Nikon NX Studio hopes to be a free Lightroom alternative for Nikon users

homologate | həˈmɒləɡeɪt |
verb [with object]
1 approve (a car, engine, etc.) for sale in a particular market or use in a particular class of racing.

2 formal express agreement with or approval of: one body of patrons elected the teacher, the others afterwards homologating the appointment.

Oxford English.

Mar 5, 2021*permalink

MaxNeko

I've only come across the term in connection with car models that qualify for car racing. Wonder whether the reviewer wasn't think of homogenizing which would also be wrong but conveys the idea of two apps merging into one.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

DeltaFoxtrot

I think he meant to use 'homogenisation', but that's still not really the correct word for the situation he was trying to describe. I believe the actual word he was searching for is 'amalgamation'.

Mar 6, 2021*permalink

StanyBuyle

Nikon NX Studio works FANTASTIC on a power PC. Fast and stable.
But again, a text editor is missing to quit totally with other software.

Mar 5, 2021*permalink

Richard Murdey

Just installed. Capture NX, meet better Capture NX!

You need to compare for yourself just how much difference the relatively minor tweaks to the fonts and colors make to the interface, but it really is night and day.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

derfotograf

Downloaded and installed it. Tried to open a *.NEF on latest macOS. App crashes without warning. Tried it 10 times.

I am so tired of lousy software, so I uninstalled it and keep using RPP (Raw Photo Processor, only for Mac), which is extremely stable, fast and precise.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

https://bitbucket.org/agriggio/art/wiki/Home

I would rather write my own software than use RRP. Glad you like it though. The more options the better.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

camerosity

Huh it works great for me. I did trash all my old nikon software first before installing this. Then reboot. Try that.

Mar 7, 2021permalink

mcshan

Mine works. A lot to learn. I like simple things like an "uncheck all" that is easy to find.

Mar 7, 2021permalink

richard-kw

I'll try it - like I try heaps of other programs for transferring, cataloguing and post-processing my photos.
But I haven't enjoyed its predecessor. It's flaky & unreliable, when you try using it to transfer images from any of your card readers onto your computer. It won't work on large numbers of images, you have to shunt them through a few at a time. You CANNOT allow it to delete images from your card until you are 110% certain that you have copies of ALL of the images on your computer
And the menu system to do all of that is clumsy and tedious.
There are heaps of far simply, more reliable and more effective programs to do it.

SO - time to download the new version and see if it's any different.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

dsteiner

The UI certainly improved, however, it is still quite slow on my Mac to render the 100% view (compared to Photos or CaptureOne apps). I wish they could improve the speed too.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

AKH

Much faster than Capture NX-D on my Surface Pro 7 with 4k monitor attached. It is so fast now that I'm really happy with it. The biggest issue before was that Capture NX-D was quite slow at rendering large images.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

powerbook

I use Adobe ACR/Photoshop, and really wanted to use NX Studio, but it is very slow on my Mac compared to Adobe which works smooth and quick. The startup is slow (not a big problem) but rendering relative big pictures and the changes is too slow for me. What a shame, it look like a nice software.

8 months ago*permalink

HowaboutRAW

But largely, well as long as you're not attempting to extract Leica DNGs, Darktable 3.4 is better than Nikonware, which is never good for NR.

(Darktable 3.4 fixed the most massive problem with Leica DNGs; they no longer crash the program automatically, as was the case with 3.2.)

RawTherapee hasn't been updated in more than 12 months, but that's very good freeware if you're looking for extraction and cataloging.

Lightzone, also freeware and last updated Dec. 2020, is good for low ISO work. Will even extract most Sony A1 raws--well most low ISO ones.

Mar 5, 2021*permalink

Pixel8888

There is also ART. ART is a derivative of the popular RawTherapee, trading a bit of customization and control over various processing parameters for a simpler and (hopefully) easier to use interface, while still maintaining the power and quality of RawTherapee.

