Nik collection is back for 2018

[CS]

https://shop.dxo.com/us/photo-software/dxo-nikcollection

If you move quickly, $50.


https://www.dxo.com/us/photography/photo-software/dxo-photolab

[Frank Fremerey]

I bought it, now I like to run it!

[Jacques Pochoy]

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 ?

[Frank Fremerey]

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

[tommiejeep]

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

[Seapy]

I have had the NIK collection for some years, as mentioned I also really like the Upoint technology. 

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. 

[tommiejeep]

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  ) .
Tom

[Frank Fremerey]

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.

[Fons Baerken]

I expect better integration with photo editing suits, at least?

[Frank Fremerey]

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:

[Frank Fremerey]

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

[John Geerts]

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.

[armando_m]

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

[Akira]

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.

[armando_m]

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