ViewNX-i problems

[Ilkka Nissilä]

C-NX2 worked fairly well, and I think that program would have been very stable by today, if only it hadn't been killed.

I agree.  For me it was a significant blow to my workflow that its development was stopped. I feel that I was sent to the stone age when doing local adjustments now. I've learned how to work with masks in Photoshop but it takes much more time now and the edited files consume a huge amount of disk space. I do not like the way Lightroom implements local adjustments and don't want to use it for that.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

The last official news wrt DL was released on April 20th which tells that the launch of DL serirs will be postponed for an "indefinite term", because they found a "significant problem" in the image processing IC.

At least they haven't released the cameras with faulty chips.

I wonder how long it will take to fix them. The DL isn't all that different from a Nikon series 1 camera in terms of its sensor or the capabilities so I wonder why they couldn't just revert back to the processor in the J5 and redesign the camera around it.

[pluton]

CNX was NIK, and NX-D is Silkypix.  Has Nikon ever "written" software?
Thom Hogan observes that the recent (post-earthquake/tsunami-era) hardware problems are most likely due to cost-cutting.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Before Capture NX, I believe Nikon developed Capture and View in house.

They do develop the firmware for their cameras which is basically software. In that area they do proper testing and bugs are quite rare. The algorithms for raw conversion that are implemented in Capture (any version) as well as in the cameras I believe to be Nikon's own code. Certainly they haven't changed all that much as Capture changed to Capture NX or NX2, or NX-D. In my opinion, Nikon's image processing algorithms are superb.

Anyway the Silkypix which came with my Fuji X100s was terrible beyond terrible so if that's the Silkypix contribution to Capture NX-D then the Nikon part is much more significant and far better.  However, it is not properly tested and is terribly inefficient in the use of the computer's resources.

[Akira]

I wonder how long it will take to fix them. The DL isn't all that different from a Nikon series 1 camera in terms of its sensor or the capabilities so I wonder why they couldn't just revert back to the processor in the J5 and redesign the camera around it.

J5 is wifi only and not SnapBridge compatible.  I wonder if the image processor in question might be integrated with the SnapBridge/wifi function which is causing that "significant" problem?

[Akira]

The firmware or the in-camera image processing algorithm/software runs on its proprietary platform.  Nikon may find difficulty in coping with the more common Windows and MacOS.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

J5 is wifi only and not SnapBridge compatible.  I wonder if the image processor in question might be integrated with the SnapBridge/wifi function which is causing that "significant" problem?

I think the Bluetooth LE ought to be on a separate chip from the image processor. I don't think radio wave transmission and reception is going to be improved by having DSP happening on the same chip (the DSP would likely generate a lot of noise in the bluetooth signals).

[Akira]

I think the Bluetooth LE ought to be on a separate chip from the image processor. I don't think radio wave transmission and reception is going to be improved by having DSP happening on the same chip (the DSP would likely generate a lot of noise in the bluetooth signals).

Basically I don't disagree.  But DL is a compact camera and also compatible with wifi and NFC in addition to Bluetooth, and thus some sort of challenging integration might be needed.

[bjornthun]

CNX was NIK, and NX-D is Silkypix.  Has Nikon ever "written" software?
Thom Hogan observes that the recent (post-earthquake/tsunami-era) hardware problems are most likely due to cost-cutting.

A DSLR is built from many more parts than a mirrorless camera, so maybe they should move the entry level or DX format to mirrorless and save cost with fewer parts. Then with a new mount capable of supporting an FX sensor, but starting with DX sensors much like the Fuji X system. Nikon could take the opportunity to make decent DX mirrorless primes! (Buzz, buzz, buzz, as Thom Hogan says about DX primes.)

[Ilkka Nissilä]

It's expensive to develop a new line of lenses, and I would expect this to be especially difficult after R&D cuts. Also then they risk losing their F mount customers as Sony did with A mount. Mirrorless buyers would wait for new higher end lenses in the native mount instead of upgrading to F mount lenses and using an adapter. So Nikon's existing lens sales would die off as people would hold off purchases. I think it would be better if each camera company specialize on something and do it well, instead of diluting their resources on a lot of different product lines. Perhaps Nikon will indeed make yet another mount. If they can now develop 5 lenses per average year, and if we divide that between three mounts (1, mirrorless large sensor, and FX) then each of the three lens systems will progress very slowly.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Basically I don't disagree.  But DL is a compact camera and also compatible with wifi and NFC in addition to Bluetooth, and thus some sort of challenging integration might be needed.

I understand. Hopefully Nikon can sort the issues out and make these products available soon. I think that for a compact camera, the CX sensor size seems like a good choice.

Hopefully Nikon can take advantage of the delay in DL series hardware and improve the Snapbridge application in the meanwhile.

With regards to my original ViewNX-i problem, Nikon's response was very polite; they thanked me for reporting my findings and said they would pass the information on.

[Akira]

I understand. Hopefully Nikon can sort the issues out and make these products available soon. I think that for a compact camera, the CX sensor size seems like a good choice.

Hopefully Nikon can take advantage of the delay in DL series hardware and improve the Snapbridge application in the meanwhile.

With regards to my original ViewNX-i problem, Nikon's response was very polite; they thanked me for reporting my findings and said they would pass the information on.

I also think that 1-inch 2:3 sensor is more potent for a still-video hybrid mirrorless camera even than m4/3 in which the top and bottom are cut too much for the video.

As for the wireless, I wish Canon enable their W-E1 to be used with Nikon cameras.   

[bjornthun]

I also think that 1-inch 2:3 sensor is more potent for a still-video hybrid mirrorless camera even than m4/3 in which the top and bottom are cut too much for the video.

As for the wireless, I wish Canon enable their W-E1 to be used with Nikon cameras.   

I can remember when we would buy wifi cards as expansion cards to PCs and laptops. That's some development! 

[bjornthun]

It's expensive to develop a new line of lenses, and I would expect this to be especially difficult after R&D cuts. Also then they risk losing their F mount customers as Sony did with A mount. Mirrorless buyers would wait for new higher end lenses in the native mount instead of upgrading to F mount lenses and using an adapter. So Nikon's existing lens sales would die off as people would hold off purchases. I think it would be better if each camera company specialize on something and do it well, instead of diluting their resources on a lot of different product lines. Perhaps Nikon will indeed make yet another mount. If they can now develop 5 lenses per average year, and if we divide that between three mounts (1, mirrorless large sensor, and FX) then each of the three lens systems will progress very slowly.

The Sony A mount died by itself and not because of the E mount. Rather the E mount pretty much restarted the Sony camera brand.

Nikon should have at the most two mounts, so Nikon 1 should be killed, if it already isn't. If Nikon can't afford to develop a DX/FX mirrorless system with a short flange distance, then they are in an unexpectedly bad position, I think. Canon seems to have embarked on the right track, albeit slowly.

[SusanK]

Hello everyone,

I just joined this forum when came upon it after performing a search on ViewNX-i problems.

Last June I upgraded from the D7100 to the D500 and was forced to upgrade to ViewNX-i as the previous version couldn't read the D500 NEF files (can't remember what the previous version was).

Since I upgraded I haven't been able to use the software. When it launches it seem to default back to a specific folder on my compute and is never able to load the files. I'm so disappointed as this was my favourite software for viewing and adjusting NEFs.

Question: Does anyone know if any Nikon employees participate in this forum?