Steve Williams Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Now that I am in a position to shoot RAW. Any recommendations on whether to use Nikon's own software, or go for Photoshop CS6? Is one easier / more intuitive/ more versatile / better quality than the other? Any observations /advice appreciated as I am completely new to RAW files. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruffalo Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Nikon's software isn't as powerful as CS6 but that means you have more to learn to master Photoshop Steve. IMHO Nikon's own software is easier, it is no more intuitive than Photoshop (I only have CS4, not 6) and perhaps less versatile - but how much manipulation do you want to apply? I would not suggest either is better in quality. Using the P, S, A & M options on the camera allows me plenty of options and reduces the need to photoshop. I don't however try blending multiple images or doing anything as smart as RobMcg of this parish manages. I have a D5000 with three lenses but have a Mac computer so I can use the free i-Photo program which is more than adequate for most things. I shoot in RAW only and export in JPEG, that way I can get the most on my memory cards and share images in lower resolution without losing the detail and background info. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagaguy Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Unfortunatly i dont think you can buy CS6 anymore.Adobe will only supply it on a subscription pay monthly basis.CS2 is still being offered as a free download from the Adobe site,at least it was last week.It comes with a raw interface but you wiill probably need the Adobe DNG converter,it`s a free download & will convert your RAW into a readable format in photoshop.I use a nikon D300 & shoot Raw with that,i dont shoot JPEG with that camera anymore,i use a D70s for that.The only other bit of advice that i will offer is to buy yourself a large capacity external hard drive & save your RAWs` to that,they take up a lot of room on your PC or laptop hard drive. Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiderHead Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Lightroom might be more appropriate than Photoshop, assuming you're using Windoze and dont need all of Photoshop's features. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 From the Nikon RAW viewpoint your options are mainly: Use the converter within the Photoshop suite or elements but please remember that these products do not pick up all the camera settings Use the free Nikon View NX for basic editing and convert the file to a format such as TIFF which can be used be Photoshop Use Nikon Capture NX which is a full package and exposes all the camera settings. TBH this is my choice as it meets my needs including gaussian blur etc. Dave View NX: https://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/57257 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Williams Posted August 18, 2013 Author Share Posted August 18, 2013 Thanks for the quick response fellas. Dave, I have ViewNX2. I don't know if that brings the editing capabilities more in line with Capture NX or whether it is still the poor relation in terms of capabilities? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeOxon Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 View NX2 is still pretty basic. The 'paid for' Capture NX is the full package but does have a somewhat quirky interface. My favourite RAW converter used to be Pixmantec but it was bought out by Adobe many years ago and, I assume, the technology is now incorporated in Lightroom. Yet another option is Capture One from http://www.phaseone.com/ It is a very capable converter and well regarded in the professional field. You can download a free trial to see how you get on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Unfortunatly i dont think you can buy CS6 anymore.... You can still buy CS6: http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/catalog/cs6._sl_id-contentfilter_sl_catalog_sl_software_sl_creativesuite6.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiderHead Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Another advantage of Lightroom or Aperture over the more proprietary RAW converters (as well as usually being better designed and easier/quicker to use) is the big range of useful plugins available; lens correction, film stock simulation, perspective and straightening etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Jonboy Posted August 18, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 18, 2013 For day to day photo editing at work we are finding Corel Paintshop Pro makes a nice alternative to Photoshop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeOxon Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 The free solution is to use the GIMP together with UFRAW. All the functionality is there but the interface is not as polished as the commercial programs. Download from http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold lakeview770 Posted August 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 19, 2014 I use Lightroom as the RAW conversion engine is far better than Adobe RAW. Also the latest version of LR is very powerful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Williams Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 I use Lightroom as the RAW conversion engine is far better than Adobe RAW. Also the latest version of LR is very powerful. Hi, In what sense is the conversion engine better, can you elaborate a bit please? Thanks. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold lakeview770 Posted August 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 19, 2014 Steve, I personally haven’t a clue about the hows and why I read this in Outdoor Photographer and also at a Scott Kelby seminar and neither elaborated. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted August 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 19, 2014 Steve, I use Photoshop Elements - it really depends on what you want to do. Download a trial and see if it does what you want ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.