CaptureNX2 question

[SUITEFREAK]

When I open the RAW file, it looks like a film negative. I can see blue and yellow and everything else is clear/white. I've read the manuals, quick start guide, and watched the online tutorials: nothing seems to address this. I'm so frustrated, because I can see the JPEG images in NX2 exactly like how the RAW files were shot, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get the RAW file looking like it should look so I can get started editing! :mad: AAARRRRGGGG! I can edit the JPEGs, but it compresses the files more than I want. I want to edit the RAW NEF files. The weird thing is I can see the RAW files in Photoshop CS3 exactly as shot as well! :confused: Can any of you help? :(

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Sorry wish I could help

[philwojo]

I can't help as I've never used that program, but do you maybe have some sort of "auto" import feature turned on that is processing the NEF files as you open or import them in to the program?

[SUITEFREAK]

Actually, someone on another website told me to uncheck everything in NX2 and reset the workspace, but it still looks the same. I opened other NEF files that I was previously able to open with CS3 and I can see these fine in NX2. The weird thing is that I can't open these particular files in CS3 either. I keep getting pop ups saying that it can't open it because it is the wrong type of file. That's why I decided to try NX2. I though the problem was because (as I was told) the D90 didn't exist when CS3 came out and to download the newest version of Adobe Camera RAW which supposedly addresses this problem, but it still keeps happening. What's worse is these files say they are NEF files approx 11-12mb each. So how can there be pretty much no information in it? And yet the Jpegs are just fine. (I always shoot RAW+JPEG fine because of the Adobe camera RAW issue.) Now I'm wondering if others have experienced this and if it's a problem with my camera. I should be able to view these files in NX2! AAAARRRRGGGG!:mad:
If anyone can help I would really appreciate it. I need to be able to edit the RAW files, not the Jpegs. I fear editing the JPEGS will compress them too much to be usable on a poster for example. I shot photos for a friends CD and I presume he will want to blow the cover up for promotional purposes. (I know I'm not a pro, but he begged as he had no budget. Now I'm stuck trying to crank out something that looks professional even though I am not a pro.)

[jcon]

If you want you can send me an NEF that has the issue. It may be that you have softproof or a masking set to default in NX2. PM me for my email and I can take a look if you like.

[Rooz]

strange. never heard of that b4. i even tried replicating that with a nef file on my end and i cant see what it would be that would cause that.

[tim11]

It's really strange. I never have the same problem. Have you ever tried uninstall and then reinstall it? Do you have another computer to try NX2?
Re. Photoshop. I suggest you run Photoshop CS3 and click program update and let it choose everything automatically. You shouldn't have any problem afterward.

[SUITEFREAK]

Thanks everyone for your responses and offers to help. I figured out what the problem was. I was using my old software from when I had my D80 (Picture Project) to import the photos. I never bothered to install the software that came w/ the D90 as PP worked (or so I thought)... I read online that PP isn't compatible with D90 so I installed the new software (Nikon Transfer), uploaded the files from my camera again and voila~ it worked! Funny, I have heard many people say they never install all the software that comes w/ their cameras, but I guess in this case it was a big mistake!:eek:
I am loving Capture NX2! :D It's so much easier than CS3/ACR. Thank goodness for online tutorials though...

[K1W1]

Funny, I have heard many people say they never install all the software that comes w/ their cameras, but I guess in this case it was a big mistake!

Never install the rubbish transfer programs that camera manufacturers supply. :)

Simply do things the reliable way and copy the files to your hard drive using Windows Explorer then once they are on your drive open them using your editing program.

[philwojo]

I never use my camera to transfer, much easier and faster to get a card reader and do what K1W1 said.

[tim11]

....Funny, I have heard many people say they never install all the software that comes w/ their cameras, but I guess in this case it was a big mistake!:eek:...

The big mistake was when you installed the unnecessary junk packaged with the D80 in the first place. ;)
The only Nikon software I installed are ViewNX and Capture NX. ViewNX is to view the files I took and select them, delete some. And I use ViewNX to bulk rename the ones I keep. As for transfer I just use Windows Explorer and card reader.
Glad to know it works out for you at the end. We all know how frustrated that can be.

[umijin]

I use Transfer NX with my Mac and although I have had a couple of problems, I don't think it would be any better with any other app.

And I don't think the app is junk, at least on the Mac.

[SUITEFREAK]

Never install the rubbish transfer programs that camera manufacturers supply. :)

Simply do things the reliable way and copy the files to your hard drive using Windows Explorer then once they are on your drive open them using your editing program.

Does Windows Explorer see the RAW NEF files? I seem to recall when I first started shooting RAW that I couldn't view them in Windows Explorer. :confused:


I never use my camera to transfer, much easier and faster to get a card reader and do what K1W1 said. Thanks, I guess I should look into getting one. What's a good brand card reader?

[SUITEFREAK]

The big mistake was when you installed the unnecessary junk packaged with the D80 in the first place. ;)
The only Nikon software I installed are ViewNX and Capture NX. ViewNX is to view the files I took and select them, delete some. And I use ViewNX to bulk rename the ones I keep. As for transfer I just use Windows Explorer and card reader.
Glad to know it works out for you at the end. We all know how frustrated that can be.

Thanks for the info. I was in a rush, so I didn't even get to look at ViewNX yet. Windows Explorer?Hmm... When I connect my camera I get a prompt to download the photos using Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Is that the same thing? I know that when I was using all the old Windows defaults, I couldn't see the NEF files because I didn't have a RAW viewer in my computer at the times so that's why I loaded in Transfer in the first place. Ten I was able to see the RAW thumbnail but I couldn't do anything with it until I loaded in CS3 or CaptureNX.
Maybe I'm confused about what exactly Windows Explorer is?:confused: Is it the same as the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer that prompts me when I connect the camera to the 'puter?
What is a good brand of Card Reader?

