important and will be printed large or for publication I open that NEF file in either View NX or Capture NX2 and make camera level setting adjustments. ViewNx is becoming more useful with new features but it is not as versatile as CaptureNX2 or Lightroom. When camera settings are optimised, I either make a copy in 16 bit TIFF format(these files become huge when doing that so only the most critical images get this treatment) and continue any pixel level or layer oriented processing in Photoshop CS5.

Since I upgraded my computer to an i7 processor and lots of memory CaptureNX works great, hasn't crashed once. It is a lot more powerful than most users realize because the manual is not great. If you plan on getting NX2 get Jason O'dell's eBook on mastering NX2, it is really made what would be complex tasks in other programs a breeze.
ViewNX never has crashed on me and is generally fast.

Rendering is still best done with Nikon software I find, and requires the least additional work.

I would have a hard time getting all the shots sorted and basic processed without LightRoom however, it is fast and slick with a very nice user interface.

If you want pixel level editing, there is nothing as comprehensive, extensible or capable as Photoshop but it has a steep learning curve to do the more exotic manipulation. Luckily there are dozens of good books and video tutorials available.
--
Stan
St Petersburg Russia

spbStan said:

Yes, NEF is the propriatary file format for Nikon RAW files. Only ViewNX and Capture NX2 can render NEF files as intended by the camera. . . . . . . . . . .

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I won't quote all your message Stan but many thanks for your detailed guidance.

Obviously professionals demand a lot more from their software than a tyro amateur like me, and the replies in this thread have helped me a lot. There does seem to be a consensus that ViewNX2 v.2.2.3 is a very good tool for its relatively limited objectives.

Mike

Mikedigi said:

Graystar said:

ViewNX is a very weak RAW processor and has a quirky interface. You might as well shoot JPEGs and adjust the images in the camera.

Click to expand...

Thanks, but I am wondering whether the new version 2.2.3 is reworked to be a better all-rounder.

Click to expand...

Nope. It's pretty much the same thing. A point release means they added some minor features, and a point-point release means they fixed bugs or added cameras. 2.2.3 is just a couple of bug fixes over 2.2.1. 2.2.1 added cameras and fixed a bunch of bugs. Before that 2.1.1 added cameras and minor features, and before that 2.0.3 was the "version 2" release that simply added some editing features such as crop, straightening, and most important, Axial Color Abberation correction.

View NX does not perform operations in 16-bit.

Mikedigi said:

Mikedigi said:

One significant issue I have with ViewNX is that it always boosts the exposure of my images. . .

Click to expand...

I don't know - so far I have only shot JPEGs, and have found that I prefer the results, outdoors in reasonable light, if I leave the D90 on -.67 EV...

Click to expand...

Yes...that's Nikon's image processing engine boosting the exposure, so you have to lower your exposure to undo it. The spot and CW metering of the D90 is pretty much dead-on 12.7%. Matrix metering is always unpredictable and may overexpose or underexpose depending on what the camera thinks it's looking at...but is usually pretty good when the DR of the scene is reasonable.

Since I use Raw Therapee to edit image, I don't get the exposure boost so I never have to underexpose my images (which only adds noise.) I don't know why Nikon's image processing is so poor, but it's generally better to let some other software process your images. Something like Photoshop Elements is very good and not that expensive.

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