Customer Reviews

Real World Nikon Capture NX 2

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have used Nikon Capture NX and Nikon Capture NX 2 for some time and I find the software to be excellent and to save a considerable amount of time in processing pictures vs using Photoshop. However, the instructions are not the best as provided by Nikon. I received this book last week and read it cover to cover. It is well written and it provides a wealth of information concerning the use of NX 2. It also explains other issues regarding how the camera records information and in particular Nikon Raw Files and how they work. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in using Nikon Capture NX 2.

I was really struggling to learn how to use NX2 so I ordered this book. What a pleasure to find something so well written, informative, and useful.

The author has a real knack for logically laying out what you need to learn and building up your skill set. And he seems to know when you'll need a little extra help. Every time I start wondering ....well now how...?...he has a Tip, or an explanatory paragraph, or simply says "we'll do more on that later".

His writing style is simple, friendly, easy to understand, non technical. When he does have to explain something that is somewhat technical he uses terms we civilians can understand, not technical photogeek jargon.

There are a lot of useful pictures and illustrations which really helps.

Highly recommended.

If your interested in the Nikon Capture program you'll have a diffucult time learning it from the manual provided. It's a begining but won't teach you all the intricacies of the program so you can really get everthing out of the program and completely understand it. I recommend this book for it's in depth explanation and approach that is easily understood. The author's has a down to earth manner that makes you feel comfotable with him, the book, and the program. If you want your money's worth for what you've spent to acquire this program, then don't cut yourself short and buy this book. You won't feel that the money was misspent. This is now my go to program and this book made it possible.

I think the author did a great job of trying to explain the in's and out's of a program that is not very intutive to use and to learn. He really doesn't give an opinion on what are the best settings to use for different images, or even say what he does on his own images, but (like a reference book) he does a good job of explaining the differedt tools and what they do, & how to operate them. After that it is up to you to practice using the tools and see how they work with your images.

For the last year, I have been using Lightroom 2 and Adobe Camera Raw on all my NEF files, & I have always felt that my images were lacking something. After using NX2 (after reading this book) and comparing my raw conversions to the best I could do with LR2, I have found that there is a night & day difference in image quality using NX2. I just wish that NX2 would operate as easy as Lightroom, but for the sake of IQ, I will continue to use NX2 from now on.

I am finding this book helpful. It is straightforward and covers most of Capture NX2. However it would have been greatly enhanced if the author or publisher had provided a means of downloading the photos used as examples in the book. It would then be possible to work along with the instructions in the book and thus reinforce the learning process. As it is the book comes out as fairly dry and abstract. I have recently downloaded videos to accompany the eBook by Jason Odell and they have been a great help in assimilating the knowledge provided in his excellent book "The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX2". As well he does provide downloadable photos that are used in his book.

This is a good addition to the Capture software from Nikon. I like to read the book and then play around with the software. Doing this lets you fully realize the potential of the photo editing material. It is not as comprehensive as "Photo Shop 7", but for the amateur this is quite adequate and a lot less expensive. Compared to "Picture It" it offers more options.

As is typical of today's software, Nikon's Capture NX2 provides many, many functions. Some of these overlap -- there are multiple ways to achieve many results. And, as is also typical, the manual is not a good "How To" guide.

I have found "Real World Capture NX2" to be most helpful in my learning to use the software in post-processing numerous photos. And that seems to be the author's goal. But the old Confucius saying applies here, "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." Reading this or any book, will not make you a capable photo editor. Practice on photos you took will. And with Capture NX2 all edits are reversible so there is no reason not to experiment. After I reading the book, I find that I continue to use it as a reference.

The author goes beyond just explaining the functions of Capture NX2; he bridges into the photo editing process. Recommendations that I've found especially helpful include:

- Establish a work flow based on your needs -- and tune it over time as you see fit.
- Use the batch capabilities of NX2 in the above to improve efficiency.
- Use the histograms provided by Nikon (and presumably other)digital cameras in your editing.
- Explore shooting JPEG and NEF (RAW). I now normally shoot NEF -- memory is cheap. JPEG limits what can be done in NX2.

Yes, there are a few editing errors, but most are obvious from the context. Otherwise, the book is well written and, for me, the level of technical background provided is about right.

I recommend "Real World Capture NX2" to anyone wishing to develop photo editing skills using Capture NX2.

My thanks to the earlier reviewers whose comments drove me to buy this book.

Nikon Capture NX 2's weird menu structure, workflow, control points, and other features threw me for a loop. This program is not as easy to learn to use as Adobe Photoshop (which is saying something), nor as intuitive as Lightroom. So, I was extremely pleased to find that Ben Long has, at Long Last, given us a coherent explanation of how to use this program. Long provides lots of examples, good, logical organization, and step-by-step instructions that demystify an especially mysterious program. If you've given up on understanding Capture NX 2, give this book a try.

This is the manual that should come with the program that should come with the camera! Well written, easy to understand, and nice illustrations. Perhaps my first statement is too tongue-in-cheek, as some people don't read instructions anyway, and wouldn't want to pay for something they won't use. But anyone who springs for the Nikon Capture NX2 program is probably at least semi computer-literate and would appreciate this book. It has made using the software much more enjoyable, and am very glad I bought it. Highly recommended!

This is one of those guides that is great for the beginner but also will offer useful knowledge to an experienced user as well. It is well written with plenty of good examples and tips. It also has a great section on RAW files that deals not only with NEF, Nikon's specific format, but all RAW data and it's advantages over the other formats. I find it a must have for anyone who wants to understand the power of NX2 without spending months experimenting.