NikonGear'23

Gear Talk => Processing & Publication => Topic started by: CS on June 06, 2018, 22:57:32

Title: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: CS on June 06, 2018, 22:57:32
https://shop.dxo.com/us/photo-software/dxo-nikcollection

If you move quickly, $50.


https://www.dxo.com/us/photography/photo-software/dxo-photolab
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Frank Fremerey on June 07, 2018, 00:59:33
I bought it, now I like to run it!
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Jacques Pochoy on June 07, 2018, 01:21:39
I bought it, now I like to run it!

I have the older "free" version. Any wording on what's supposed to be better in this upgrade ?
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Frank Fremerey on June 07, 2018, 06:05:09
I guess it is same I paid for to Nik and I did not pay for to Google. For me it was more if a political decision to pump some life into DxO. I will try the software later today
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: tommiejeep on June 07, 2018, 06:41:02
Frank, please let us know.  I really love the Nik U-Point on CNX2 (and still use with Df ).  I also paid for orig. from Nik and updated with the free Google but I must say that I have never really learned everything about its' use.  Control points and sliders about the extent.  Recently have been playing with Define.  Still have not really learned the Brush :(
Cheers,
Tom
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Seapy on June 07, 2018, 08:28:04
I have had the NIK collection for some years, as mentioned I also really like the Upoint technology.  ;D

Many of the filter effects can be already obtained in LightRoom but I do use the Detail Extractor from time to time.  Very effective.

From what I have read the 'advantage' of buying the DXO version is that they say it's been updated to 64bit... But AFAIK the version I have is running at 64bit already.  They also say it's optimised for the very latest OS's... Well I am running Mac OS High Sierra with no issues. My current computer doesn't seem to be capable of running Mac OS Mojave, so for now that seems to be the end of the road for my OS updates. but I am sure I will be able to survive for at least three years provided my (ten year old) hardware keeps going.  ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: tommiejeep on June 07, 2018, 08:46:33
Robert, I'm running on Win 7 Zeon Work Station and newest Win 10 laptop, both 64 bit, with no problems.  Only problems have been having to paste into Adobe CC PS on some of the updates :( .
I prefer the U-point implementation and tools for CNX2 to the Nik package.
I also use detail Extractor but learned that it really needs control points and slider for birds.  If I use for entire image I can get some artifacts in parts of the image (have posted enough of those  ;D ) .
Tom
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Frank Fremerey on June 07, 2018, 09:20:33
I run Win 10 Insider build 17686 as of yesterday. I am waiting for the doctors visit, then I will try Photoshop CC v13.2019 and DxO plugin to see if there are any changes at all. Still in Hospital. The 50€ is for THREE computers.
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Fons Baerken on June 07, 2018, 11:13:02
I expect better integration with photo editing suits, at least?
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Frank Fremerey on June 07, 2018, 12:19:45
sorry for the wait, I ran into an ugly PSCC18 memory bug. Registry edited, spook over.

So here is the new pallette, see for yourself, there are some minor changes:
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Frank Fremerey on June 07, 2018, 12:34:26
Second: In silver efx 2 I see no changes at all, maybe, looking at the pallette: is it the same too?

A quick test edit from a studio double portrait:

EDIT: reading the announcement they do not even claim to have changed any functionality. Only stability and freedom of bugs and code clean up have been promised. .... so far no crash .... hahaha ... and it seems to be a genuine 64bit plugin on 64bit PSCC on 64bit WIN10INSIDER
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: John Geerts on June 07, 2018, 21:03:38
sorry for the wait, I ran into an ugly PSCC18 memory bug. Registry edited, spook over.

So here is the new pallette, see for yourself, there are some minor changes:
looks familiar.
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: armando_m on June 08, 2018, 16:44:34
Years ago I bought the complete collection from Nik software

In the beginning I remember seeing new presets in silverefex and updates to the HDR program which I tried but never really use it
also remember the update from 32 to 64 bits, which improved performance

I have replaced my computer a few times and have downloaded the installation program from Nik, google and now DXO

They just work, whatever bugs they cleaned I have not seen them in all the years I've been using the plugins
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Akira on June 08, 2018, 21:07:04
General question:

If I understand correctly, the third party plugins, Nik, Topaz, Alien Skin etc (although I know that some work as standalone as well), have offered the functions that ACR hasn't been good at.

Now that ACR has been improved over the years, would it still make sense to purchase those additional plugins?

I would appreciate any comments on that.
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: armando_m on June 08, 2018, 21:48:33
I only use Nik

The comparison with ACR varies per function
Silverefex does awesome b&W conversions, while it is possible to achieve similar results in ACR, PS it takes a lot less time
- one thing I do not know how to replicate is the structure slide, my guess is that it is sharpening with unsharp mask at different radius values

Colorefex has a lot of filters I do not use,
- detail extractor seems to pull shadows and increase clarity, but better
- contrast only has a soft contrast slider, which seems to math clarity but a lot more subtle

define - does noise reduction still better than my ability to do it with ACR

I do not use the other nik options
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Akira on June 08, 2018, 22:48:33
Armando, thank you for the detailed share of your experience.

If some of the Nik plugins help you process your images (many of which I have admired), I surely would see their usefulness.

I know that the examples shown on the software's websites are a bit exaggerated to make their effect clear, but they look quite unnatural.

