News on free training, Capture NX2 and time to check we are up to date
This week, as promised last week, we have details on both the new Capture NX2, and the new version of ViewNX to go with it, plus an updated page showing the latest versions of Nikon software and firmware. We also decided it was time to update all our price analysis across suppliers, showing Nikon Cameras, Nikon lenses, Sigma lenses and Tamron lenses. While in the updating mood we have also added a few more events into the photographers diary.
In addition to this we have the first details on the new free interactive online courses that are to be available shortly, a joint project we are involved in, and an article on Yorkshire attractions, with a range of location guides covering some of the items mentioned.
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Badger Watching!
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Capture NX, has been our editing program of choice, although we also use Photoshop CS3, CS, and Elements 6. The main reasons we like Capture NX so much is the speed it allows us to edit photographs. Take a typical week and we may have 20 to 50 images to edit to include in this weeks pages being added, and as we store all our images as RAW unedited pictures they all can be improved by editing, some a little, some a bit more. We could do this with Photoshop and in an hour may get one or two done, if we don't do too much to them, while with Capture NX we have them all edited. The reason it's so much quicker is because it has several semi intelligent features, a good example of this is the colour control points, you can just click on this tool, on an item perhaps a tree and then pull a slider and you can lighten the tree, or saturate it or do several other things to it, depending on the slider you choose, no tracing around outlines, no masks, no layers, just a couple of seconds and its done. For Nikon users it also has a number of advantages as it uses the Nikon RAW format, and can even save several versions of a picture in a single RAW file. Some other systems can read the RAW files as they come off the camera, for example Photoshop has a RAW converter front end that allows some changes to the RAW data before its converted into a Photoshop file, but no other editor allows you to edit fully with the RAW files, save different versions in the RAW NEF file and at any time go back to the original. Its also fairly easy to learn to use, and within Camera Images we train people in a day to edit in Capture NX, often including people who have never done any editing before. Besides being a lot easier to use its also easier to teach as you decide what you want to do and do it, rather than having to think of a recipe to create the change.
Capture NX2 is a later and enhanced version, its quicker, has a new
look, and has more semi intelligent tools doing even more for you, and will allow even simpler and quicker editing but with more facilities there is a
bit more to learn. Some of the new facilities are magical, for example when
one client was here on a Capture NX training day this week, we also showed
him the new version, we showed him the new auto retouch brush, you can just wipe
it across anything that you want to disappear and it does, for example litter,
leaves on a lawn, telephone wires etc, and he asked what would happen if we used
a bigger brush and removed a chimney and chimney stack, so we tried it,
expecting it to have a grey spread out mess, in such a situation, but it took a
while and then put another chimney and chimney breast in the place. It had
deduced the shape and item, gone off and found another chimney in the image,
rescaled it and lined it up perfectly. I then took a large stone out of a stone
wall, and it found a pattern of stones that filled the space with all the cracks
lining up perfectly. The other major addition is another new tool called a
selection control point, this works similar to the colour control point, but can
intelligently do just about anything, with any tool selectively, for example you
can point to a complex item, like a flower and sharpen it, and it sharpens just
that flower not the background or items around it. Like the new ViewNX that goes
with it, it can work with two screens, so you can have the main parts of the
program, and all its workings on one screen and the image you are editing can be
full screen on the second monitor. As we both use dual screen PC's as our main
computers here, this is really useful to us. The next computer I build I will
put 3 or 4 screens on, not yet though, this week I see a new 50 inch screen has
come out that will show full 3D without the need for special glasses, and while
its not going to be widely available or at a sensible price for while I do see
3D on its way fairly rapidly. We will cover 3D more fully another week. This
week we have an article on Capture NX2.
Available as
either full version or as an upgrade from Capture NX. There is also a 60 day
trial version available, so why not take a look.
I mentioned above the
new version
of ViewNX
and this is often overshadowed by the magic with Capture NX,
but is a very useful program, also greatly improved and we have an article on
this as well. As this is a free program, that you can download from the Nikon website,
you will want to install this now. You can also get the latest version of Nikon
Transfer (also free) at the same time.
We have an article that covers both
of these.
You may also like to check you have the latest
versions of
Nikon software and
firmware in your camera.
We have updated the sheet that gives you all the
information on this. You can also get the links from this page to download the
software above including the Capture NX2 60 day Trial. If you already have
Capture NX on your computer then you can still try this, as they will both
happily run on the same computer, and we have them both running on ours. Camera
Images has a new day course, CNX2, to learn how to edit with Capture NX2, although
its not yet shown on their website. They also have a short, a 3 hour course that
converts from version 1 to version 2, but you could also spend a day and cover
this conversion in a part of the day and do something else in the other half
making a day course. Call to fix up what you want to do.
As we announced briefly last week, Photo Skills have transferred their 1 to 1
Introduction to Digital Photography course, suitable for people with any make of camera,
to Photography Skills, and dropped the rest, instead now concentrating on a new
area, interactive training, over the internet. The advantages this provides
is that its completely free, can be done at home and all exercises will be able
to be done locally, and being interactive its a second best to one to one
training, better than a book, video or sitting with a crowd on a group course.
In addition to being a free standing course it will also be of great value
to those who have had or are going to have training with Camera Images or
Photography Skills, as this will have special indexes to allow it to be used for
refreshers, looking up items you forget or extending your knowledge into some
other areas. Initially there are to be two courses, starting in September will be
the Digital Photography course with sections coming out at about monthly
intervals and a month later in October a course starts that will cover editing
in all versions of Photoshop. There is more like optional occasional workshops,
and support, plus this is going to line up with a lot we are doing here with
Photographers Resource. Photo Skills have provided for us here the first
information to be available and about now their new website should become live,
giving information as well. As sections become available they will be
announced on both their website and in this newsletter. So no cost at all, no
registration and quality information ...... read
more.
We have updated all the pricing analysis, the
price of
Nikon cameras
across suppliers
and at the same time our
Nikon,
Sigma
and
Tamron
lens
price comparisons. Prices since the
last analysis have gone both up and down, Sigma have dropped a number of lenses
and generally put their prices up, Nikon have dropped a small number of lenses,
and its noticeable that hardly anyone has the D200 listed any more although
still officially available.
We also this week have information on
attractions and places to visit in Yorkshire. This includes a listing of some of
Yorkshires Top Attractions.
A featured guide on
Aysgarth Falls,
a
series of three cascading waterfalls along the River Ure. Also seen in the Kevin
Costner film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves where he has the river fight with
Little John before crossing the river. If you want a high waterfall in a
secluded wooded ravine, with a drop of around 100ft
Hadraw
Force
is
claimed to be the largest waterfall in Britain outside those found in cave
systems.
Eden
Camp
at
Malton is a living history museum showing what Britain was like during the
second world war. Perhaps a walk through a country park with a difference is
more what you're looking for, if so then the
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
near Wakefield might be worth a visit. Yorkshire
of course is home to a number of ruined abbey's and of course has a large number
of spectacular country piles like
Castle Howard
near York.
Nikon software
-
Capture NX2 CNX2
-
View for CNX2 and Nikon transfer
Nikon Price Comparison updates
Compatible Lenses Price Compairsons
Introduction to online interactive courses
D60 Cashback offer extended. Buy a new Nikon D60
with a single lens or two lenses between 1st and 30th June and received up to
£90 cashback. You have to have purchased from a UK supplier by the 30th June,
but have up to 31st July to get your claim form with a copy of the original
receipt off to Nikon by 31st July 2008. See
this link for details
on how to claim.
