Capture NX / Lightroom Questions

[Pieeater]

I recently purchased a D300 , however, the copy of Capture NX cannot be found . I am on the verge of giving up looking for it and now think that I may need to purchase a replacement.

However, I am not actually sure what it is I need; are Lightroom and NX similar programs and, in essence, do the same thing?

Should I opt for Lightroom over NX?

Apologies, as I guess this has probably been asked before.

[py6km]

There is no CD in the box - you have to download it. There should be a card in the box with the URL for download, as well as a serial.

NX is pretty good imo for nefs, but it can be slow and frustrating to use when you first start off. When you get used to the (fairly bizarre) interface, it's powerful.

NX is basically for tarting up your images, whereas Lightroom is for tarting up, and effectively storing them all in an easy to manage way.

You can test Lightroom for free for 30 days to see if you like it better.

[Pieeater]

Thanks for the reply,

Having spoken to the vendor, it should have been included in the box and it was the earlier packages that included the download. I have no sign of either the download instructions / serial or the actual disk.

If I do have to purchase a replacement (I am hoping Nikon may replace it), I am thinking I ought to opt for Lightroom over NX but haven't seen anything either.

[py6km]

Oh right, that's interesting - I wonder why they changed from download to CD. Well, I hope to manage to get hold of it in any case. You should be able to try Lightroom out via a download on the Adobe website.

[Steve N]

The bundle of D300 and D3 with Capture was only for a limited time although it was expected to continue for some time.

See Here or Here

There is an initial comparison of Capture NX vs Lightroom Here

[py6km]

They're still doing it; it just seems they've changed their distribution model.

[Pieeater]

Steve, thanks for the link. It seems that NX is more difficult to use (or rather 'less friendly') compared to LR, but the results are not dissimilar.

[Yandros]

I use NX for everything these days apart from retouching.

Since NX is tightly integrated with Nikon cameras, it means you can just shoot RAW and ignore all in-camera settings, then apply them later (including +/-2 ev exposure).

[monkeyboy69]

if its any help my nx was in the box, havent got used to it yet as it seems a bit alien from photoshop. Anyone know of some good tutor sites for it

[Steve N]

Originally Posted by monkeyboy69

if its any help my nx was in the box, havent got used to it yet as it seems a bit alien from photoshop. Anyone know of some good tutor sites for it

I went with this one and printed it off into an hard copy Manual.
I can't remember where I got it from now as my PC self destructed last year and I lost everything.
Good job I'd printed it off.

Just google the title and go for the cheapest.
Just thinking - I think I got mine from Rob Galbraith.

[alfienoakes]

I've tried to like Lightroom, but really can't get to grips with it. A lot of people do though, so it's worth trying it out and taking advantage of the trial. It's not really comparable with NX unless you're only using it to process RAW. It does a lot of other things too.

I used to use Capture1, but they have forced you to use version 4 now, which is a bit of a lightroom clone. Version 3 doesn't work with D300 RAW which is a bit of a shame as I had my workflow sorted around it.

As I did get a copy of Capture NX, I was forced to use it. I'm now a complete convert. If you use it in combination with ViewNX (which is a free download) then workflow is pretty well sorted. The output is excellent.

I would persevere with trying to get NX if you can get a free copy.

[Steve N]

Originally Posted by alfienoakes

.......As I did get a copy of Capture NX, I was forced to use it. I'm now a complete convert. .....I would persevere with trying to get NX if you can get a free copy.

Must admit, I like NX too. I just wish it had a few more tools.