I feel the need of the noise reduction less and less thanks to the fact that the noise, especially the chrominance noise, from the current sensors looks less bothersome.

Personally I rarely apply sharpening to my images.  I prefer the rounder rendition even for the focused point, and the image will look sharper anyway when reduced in size for posting on the web.  The contrast and clarity sliders do the trick well enough for me.
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Anthony on June 09, 2018, 00:13:18
Silver Efex Pro causes Photoshop (latest version) to crash on my High Sierra iMac.  So I think I will have to pay DxO for the latest version of Nik.
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Seapy on June 09, 2018, 08:46:56
I think I would be more inclined to blame Photoshop rather than the NIK plugin, I have found the latest version of Ps to be a bit unstable with my Mac Pro 5.1, 3.06 four core, 24 Gb RAM, SSD's also running High Sierra (10.13.6).

Ps is occasionally freezing and becoming briefly unresponsive.  Occasionally requiring a reboot to correct the silliness, all previous versions have been perfectly stable.  I would wait until the next version of Ps before blaming the NIK filter.
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Eddie Draaisma on June 09, 2018, 11:44:27
Silver Efex Pro causes Photoshop (latest version) to crash on my High Sierra iMac.  So I think I will have to pay DxO for the latest version of Nik.

I was able to get rid of the Silver Efex Pro - Photoshop crashes by modifying a setting in Silver Efex. With this setting Silver Efex Pro make changes to the current layer instead of adding an additional layer (which is the default behaviour).

Details on how to do this are e.g. described on:

http://www.richterpolilli.com/easy-steps-fix-nik-plug-crashes-inside-photoshop-cc-2018/
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: tommiejeep on June 09, 2018, 12:24:46
Interesting.  Yesterday I finally got around to updating  CCPS to 2018. Yes, I did have to copy and paste the NIK suite into plug-ins but on the Win 7 no problems experienced at all.  My Win 10 laptop is travelling with my son in UK so have not updated.  Took me a bit of looking to find the camera profiles  ;) .
Tom
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: Anthony on June 09, 2018, 12:50:54
I downloaded the trial and it worked correctly, so I paid for the update.  I am happy with the result.
Title: Will this $50.00update solve my crash problems?
Post by: paullgj on June 09, 2018, 18:25:33
Had NIK on my MacBook Pro.  A favorite piece of software.  All was fine.  Installed latest version of High Sierra.  Crash-O-Rama! Have tried all kinds of workarounds including reinstalling everything including CS6.  All to no avail.  If I go to the new release will it solve the crash problems?  FWIW Thom Hogan on his website mentioned some download and communication issues with the new NIK software.  Don’t want to spend the $50 and be back where I started.
Title: Re: Will this $50.00update solve my crash problems?
Post by: Anthony on June 09, 2018, 18:59:02
Had NIK on my MacBook Pro.  A favorite piece of software.  All was fine.  Installed latest version of High Sierra.  Crash-O-Rama! Have tried all kinds of workarounds including reinstalling everything including CS6.  All to no avail.  If I go to the new release will it solve the crash problems?  FWIW Thom Hogan on his website mentioned some download and communication issues with the new NIK software.  Don’t want to spend the $50 and be back where I started.

There is currently a trial.
Title: Re: Will this $50.00update solve my crash problems?
Post by: paullgj on June 09, 2018, 19:07:09
There is currently a trial.

OK, thanks.  Will definitely give it a shot then report back if it works.
Title: Re: Will this $50.00update solve my crash problems?
Post by: Eddie Draaisma on June 09, 2018, 21:24:15
Had NIK on my MacBook Pro.  A favorite piece of software.  All was fine.  Installed latest version of High Sierra.  Crash-O-Rama! Have tried all kinds of workarounds including reinstalling everything including CS6.  All to no avail.  If I go to the new release will it solve the crash problems?  FWIW Thom Hogan on his website mentioned some download and communication issues with the new NIK software.  Don’t want to spend the $50 and be back where I started.

Did you try this?

http://www.richterpolilli.com/easy-steps-fix-nik-plug-crashes-inside-photoshop-cc-2018/
Title: Re: Will this $50.00update solve my crash problems?
Post by: Anthony on June 10, 2018, 00:39:03
OK, thanks.  Will definitely give it a shot then report back if it works.
A word of warning, the trial installs over the free, Google version.  So if you do not like the new version, you may lose it unless you can find the previous installer.

For me, the latest version solved the problem, so I am happy, plus I assume there will be some degree of future proofing.

For me, tinkering with SEP as suggested by Eddie is not the way I want to go, as I am not confident that there will be no side effects in the future as the OS and PS are updated.  But if you have the technical skills to deal with issues, you may take a different view.
Title: Re: Nik collection is back for 2018
Post by: armando_m on June 10, 2018, 01:50:33
I did save the previous installer
Title: Re: Will this $50.00update solve my crash problems?
Post by: paullgj on June 23, 2018, 06:17:22
Did you try this?

http://www.richterpolilli.com/easy-steps-fix-nik-plug-crashes-inside-photoshop-cc-2018/

Yes, just did the mods and it doesn't crash.  I'm having a bit f trouble finding the film types, though - i.e., can't find Koachrome, Astia, Provia etc.