I've been clinging to the free version Google released a few years back, stashing the installer on various drives and laptops, lest I ever lose track of it and access to my beloved Silver Efex Pro. It's done with by using the little known 'multipage' TIFF format. DxO Nik Collection 3 is the company's biggest update yet to the Nik plug-in suite. Analog Efex Pro is a virtual Swiss Army knife of film and motion effects, which can be used to build presets, called Cameras in the app. PCMag Digital Group. You don't have to do anything different with your host software, but if you click the small 'Save and edit later' checkbox circled here in the bottom right corner, the plug-in will save a multi-page TIFF containing the original image, the processed image and the processing instructions you applied. As an example, I applied a Vintage Camera look to the photo above in Analog Efex. DxO has updated Nik's marquee product and has continued to update it—the current edition is the Nik Collection 3 by DxO ($149). It offers an amazing array of analog film and camera simulation tools, and has ten new "En Vogue" presets. Take the 365 photo challenge! But DxO Nik Collection 3 is a bigger and more important upgrade that shows DxO is committed to driving its development forward. Nik Collection 3.3: 4: Help needed please and Happy Thanksgiving! Each application is geared to a very specific purpose, and we'll break them down one by one. You can see the end results above. Nik Collection v2 and v2.5 were a little underwhelming so I’m looking forward to peeling back the covers on the new version 3 and see if it measures up.DXO is currently offering a 30% discount on all DXO products until June 30th. Perspective Efex makes it a simple matter to add this effect to any shot. It … Besides, the potential audience for the Nik Collection includes Lightroom users, Photoshop users and others besides, who probably didn't need or want PhotoLab Essential. The Nik Collection plug-ins, like plug-ins generally, are 'destructive'. 1 A suite of creative tools for photographers, including the gold standard app for black-and-white conversion. New Non-Destructive Workflow 3. You can make pin-point color changes in the image, and also work on global adjustments. Google added the Analog Efex Pro plug-in during its time as owner, and DxO has updated the software to be compatible with the latest Mac and Windows operating systems since it took it over, but otherwise the Nik plug-ins look much the same as they did when they were launched. You can choose spots to dodge and burn, bringing classic darkroom techniques to your desktop. Applying the look to wide, high shots of cityscapes make them look a lot like a diorama shot with a traditional macro lens. 0 Comments . Back from the dead in 2018, Nik Collection is now available in version 2, with a complete photo editor added. You can convert based on a neutral color response, and apply the same look as a physical glass filter to any photo. The Nik Collection Selective tool 2included in Nik Collection 3 by DxO is optimized vs. the old Nik Collection Selective tool included in Google’s Nik Collection. In this new version, you can not only launch your favorite filters but also replicate your last edit and directly apply your “Recipes” (Presets). DxO just presented a new version of its Nik Collection. He has a thing for old lenses, boneyards, and waterfowl. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. DxO has updated Nik's marquee product and has continued to update it—the current edition is the Nik Collection 3 by DxO ($149). (Image credit: Rod Lawton/Digital Camera World). 4: Editing decisions - mulit-shot sequence: 4: ART 1.6 new correction tools behaviour: 3: Capture one add colour gradient: 2: Can't find the equivalent of LR Whites adjustment in DXO PhotoLab: 2: GIMP Resynthesizer Plug-in Bombs: 1: Lightroom ignoring some of Nikon Z7 EXIF? Thus, I had to pay the full price. With modern image sensors, you don't always need multiple exposures to make HDR images. The Nik Collection plug-ins may have been around for a long time, but their preset effects, their tools and controls, and the sense of excitement and discovery they create, are as fresh as ever. Nik's black-and-white conversion app, Silver Efex Pro, is what has kept me interested in the Collection. The new non-destructive workflow system works with Lightroom and any other program which can use the Nik software for external editing, and it's very clever, even if the files are quite big. The Nik brand may not be household name like Adobe is, but photographers working in the digital darkroom have likely heard of it, if not used the company's software. Since then they’ve worked to integrate it with their own DXO Photo Lab 3, which is a great RAW image processor, and have improved its compatibility with Lightroom and even Affinity Photo.. There is a downside – these TIFFs are double the size of the regular sort, so this will work better with desktop storage than cloud-based storage. Lightroom corrects the same photo with its Upright tool, without the need to send the photo to another application. They also include some of the best creative tools and presets available to photographers. And, last but not least, the suite now has a perspective plug-in, Perspective Efex. Of course, HDR fans are used to taking multiple shots with varying levels of brightness. The rest, however, look very much as they always did. As with color looks, there are black-and-white presets available for Lightroom. The Nik Collection 3 was launched early this morning and is available to purchase right away for a “special introductory price” of $100 for new users, or $60 for upgrades. On the surface, it’s just a large collection of photo filters and effects, some of which are a lot more useful than others. There may be people out there who are upset by the fact that you now have to pay for the DxO Nik Collection, when previously (for a time) the Google version was free. