Nikon 25386, 25385 User manual
SOFTWARE
User's Manual
En
Notices
© 2008 Nik Software, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored
in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form, by any means, without Nik Software, Inc.’s prior written
permission.
Nikon reserves the right to change the specifications of the hardware and software described in these manuals at any
time and without any prior notice.
Neither Nik Software, Inc. nor Nikon will be held liable for any damages resulting from the use of this product.
Protected by U.S. patents. Patents pending in the U.S. and/or other countries.
© 2006-2008 NIKON CORPORATION
© 2006-2008 Nik Software, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Trademark Information
U Point is a registered trademark of Nik Software, Inc. Nik and the Nik logo are trademarks of Nik Software, Inc.
Macintosh and Mac OS are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. Intel, Pentium, Xeon, and Core are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation. Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. All other trade names mentioned
in this manual or in the other documentation provided with your Nikon products are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.
Chapter 2
Chapters at a Glance
Chapter 1 Notices & Trademark Information
Chapter
Chapter 3 Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 4 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 5 System Requirements & Installation . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 6 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chapter 7 Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 8 Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 9 The Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Chapter 10 The Folders Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Chapter 11 The Metadata Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Chapter 12 Activity Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Chapter 13 The Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Chapter 14 Bird’s Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Chapter 15 Edit List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Chapter 16 Photo Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Chapter 17 The Color Picker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Chapter 18 File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Chapter 19 Edit Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Chapter 20 Adjust Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Chapter 21 Filter Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Chapter 22 Batch Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Chapter 23 View Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Chapter 24 Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Chapter 25 Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Chapter 26 Appendix: Short-cuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Chapter 27 Appendix: Supplied Color Profiles . . . . . . . . 247
Chapter 28 Appendix: Additional Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Chapter 29 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
2 Chapters at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 2 — Chapters at a Glance 1
2 Chapter 2 — Chapters at a Glance
Chapter 3
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Notices & Trademark Information
Notices
Trademark Information
Chapter 2 Chapters at a Glance
Chapter 3 Table of Contents
Chapter 4 Introduction
RAW File Format Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Camera Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
U Point® Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 5 System Requirements & Installation
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Color Management Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Running Capture NX 2 in Trial Mode or Activating
Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Upgrading From Capture NX Version 1 . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 6 Getting Started
Launching Capture NX 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Convert Capture NX Version 1 Labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Welcome Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Open Recent Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Open Recent Folder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Don’t Show Again. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Drag an image here to open it (Macintosh Only)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Browsing and Opening Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using the Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using Open Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using ViewNX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Using Nikon Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
File Format Differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
NEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
TIFF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Workflow Suggestions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Printing a Single Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Printing contact sheets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Batch Processing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Applying a series of enhancements to a folder of
images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Adding XMP/IPTC data to a series of images using
an XMP/IPTC preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Converting NEF RAW files into JPEG or TIFF files . . .33
To convert a folder of files from NEF RAW to JPEG
or TIFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
To convert selected files from the Browser. . . . . .35
Chapter 7 Preferences
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Open With Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Place Open With TIFF File In. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
D1X RAW Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Default Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Default Save As . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Keep all Steps Active in Edit List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Folder for Temporary Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Color Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Default RGB Color Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Use This Instead of Embedded Profile . . . . . . . . . .40
CMYK Separation profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Printer Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Use This Profile when printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Intent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Use Black Point Compensation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Levels & Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Levels & Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Dropper Sample Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Grid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Selection Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Chapter 3 — Table of Contents 3
Cache Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Browsing Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Editing Cache. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
XMP/IPTC Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Available Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Field Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Duplicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Label Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Available Labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Manage Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Add. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Workspaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Default Workspaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
My Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Reset Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Add. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Chapter 8 Interface
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Bird’s Eye. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Edit List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Photo Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Image Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Workspaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Multi-Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Creating Custom Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Working with Multiple Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Additional screen Sub-Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Swap Workspaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Image Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Image Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Zoom Ratio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
File Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Color Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Soft Proof. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Window & Palette Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Minimizing & Maximizing Palettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Docking & Undocking Palettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Grip Edge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Resize Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Finding Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Chapter 9 The Browser
Browser Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Opening a Folder of Images in the Browser . . . . . . . 68
Using the Folders Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Using Open Folder in Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Using Nikon Transfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Navigating Within the Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Filtering Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Filter by Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Filter by Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