Mar 5, 2021*permalink

I've been playing around with Studio and believe it is a nice improvement over Capture NX-D for speed and user interface.
However, one thing it doesn't do that I hope they add:
I still use PS6 that does not accept newer NEF's. Capture NX-D automatically converts older NEF's to TIF when sending to PS6. Studio does not, you have to export it to TIF first.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Digital Tyke

I agree. In my case I want to open Affinity with 16 bit tiff.
Nikon have the code in NX-D and I hope that the omission is quickly fixed in Studio. In general I welcome the new application. Already at v 1.0 it is good. Let's hope that minor niggles are soon addressed.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Digital Tyke, I went to Nikon Support and opened a question. I used it to describe this issue and asked them to fix it. You may want to do the same. More is better.

Mar 4, 2021*permalink

RamonMata

Did anyone noticed that this software also allows to create "Albums" to organize groups of photos?

Mar 4, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

Nowadays a photographic/video experience does not end with the camera, but extends further through postprocessing up to publications in media like youtube.
So why invest ever more money into already perfect things like lenses, resolution or AF performance, if the pain of users lies somewhere else?
Kudos Nikon for offering NX Studio!

Mar 4, 2021*permalink

forest dream

Dedicated camera: Computational photography via Mac/PC 😛
Smartphone: Computational photography via phone

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Does it support illuminant profiles for different cameras?

Mar 4, 2021permalink

RadPhoto

Do you hear yourself?
You think Nikon should pay and hire staff to support Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Leica and Fuji?

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Multiple different Nikon cameras...

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Don't you think it supports all Nikon cameras by default?

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Well .. as a Canon shooter .. I understand that Nikon is interested in supporting Nikon cameras .. not sure what’s your point here

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Photo_AK

It supports any Nikon camera from D1 to Z 7II.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Does. It. support. multiple. illuminant. profiles. for. multiple. Nikon. cameras...?

Mar 5, 2021permalink

The software isn't worthy to process my Leica M files. Glad it doesn't :-)

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Photo_AK

what.is.an."illuminant.profile"?

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Let’s stop this discussion.. Phrases are lacking details, even camera brands are not specified, terms are wrongly used.. Useless discussion. We waste our time.. bye

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Hey gaul, how about you not pretend like you're in charge here. I'd still like to get an answer to my question, and hopefully there's still some photographers left on this site, as opposed to a bunch of people that just fire off ignorant posts when they don't even understand what is being asked.

Illuminant profiles are camera specific profiles (that can be made with an xrite colorchecker, among other profiling reference cards) to ensure that the camera can reliably output colors accurately.

Mar 7, 2021*permalink

Nevermind. I did a bit of searching and found the answer over on a different website that actually has photographers discussing the merits of the software instead of snarky individuals just trying to out-snark each other with their inane posts.

Mar 7, 2021*permalink

@Suntan

Would you mind sharing your findings with us poor DPR members?

Best,

Mar 8, 2021permalink

Mikho

Wonder whether it could be useful for other cameras. 🤔

Why wouldn't camera producers altogether create an unprofitable org to provide one unified good image processing and management software (or really cheap one). It's just unreasonable to pay Adobe for LR and it's a pain to juggle different producers' own incomplete and unpolished software. They still spend on it more than they'd spend on such a unified one. It's easier to do it the way big IT companies do with supporting open-source software and standards.

Mar 4, 2021*permalink

PLShutterbug

Maybe because it wouldn’t be profitable?

And maybe because managing it would be like herding cats.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

RadPhoto

Do you hear yourself? You think Nikon should pay and hire staff to support Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Leica, Fuji?

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Well .. as a Canon shooter .. I understand that Nikon is interested in supporting Nikon cameras .. not sure what’s your point here

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Pixel8888

Because they are desperately competing for a bigger piece of a shrinking cake.
I used NX a long time ago, when it had Nik's upoint technology. It was a really good converter.
A few makers (Sony,Nikon,Fuji) at least offer a subsidized copy of the free Capture One essentials.
https://www.captureone.com/en/account/download/capture-one-express-for-nikon

Mar 5, 2021*permalink

Mikho

@PLShutterbug, that's why IT companies for this purpose create a separate org and support it with membership payments or something similar. But it would guarantee that with every new camera or lens released by a member brand there would be all required support in this app. This org structure could be useful for everybody.

