Nikon Capture NX 2 Full Version

by Nikon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.2 x 2 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001B057U6
• Item model number: NX 2 Full
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #28 in Software > Graphics > Photo Editing
  • #75 in Software > The Mac Software Store
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com

Nikon's Capture NX 2 software is a full-featured, nondestructive photo-editing program that gives photographers all the tools they need to quickly and easily edit their photographs. Also available in a reduced-price upgrade version (requires a valid serial number from v1.x), the software offers such editing features as color control points, selection control points, an auto-retouch brush, and shadow/highlight adjustment.

Enhancing the hue, brightness, and saturation of an image is as simple as placing a color control point on your image, then adjusting the length of the sliders. For example, color control points are a remarkably convenient way to change the color of flowers to look better against green surrounding foliage. As an alternative, editors can take a dull gray sky and add blue to change the mood of a captured scene. The selection control points, meanwhile, let you selectively edit photographs without manually outlining or masking the area for editing. Simply place a selection control point anywhere on the photograph, and then choose from almost any adjustment, including D-Lighting, Unsharp Mask, or Noise Reduction, while limiting the 'reach" of that adjustment to just the selected area.

Capture NX 2 also adds an automatic retouch tool to its image editing toolbox, allowing users to seamlessly remove blemishes, dust, and other distracting elements from photographs while maintaining the integrity of the image. And thanks to the shadow/highlight adjustment, you can easily open up shadows or recover blown-out highlights. Highlight recovery is most effective for RAW (NEF) files; however, it will work with JPEG and TIFF files as well.

The software's redesigned v2 interface includes such features as customized workspaces, an improved toolbar function and layout, improved edit list functionality, a redesigned image browser with a favorites folder, and improved image resolution adjustments. The software's holdover features from v1.x range include black/white/neutral control points, color management control, color aberration control, distortion control, a color booster, contrast/brightness adjustment, a saturation/warmth adjustment, black-and-white conversion, straighten and crop tools, and much more.

Finally, Capture NX 2 features award-winning U Point technology for precision selection and application of enhancements without complicated selections or layer masks. Designed to closely match the way photographers work with their images, Capture NX2 is easy to learn and creates the highest-quality results. Note that the software fully integrated with all Nikon software, including Camera Control Pro 2, Image Authentication Software, Transfer, and ViewNX.

Capture NX 2 System Requirements

Windows

• Preinstalled version of 32-bit Windows Vista Home Basic/Home Premium/Business/Enterprise/Ultimate (Service Pack 1) editions or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) editions
• Pentium 4 processor or better
• 768 MB RAM minimum (1 GB or more recommended)
• 200 MB free hard disk space for installation
• 1,024 x 768 or higher monitor resolution (1,280 x 1,024 recommended) with 16-bit color (32-bit color recommended)
• CD-ROM drive; Internet connection; approved memory cards for importing/exporting custom picture controls

Macintosh

• OS Macintosh OS X v10.4.11 or 10.5.2
• PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Xeon, or better processor
• 768 MB RAM minimum (1 GB or more recommended)
• 200 MB free hard disk space for installation
• 1,024 x 768 or higher monitor resolution (1,280 x 1,024 recommended) with 64,000 colors (16.7 million colors recommended)
• CD-ROM drive; Internet connection; approved memory cards for importing/exporting custom picture controls

Product Description

RE) NIKON CAPTURE NX2 FULL VERSION

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

172 of 174 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very impressed with the colors and auto-retouching, October 22, 2008

By 

S. Kim - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nikon Capture NX 2 Full Version (Electronics)

As a long-time user of Photoshop, I was frequently disappointed with the colors in my digitally-manipulated photos. It's possible that it's because I'm not savvy at creating masks in Photoshop. After looking at demos on the Nikon website, I decided to give Capture NX2 a try and was very impressed with the color controls like D-lighting (simply shadows/highlights in Photoshop), and the ability to easily make local changes. One of the best features of Nikon Capture NX2 is the auto-retouch tool, which replaces a selection with something else in the picture with similar surroundings. I can't tell you how this has saved many wedding photos. To me, this feature alone is worth the purchase price.

Although I like this program a lot, the interface is extremely clunky. It's hard to browse the edit list on the right-hand side as the list gets longer. Capture NX2 is slow, even on a powerful desktop. I can't see it becoming part of a regular workflow unless performance is improved. One of the nice things that it allows you to do is copy the edit list from one file and apply it to another, but this is also painfully slow.

If you're looking to give this program a try, download the 60-day trial from Nikon before making a purchase decision since it won't appeal to everyone.

116 of 119 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great switch from Photoshop, October 30, 2008

By 

Emily C. Kief - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nikon Capture NX 2 Full Version (Electronics)

I have always been a hardcore Photoshop user and Canon shooter so I never even bothered to check out Nikon's software. After a recent photography expo in NYC, I picked up a 60 day trial of NX2. This was probably the best thing I could have ever done for my photography! The interface is easy to use and appealing to the eyes. Every tool is right in front of you and can be combined with key strokes. Plus, every edit you do is nondestructive and you can easily go back steps or even all the way to the bottom without compromising your images (this is especially important when working with JPEGs)

NX2 is a lot easier to use than Photoshop and the price is definitely significantly less. I think I have found my new favorite software!

95 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wake Up!, July 25, 2008

By 

S. L. Miller - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nikon Capture NX 2 Full Version (Electronics)

Those who don't use NX simply won't get the same quality out of better DSLRs, such as the D300 or D700. Compared against lightroom or Photoshop, NX will always do a better job, especially with RAW conversions. Almost every complaint about it's slowness is from people with slow computers. It's quite fast on my system, quicker even than the old Elements. For batch handling, NX is clumsy, but it's still the best way to work on Nikon files bar none. If you have doubts do some research in forums like DPreview. Good luck!