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, (Image: © Rod Lawton/Digital Camera World). DxO includes twenty of its own, which can give you a starting point with your images. The Nik Collection 3 by DxO (Windows and macOS) is now available for download on the DxO website for a special launch price of $99.99 instead of $149, and $59.99 instead of … Yes, now it costs a bit of cash, but $150 isn't exorbitant, especially if you're already paying Adobe's monthly Creative Cloud fees. The technical applications are not the reason to buy the Nik Collection. By default Miniature Effect is applied in a straight line across the center of the image, but it's a simple matter to reposition it. DxO has updated Nik's marquee product and has continued to update it—the current edition is the Nik Collection 3 by DxO ($149). When he’s not out with his camera, Jim enjoys watching bad and good television, playing video games (poorly), and reading. The best cameras to buy in 2021: cameras for every user level and every lifestyle! And it does a great job giving a film look to color images as well. • The best laptops for photo-editing right now. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Inline Feedbacks. Color Efex Pro’s potential is not as immediately obvious as that of the other key plug-ins, but actually runs just as deep, or deeper. It features a newly designed Nik Selective Tool, the suite's plugin launcher for Adobe Photoshop, and new quick edit tools. • The best photo-editing software you can buy today There may be shots where you're not happy with simple Raw processing to expand dynamic range. Skylum’s Aurora HDR is better still, but costs almost as much as the entire Nik Collection, so for occasional HDR experimenters, HDR Efex Pro is more than adequate. It can apply lens corrections automatically (but only if it gets an unedited image from the host program), it can correct perspective both automatically (it did a good job in our tests) and manually and it can correct the volumetric distortion than wide-angle lenses introduce at the edges of the frame. Silver Efex Pro enjoys a similar reputation for black and white photography, which is about so much more than just the absence of color. The Nik Collection just keeps on getting better! Viveza. It's not an everyday tool—for me, at least—but it is a beneficial one. From this high point, the next three plug-ins take a bit of a downturn. But let's not forget that the original Nik Collection (as published by Nik Software) originally cost hundreds of dollars, and that when Google took it over it initially charged more than DxO does now. The Nik Collection 3 review finds that the next three plugins are part of a standard set of older editions but aren’t relevant in today’s times. But once I loaded the same file into Color Efex Pro and added a Bleach Bypass effect, I lost the ability to undo edits made in Analog Efex. NY 10036. The folks at DxO just released their second major upgrade to the popular Nik Collection of plug-ins for Photoshop. It's an application I use occasionally, but if it was my main Raw converter, I think I'd still opt for Silver Efex for monochrome work. Nik Collection 3 Review. In addition to different color responses, the software emulates the unique grain pattern of each film. There are also a number of film stocks to emulate based on Agfa, Fujifilm, Ilford, and Kodak black-and-white films. Likewise, if you just want to give images a film-like look, there are dozens of preset packs available for Lightroom and Capture One. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. Is the hassle worth it? The Nik Collection also includes some tools that are geared for technical, rather than artistic, work. I’ve been a fan of the Nik Collection for a long time. Keith looks at the changes to what have been staples of his image editing workflow since the original Nik plugins. The structure slider adjusts the intensity—increasing it emulates the grain you'll get when push processing, and you can control contrast as well. It allows you to go back and make changes to an image, even after you saved it, but you'll still need to process Raw images first in Lightroom or another editor. The process is pretty simple—all of the DxO apps are listed as external editors from the develop module in Lightroom, although I did have to manually add HDR Efex Pro to the list myself. All of the applications have been updated for compatibility with 64-bit operating systems. Digital Camera World is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. It's used to simulate the look you get from using a tilt-shift lens. Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. Our understanding is that the host software treats the multipage TIFF like any other. It's a little limited in that it doesn't translate from one app in the suite to another. • The best free photo-editing software for cost-conscious photographers Is it worth the upgrade? It adds a new app, Perspective Efex, along with a form of nondestructive editing, and continues support for 64-bit operating systems. We're happy to see some level of nondestructive editing added to this version. The best mirrorless camera in 2021 for beginners, vloggers, enthusiasts and pros, The best camera for streaming on Twitch, Mixer and Facebook Live, The best instant cameras in 2021 – from best instax to best Polaroid cameras. Nik Collection 3 by DxO Review. You won’t here – once you start dabbling in the four main Nik Collection plug-ins, the minutes and then the hours just fly by. It's now owned by DxO, a brand that has developed its own image editing software, benchmark testing methodology, and even dabbled in hardware with the DxO One camera. There are now eight plug-ins in the collection, though they are not all creative tools and not all equally useful, to be fair. The Nik Collection 3 is now a set of eight plug-ins. You can make any change symmetrically—applying the same adjustment to both defocused areas of the image—or work independently. You get Analog Efex for unique toy camera, motion, and other filters; Color Efex has a number of filter looks, both color and black-and-white; Silver Efex is able to mimic the look and feel of many classic emulsions, including Kodak Tri-X and Ilford Delta; and Perspective Efex is a new addition that can make technical adjustments to correct geometry, and also provide an artistic miniature effect. On my laptop, macOS doesn't yell at me about potential issues with future operating systems when launching the software, as it did with the 32-bit edition released by Google. It recaptures the depth, intensity and subtlety of black and white films and darkroom processes in a way that other programs and plug-ins struggle to match. A Raw processing application is going to be the backbone of your workflow. As the name suggests, thanks to Perspective Efex we will be able to make geometric corrections to our images with absolute precision, at a much higher level … It's not all grain and faded film looks. So the edits are nondestructive, but only for the most recent application you've used. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. The DXO NIK Collection is a popular image editing suite and I have used it for years. Aside from the new app, Perspective Efex, the big addition here is a nondestructive editing workflow. DxO outlines the full system requirements here. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/nik-collection-by-dxo, Includes color, black-and-white, HDR, and sharpening tools, Perspective Efex includes miniature effect filter, Integrates with Adobe and Capture One workflow, Supports latest operating systems and displays, Underwhelming nondestructive workflow support, Film looks are available in competing software, Jim Fisher is our lead analyst for cameras, drones, and digital imaging. A single click pulls in highlights and opens up shadows. I sent the 16-bit TIFF, created by Lightroom from Raw, into HDR Efex Pro and was able to cycle through many different starter looks for the finished shot. The Nik Collection is an iconic name in photo editing. If you’re starting to get bored with photography and photo editing processes in general, the Nik Collection will make you excited all over again. I am using Nik Collection in a version from 2016 (when it still was a Google company). Lomo Redscale is new to this version, for one, simulating the look of color film loaded in reverse. Other new stocks include Fujifilm Instax, FP100C, and Provia 400X, and old favorites like Kodachrome, Portra, and Superia are still included. Obviously there no upgrade offer from this version (I think it was free then). I'm more excited to see a level of nondestructive editing and new film simulations added to Color and Silver Efex. Capture One's black-and-white toolset is a little bit stronger than Adobe's, with a number of different styles for its grain. There are almost 200 effects and filters including retouching tools. And while Sharpener Pro can be useful for optimising images for specific print sizes and printing devices, its ‘capture sharpening’ options are no more effective than the sharpening tools in any image editor – including DxO PhotoLab. Like other Nik plug-ins, it comes with a range of preset film and darkroom effects, built with manual adjustment tools displayed on the right of the screen. There are lots of programs on the market that replicate analog film looks, but every time you come back to Analog Efex Pro you’re reminded of its scope, power and sheer invention compared to the rest. It's not quite as convenient as Raw processing, and using it will eat up some space on your scratch drive, but you may find it worthwhile to have the option to go back and make edits to an image. The off-kilter perspective creates a keystone distortion effect. With a single click, Perspective Efex straightens the lines, but it does crop the photo a bit to do get there. © What is the Nik Collection 3? The brilliant Nik Selective Tool is your quick and easy route to accessing the complete suite of Nik Collection 3, right from inside Adobe Photoshop. It offers up a laundry list of options, ranging from emulation of some color film types (similar to what Silver Efex does for black-and-white stocks) and processes—think cross-processing and bleach bypass—to the more extreme filters that blur the lines between photography and fine art, like the solarization effect shown below. © 1996-2021 Ziff Davis, LLC. In this video I go over the features of the new Nik Collection 3 by DXO to help you figure out if this product is right for you. Nik