Now, it's a mess and pain for every user of every brand. As also a pain for brands themselves to support a dedicated team just to update the branded app. Now brands' own software just sucks and each spends money to support this often not so useful and unpolished junk.

There are examples of open-source image editing software, but they don't get proper updates to support new lenses and cameras that get released.

It's notorious in the tech industry for competitors to support such projects that make the whole ecosystem better for everyone—brands and users. It's not something new.

In photography as to software now everything is just whether too expensive or just sucks.

Mar 5, 2021*permalink

https://support.dxo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001439187-Is-it-still-possible-to-get-the-free-download-version-of-the-Nik-Collection-

@ PLShutterbug, herding Cats is easy, especially if you have food.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Tord S Eriksson

I use a mix of brands all the time (although mainly Nikon), so products dedicated to one brand are of less interest. But I will test this one, out of curiosity, if nothing else.

But I must say that my current workhorse, DxO PhotoLab 4, never has hesitated when I've thrown anything I own (or borrowed) at it, although the very latest camera and lens models sometimes lack support (usually quickly upgraded).

Mar 6, 2021permalink

Horshack

This is a smart strategy and not only because it pleases customers to get a feature-rich image editing app for free. It's smart because it also facilitates a modest amount of vendor lock-in, which makes it less likely those customers will switch away to another camera brand, because of the time they'll have invested in a NIkon-specific image editing app.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

JE River

Sounds OK in theory, but I don't think too many folks are going to base their brand choice as much, or at all, on software than they are lenses and existing accessories for that system.

If Nikon were smart, they would pioneer the way for ILC systems to handle the same sort of computational photography seen in smart phones. It's not going to bring massive exodus from other systems, but would be a smart play for trying to increasing sales using their software teams.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Sc1920

If you don't mind using multiple programs, have your own cataloguing system, or if you've only used Nikon cameras, I guess this would be helpful. Otherwise, I wish the camera manufacturers would all get on board and support a universal raw format. I imagine a new format each time a camera comes out makes business sense. It prevents critical review of a new camera for a month or more except by those that purchase it directly.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

MaxNeko

Isn't that what Adobe DNG was intended to do?

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Sc1920

MaxNeko,, yes, it is, unfortunately, the equipment manufacturers aren't signing on to the idea. I don't know if it is to maintain exclusivity during the launch period before third parties support it, or they want people to use their software??

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Gesture

Props Nikon.
I like Adobe for its resizing and printing functions, but appreciate that I wouldn't be tied to Photoshop/Lightroom with my Nikon cameras.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Nokiron

I mean, there has always been Darktable or RawTherapee if you are in need of a free, good raw developer. Those works for all brands.

I use Lightroom but there is always options.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Miike Dougherty

NX Pro doesn't run on WIN 7 PCs. It says that but I tried it anyway and it didn't work. 25% of PCs are WIN 7.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

BillR_BC

And the number of Windows 7 machines is declining steadily. Most of the ones still in service are at larger companies because they could buy updates from Microsoft limited to security patches for 2 years, as of last year, when Windows 7 reached official end of life. Stop using Windows 7, please. We don't need virus and malware hosts compromised because their system can no longer be updated. If you look carefully, you can probably still find free upgrades to W10.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Miike Dougherty

When a WIN 7 computer also has Norton or Avast, is it still virus and malware compromised? I also use CC Cleaner and Malware-bytes to tidy up things.

Many people who use WIN 10 machines don't bother with antivirus software but I do.

Mar 4, 2021*permalink

DMalcolm

@Miike - antivirus software will be stopped for Windows 7 by some vendors. Some are already charging extra for extended support. Dont kid yourself that you can keep using it for years, you'll need to upgrade soon. A Windows 10 install without av is still safer that Win 7 without av. That and the fact that security patches will only be written for Win 10 is reason enough to upgrade. I would also never trust Norton or Avast as my key defence.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Hachu21

There's an antivirus embedded in Win10. iI's called "security essential" and IMHO it does 95% of the job for free and without slowing down your machine.

