Nikon Capture software

[24-heures]

Am I alone in thinking that when you spend $5,000 on a camera body, you should at least expect that the relevant software is included? I seem to remember that a year or two back it was included with the professional series bodies, but no more it seems. I find it scandalous that having forked out a very serious sum of money I am now expected to shell out more just to work in RAW or NEF format.

[Oikku]

At the time I bought my D100 (summer 2002) Nikon Capture was included as a trial version one could use free 30 days. The same happened with D2h. For free came Nikon View and Nikon Editor with what you also can do some basic things with raw-files. I bought Nikon Capture at that time and since that I have got all updates for free - I think that is pretty much, too!

It would be lovely to get the program included with the camera but at least to me, the fact that I had to pay separately didn´t affect my decision of the camera body. I find it a bit same as with computers... hardware is one thing you buy and then to do something with the hardware, you need to buy some software aswell .

Greets, Oili

[hartcons]

capture isn't the only game in town. on the mac iphoto can handle .nefs (although you develop them the same way you develop jpegs so it's a little different than other raw converters although supposedly you do benefit from the extra bits). elements 3 lets you tap into adobe's raw converter which can do some highlight recovery.

even picture project can now read .nefs (but I don't think it will process them).

and of course there's the free raw shooter essentials.

but sometimes I think the manufacturer's sofware can give you the truest rendition.

at the lower price points I imagine the margins are pretty much negative at this point but for the more expensive bodies at least it does seem like it wouldn't kill them to throw in a copy of capture (not a trial, the real deal).

[d2creative]

They really should give it away. At least until they figure out how to make it run at normal speeds. It is s-l-o-o-o-o-o-w! >

[hartcons]

Olympus Master (included with e-300) is really slow, too. Click a slider and wait about ten seconds. Takes a while to process raw photos that way but it does do a nice job on the colors (to match master's colors I have to a hue adjustment in post in elements using adobe camera raw). Olympus also has Studio (comes with e-1) which is faster but still not as fast as say adobe camera raw.

[JCPhoto]

People complain that Capture is slow but I heard the latest upgrade is suppose to be a lot faster. I downloaded it but haven't tried it out yet....Jim C

[bevilaquafoto]

When I first started out with digital, I had a Kodak camera which I loved. The Kodak software was wonderful, relatively fast, and easy to use. It was also FREE. I, too, get quite pissed at Nikon for charging for the software to make the camera work. If you drop the 5 grand for the damn camera i think Nikon owes it to their customers not to bust their.......over the software. Having said that, Adobe is making all of the proprietary software obsolete by introducing PS CS2 which can handle most raw files, and is VASTLY better than anything Nikon can put out. You do still need Nikon capture, however, to shoot directly to the computer. I have not found a way around that yet. I would love to know of one.

[dbphotos]

I'm probably the last to know, but Capture 4.3 is out and there is a free upgrade. You actually can upgrade for free from 4.1 or 4.2. Here are the links:

The Nikon Capture 4.1 software can be updated free from our web site. I've included the download links below.

Title: Nikon Capture 4.2.1 Full Version Trial/Upgrade - Windows
URL: http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bi...ated=1113507774

Title: Nikon Capture 4.3 Updater - Windows
URL: http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bi...ated=1118668501

If you currently have 4.1 download both and run the setup, if you have 4.2 you only need to download the 2nd link.

If you're not familiar it allows you to preview shots "live" in Photoshop.

David

P.S. I only found this out after complaining to Nikon that Capture 4.3 didn't come with my D2X. At $5000 they should include their $99 software!

If the links don't work, let me know and I can upload the files, but remember you have to have at least 4.1.

[Nikonfreak]

Originally Posted by 24-heures

Am I alone in thinking that when you spend $5,000 on a camera body, you should at least expect that the relevant software is included? I seem to remember that a year or two back it was included with the professional series bodies, but no more it seems. I find it scandalous that having forked out a very serious sum of money I am now expected to shell out more just to work in RAW or NEF format.

Damn right.

Julio.

[dc2]

Originally Posted by 24-heures

Am I alone in thinking that when you spend $5,000 on a camera body, you should at least expect that the relevant software is included? I seem to remember that a year or two back it was included with the professional series bodies, but no more it seems. I find it scandalous that having forked out a very serious sum of money I am now expected to shell out more just to work in RAW or NEF format.