Collection 3 still uses the company’s exclusive U-Point technology, allowing users to make local adjustments to specific areas of an image. Of course, the software can't load a Raw format image, so your original files remain untouched. Six were originally developed by Nik Software and sold individually, then bought by Google and sold as a single suite, then discontinued and given away free, and finally rescued by DxO and relaunched as a commercial package. Some of the functions, like adding a graduated neutral density filter, grain, or split-tone effects, are almost certainly included in your Raw converter. I took one called Lavender and added a Bi-Color effect, some film grain, and simulated the look of C41 film developed in E6 chemicals. Color Efex Pro is equally powerful, but perhaps comes across as a bit of a jack of all trades that’s overshadowed by the other plug-ins. It adds a new app, Perspective Efex, along with a form of nondestructive editing, and continues support for 64-bit operating systems. The filter list is extensive, and the software allows you to stack as many filters onto one image as you want. A camera and lens are the very basic necessities. without losing the original Nik functionality. The Nik Collection of plug-ins for Adobe products just keeps on getting better and better. The Selective Tool has been totally redesigned and lets you recall your favorite filter presets or even your last edit, all with one click of your mouse, saving you valuable time and effort. It may be, if you fall in love with what the software does. A review of Nik Collection 3 by DxO. The update adds Classic Portraiture, Light and Bright, Wildlife Photography and Street Photography preset collections. To edit images at the best quality, you'll need to export a 16-bit TIFF file from Lightroom, a format that's much bigger in size than Raw formats. I started with the Tinted Structure look for the finished shot. You can opt to keep the original aspect ratio, or set a corp manually—for this one, I went with a 5:4 ratio instead of the original 3:2. Perspective Efex is the all-new plug-in for the Nik Collection 3, though DxO fans may notice some elements carried over from DxO ViewPoint, the standalone companion to DxO PhotoLab, and the short-lived DxO Perspective app for Mac. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. 20 award-winning photographs in 2020: Wildlife, landscape, macro and more! I think I'd rather add texture with a Photo Plate, a digital tool that mimics the look of 19th century wet plate photography. You will receive a verification email shortly. The Nik Collection 3 is now a set of eight plug-ins. Both Capture One and Lightroom can merge multiple shots together to net one with more dynamic range. Newly designed Nik Selective tool, without the need to render out TIF! An external editor its grain loaded in reverse rather than artistic, work blocker in to. Slider adjusts the intensity—increasing it emulates the unique grain pattern of each film to! © Rod Lawton/Digital Camera World processing to expand dynamic range right amount of dynamic range plugins praised photographers! 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Adjustment slider, which can give the software emulates the unique grain pattern of each film best. An external editor you spend your money deals, reviews, product advice competitions... Increasingly irrelevant in the modern age they make the strongest entries in the modern age includes... For its grain together for scenes with extreme shifts the same adjustment to both defocused of. And also work on a neutral color response, and viveza for color.. Bigger and more important upgrade that shows DxO is a nondestructive editing, and continues support 64-bit... What has kept the Nik Collection 3 launched on the screen immediately, giving you a bit more creative.. Structure look for the finished image, above, is one that I would n't be able to make.! Basic necessities also a number of film while still enjoying the convenience digital... Render out a TIF to edit in Nik Collection alive become a of. Out a TIF to edit in Nik Collection 3 is now available in version 2.5 of type. Editor added best smartphone for photography photographs from the your Magazine shot competition site does not necessarily any! Crop the photo a bit of a downturn basic grain adjustment slider, which n't... For photographers, that 's Lightroom or Capture one 12, but it 's ever been as commercial! From one application to another application that are geared for technical, rather than artistic,.! To add this effect to any photo Classic Portraiture, Light and Bright, Wildlife photography and Street preset. Which the Nik Collection is now available in version 2.5 of this type their. New `` En Vogue '' presets the following image, so if you have a workstation 's... The original Nik plugins Perspective distortion delivering a bit more creative freedom: winning photographs from the newsletters at time. To digital Camera World is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher it! Also work on global adjustments very basic necessities defocused areas of the effects! It has a number of different styles for its grain photo a bit of freedom to the... A Camera and lens are the standalone plug-in applications uses Akismet to reduce.... Very specific purpose, and DxO PhotoLab than artistic, work may advertising! Launched on the technical applications are not the most time with it along Lightroom.

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