Mar 5, 2021permalink

Miike Dougherty

I use an Intel 7400 WIN 10 PC with PS 2021, an Intel 6700 WIN 7 PC with CS6, and an Intel Pentium WIN XP PC with CS2. The reason is that I use some very old software in some situations that just isn't compatible with WIN 10. BTW, the WIN 7 PC is my preferred choice although the XP PC is surprisingly snappy. The WIN 10 PC is not as snappy, probably due to all the bloatware. I'm typically processing Nikon Z RAW files. (TIFF on XP)

Mar 5, 2021permalink

sirhawkeye64

Even if you have current AV for Windows 7 it can't necessarily stop things like unauthorized or back-door access due to vulnerabilities in the various code libraries found in the OS. This is why it's important to patch your system regularly and try to at least stay up to date (ie. use a "current supported" OS, like Windows 8 or 10). I'm sure new vulnerabilities have been found in Windows 7 (and earlier OSes) but since MS no longer supports it, those will not be fixed (at least for the masses). Companies and schools that perhaps have commercial volume licenses with MS may have access through special programs, but your average home user would not likely get any updates for such patches.

@Machu21 I'm not sure I'd go recommending the built-in AV system in Windows 10. You often get what you pay for. I much prefer ESET (costs money, maybe $60 per year--well worth it IMO). In fact, ESET is sometimes too protective so I have to allow certain things, especially with the firewall.

Mar 5, 2021*permalink

Hello123

In my opinion, they should have never stopped supporting Capture NX2.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Ernie Misner

Amen to CNX2! Control Points work seamlessly with all edits including Niks CEP3.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Rick620

@Hello 123 - They had no choice - Nik Software ( no relationship with Nikon at all, Nikon used them to develop NX2), the original developers of Capture NX2 were bought by Google who did make the whole Nik Software package free for a time. The 'U Point Technology' is within the new software, to a limited extent. Support for NX2 stopped when Google bought Nik Software, not Nikon's fault.

Mar 4, 2021permalink

Pixel8888

The free 2012 Google Nik version can still be downloaded from the DXO server. It does include the Upoint technology.

https://nikcollection.dxo.com/nik-collection-2012/

Mar 6, 2021*permalink

Patrick Dodds

@Pixel8888 - I couldn't get the 2012 version from DXO to download - tried multiple times but it got to about 150 mb out of 600 and just kept stopping (I'm on a Mac). I eventually found it at
https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6809-google-nik-collection.html
where it downloaded seamlessly.

Mar 6, 2021*permalink

Daniel Bliss

Very, very interesting indeed. My only question is, why on earth did they not launch this a week ago at CP+?

Mar 4, 2021permalink

dbateman

2020 is a right off year for them financially. Don't expect anything from Nikon until May. They need 2021 financial year to look outstanding compared to 2020.

I am surprised this was released this early. Wouldn't have expected it until April. Maybe want the software bugs out before the cameras come out.

Mar 4, 2021*permalink

kk123

I had to go back to View NX-i and Capture NX-D. Reason? Timeconsuming to use.

1) No MAP function in NX Studio. Why not?

2) No easy next picture forwarding with arrow button.

3) Tiff opening in PS6 unhandy.

4) No easy back and forth from full picture to thumbnail by pressing esc-button. (Double-clicking on picture necessary now).

Mar 8, 2021*permalink

1. I see a Map Function - Icon on the tool bar. See documentation.
2. I see Next & Previous image arrows at bottom right.
3. Yes, I really hope they add the tiff opening in PS6 option that NX-D has.
4. I get 100% with one click of left mouse button on preview, 2nd click resets.
Regards.

Mar 8, 2021permalink

kk123

Thank you Figaro2.

I meant next picture operated by arrow on keyboard not possible.

Tiff opening. I had to go back to Capture NX-D for workflow.

Esc button is easer to use for going back to thumbnail in any case..

Mar 11, 2021permalink