[K1W1]

What is a good brand of Card Reader?

There are zillions of different ones that essentially are all made in a few factories and badged with different brand names. Get one that is USB 2.0 compliant from a store who you trust who has a return policy and go from there. They are virtually give away items so the cost is not a real consideration.

Don't use Windows Fax viewer it's as bad as all the other stuff in trying to control your life.

Siimply put the card in the card reader then go to Windows Explorer and you will see the card reader showing as a drive letter with a folder called DCIM. Inside DCIM are all your photos just drag them to where ever YOU want them to be on you hard drive. I create directories by date in the format YYYYMMDD - Description but how you do it is up to you. Once the files are copied to you hard drive open your editing program, confirm all the photos are there and accessible then put the card back into the camera and format it ready for the next shooting occasion.

[tim11]

I use Transfer NX with my Mac and although I have had a couple of problems, I don't think it would be any better with any other app.

And I don't think the app is junk, at least on the Mac.
It's just figure of speech. It may be good but what I mean by junk is that it's unnecessary. Windows is quite sufficient.

[tim11]

SuiteFreak: My card reader is a cheap one but very reliable nonetheless. Just make sure it's SDHC (high capacity) so it can read cards more than 2GB.
When you connect a USB device to the computer there is a window pop up. This window gives you a few choices and amongst them there are COPY PICTURES TO A FOLDER ON MY COMPUTER using Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard and nearly all the way down OPEN FOLDER TO VIEW FILES using Windows Explorer. These are the 2 options I use. This way I can direct the images to any folder I choose. Normally I put them into some temporary folder, view them, delete some before bulk rename and put them into main archive.
Why not using ViewNX if you shoot RAW. It's free. And you can open a CaptureNX from it.

[jcon]

Does Windows Explorer see the RAW NEF files? I seem to recall when I first started shooting RAW that I couldn't view them in Windows Explorer. :confused:

Thanks, I guess I should look into getting one. What's a good brand card reader?

I can view them in Win Explorer. Once on my computers hard drive, it also displays a thumbnail of each NEF, which kind of eliminates the need for ViewNX for me.

I use a SanDisk FireWire Card Reader. Super fast and have had no issues with it. I simply put the card in the reader, and when the window pops up on screen, I just drag and drop the files to wherever I want them on my hard drive.

[Rooz]

with viewnx you can magnify it though J. easiest way to scroll thru lots of shots too look for focus .

[jcon]

Very good point. Thats one of the things I liked about ViewNX

[tim11]

Another plus with ViewNX is that you can see all exif data of each shot. I don't know of anything better to view NEF files with.

[jcon]

Another plus with ViewNX is that you can see all exif data of each shot. I don't know of anything better to view NEF files with.

Capture NX :D:p

[Rooz]

maybe you;re not used to that cos all your shots are in focus. :p

[jcon]

LOL I wish! cant even count how many times ive hit unsharp mask.

[tim11]

Capture NX :D:p

No way.
The 2 software serve different purposes. You can only use Capture to view image one at the time where as with View you can quickly view the images in the whole directory and BULK rename those you decide to keep.

[jcon]

No way.
The 2 software serve different purposes. You can only use Capture to view image one at the time where as with View you can quickly view the images in the whole directory and BULK rename those you decide to keep.

Umm, Let me refresh your memory on what you said earlier....


I don't know of anything better to view NEF files with.

You never mentioned anything about bulk renaming or viewing more than one image at a time.


And another thing you have incorrect is that you can view more than one file at a time with Capture NX... Simply have the browser panel open and you can scroll down through the images in the selected folder and you can view them as large as you like. I use two monitors so I have the browser panel open on one monitor and the editing window in the other monitor.

[tim11]

....

You never mentioned anything about bulk renaming or viewing more than one image at a time.......
I mentioned it in previous posts; #11 I think. Come on... you don't want me to repeat myself like a broken (vinyl) record.
Now that you understand the full context do you still think Capture is better? :D

[jcon]

Yep. For me Capture NX is a better program. Ill take using one program over using 2 everytime.

My apologies to the OP for my part in taking your thread in a different direction.

[umijin]

It's just figure of speech. It may be good but what I mean by junk is that it's unnecessary. Windows is quite sufficient.

Well, the MacOS has an image importer (Image Capture), but IIRC the import options are limited. You can import with Aperture or LR, I suppose - but since I'm not decided yet on either of these, I'd rather use Nikon Transfer.

[umijin]

Capture NX :D:p

Maybe I haven't futzed with Capture enough, but I don't see a way to see a strip of previews above/below an enlarged view of one particular image w/o waiting for each enlarged view to render.

Plus the small 'heads up display' summary of exif info in ViewNX is very helpful to me in previewing images. I don't see that in Capture, at least in the Mac version.

[jcon]

Here is a screenshot with the browser panel open, you will see it in the left part of the screen shot. I condensed it so you can see it. Normally I will have that panel open on my second monitor so I have nothing obstructing the view of the edit window. Oh and if you wish to ssee EXIF, simply click on the Metadata tab. I really think people need to look a little deeper into what Capture NX offers, it has alot of capabilites that ViewNX has an obviously offers alot more that ViewNX doesnt.

[Rooz]

i just got a dual screen setup aswell. bloody awesome. dont know how i ever did without it.

[jcon]

I hear ya.... it makes life alot easier! What monitors you using?