I am a little surprised at Nikon on this ,canon give you software not particulaly good software
but at least you can open in raw

[Paul Shields]

Olympus are almost the same. You get software to allow editing RAW files, but if you want the full version of Studio then that's another £100 or so.

[dc2]

Originally Posted by Paul

Olympus are almost the same. You get software to allow editing RAW files, but if you want the full version of Studio then that's another £100 or so.

But to be fair olympus are not charging $5000 for the camera body [are they?]

[Paul Shields]

Originally Posted by dc2

But to be fair olympus are not charging $5000 for the camera body [are they?]

Originally the E-1 was around £1500 (say $3000) for the body. Even if the body is 'only' £500, I would expect a decent RAW converter to be part of the deal. It's just another way for manufacturers to rip off the customer. The situation is even worse for Nikon owners as they can't work with NEF files without shelling out.

[dc2]

Originally Posted by Paul

Originally the E-1 was around £1500 (say $3000) for the body. Even if the body is 'only' £500, I would expect a decent RAW converter to be part of the deal. It's just another way for manufacturers to rip off the customer. The situation is even worse for Nikon owners as they can't work with NEF files without shelling out.

Agree pretty poor of Nikon

[Nikonfreak]

You guys should see the totally worthless software that comes with the D200 now. Picture project. What a piece of crap.

I have Capture, but it really peeves me to have to shell out another $100 after purchasing a camera, even the D200. ($1700). If I had no other software, picture project is a piece of junk. At least the Nikon editor with Nikon View (By the way, I really like Nikon View for viewing files and transferring files),...anyway... at least the Nikon Editor would allow you to save the file as another file name (Important for me when shooting jpg as with whatever editing I do to a jpg shot, I do it to the original and save as a new file. I don't re-save jpg files again and again.)

Picture project seems to only allow you to over-write your original.

If there's a way to "Save AS" I haven't found it...so I don't bother with that crappy software.

I transfer using Nikon View, get a feel for what I have to do, pop over to Elements or CS2 (I have both) or pop into Capture.

Regards,

Julio

[dc2]

I transfer using Nikon View, get a feel for what I have to do, pop over to Elements or CS2 (I have both) or pop into Capture.

Regards,

Julio
I guess most of us use CS2 and suppose that is how these company's justify themselves
Still think its a bit unfair though

[dbphotos]

http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin...p_sid=4PdeKq_h

This is the link to get the most recent update of Nikon Capture 4.4.0. Its a free upgrade if you have any version of Capture 4.0 and above or you can get a 30 day free trial. It's supposed to work better with the wireless transmitter on the D2X.

[Blinky]

I'll throw in on this. With the exception of my first SLR, I've used Nikon exclusively... about 28 years now. I've got a ton of money inversted in Nikon gear, mostly glass... and I'm ready to switch to Canon as soon as I can afford it.

I got Capture 2 with my first D1X and I've never upgraded it. I ditched all the Nikon software as soon as I discovered Phase One's CaptureOne DSLR. I used C1 until I got Photoshop CS2 (upgraded from PS7) and started to get the hang of Bridge and ACR 3. That's all I use now; the more I learn about digital capture and ACR, the more I like it and rely on it. Since learning ACR I get about a stop more dynamic range out of every digital shot I process.

Screw Nikon Capture and screw Nikon. I think they've ditched serious photographers for the consumer market. Nikon is a slave to it's stockholders and BOD just like any other public company... and it's pretty clear they don't have the same committment to the serious amateur/professional market they use to have. It's too bad.

And to answer the original question, of coarse we should expect to get the software made for professional bodies with the camera.

Chip

[dc2]

Screw Nikon Capture and screw Nikon. I think they've ditched serious photographers
Quote
Wow
My biggest moan is I wish they all apart form oly would take the dust thing serious.
I know a lot of people have not had big probs with this but if you do it really
P sss's you off

[Paul Shields]

I've recently been using Silkypix and have been seriously impressed with its handling of Olympus RAW files. Might be worth a go with NEF - you can get a free trial from their website. Total cost is around £80, which is not bad considering it's capabilties. Even the NR and lens correction tools are as good as I've seen in other dedicated software. The bread and butter stuff like colour/exposure handling is excellent.