File Type to Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Sorting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Sort By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Then Sort By. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Labeling and Rating Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Add Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Add Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Browser Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Browser View Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Thumbnail Grid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Thumbnail List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Opening Images from the Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Chapter 10 The Folders Palette
Favorite Folders Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Adding Favorites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Deleting Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Folder Structure Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter 11 The Metadata Palette
File & Camera Information Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
XMP/IPTC Information Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Adding Image Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Copying and Pasting IPTC Information . . . . . . . . . 83
Creating XMP/IPTC Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Loading XMP/IPTC Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
4 Chapter 3 — Table of Contents
Managing XMP/IPTC Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Chapter 12 Activity Toolbar
Workspace Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Launch Nikon Transfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Chapter 13 The Toolbar
Tool Options Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Direct Select Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Hand Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Zoom Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Rotate Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Straighten Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Crop Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Crop Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Show Crop Assistance Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Black Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Black Control Point Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Neutral Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Neutral Control Point Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Show Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Color Picker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
White Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
White Control Point Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Color Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Color Control Point Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Show Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Protect Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Color Picker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Red-Eye Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Auto Retouch Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Selection Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Lasso and Marquee Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Lasso Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Polygon Lasso Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Rectangle Marquee Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Oval Marquee Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Edge Softness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Selection Brush Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Brush Hardness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Opacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Pressure Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Selection Gradient Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Linear Gradient Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Radial Gradient Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Gradient Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Fill / Remove Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Chapter 14 Bird’s Eye
Chapter 15 Edit List
Introduction to the Edit List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Show/Hide Triangles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Apply Checkbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Reset Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Delete Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Original . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Last Saved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
(Current). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
New Version…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Edit Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Batch Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Develop Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Camera Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Quick Fix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Camera & Lens Corrections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Adjust Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Selection Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Adjust & Filter pull-down menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Link Icon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Enhancement Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Opacity Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Working with the Edit List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Deleting Steps and Enhancements. . . . . . . . . . . 148
Copying and Pasting Steps and Enhancements
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Linking Enhancements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Swapping Enhancements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
New Step Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Chapter 16 Photo Info
Histogram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Double Threshold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Clear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Watch Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Add Watch Point Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Color Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Chapter 3 — Table of Contents 5
Sample Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Chapter 17 The Color Picker
Color Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Color Triangle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
RGB Selection Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
HSB Selection Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
LAB Selection Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Last Selected & Previous Picks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Color Eyedropper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Swatches Show/Hide Triangle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Swatches Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Chapter 18 File Menu
Open Image… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Open With… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Open Folder in Browser… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Open Recent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Launch Nikon Transfer… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Launch Camera Control Pro… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Save As…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
NEF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
TIFF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Revert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Protect File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Page Setup… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Print… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Page Display and Page Forward and Back Buttons
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Copies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Page Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Page Layout Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Color Management Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Print to File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Chapter 19 Edit Menu
Undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Redo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Duplicate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Delete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Rename . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Select All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Deselect All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Flip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Rotate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
90 Degrees CW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
90 Degrees CCW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Straighten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Size / Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Resample Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Don’t Resample Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Fit Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Chapter 20 Adjust Menu
Light > Levels & Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Channel Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Curve Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Black and White Output Sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
Black, Mid Point, and White Sliders . . . . . . . . . . . .184
Show Before / After Histogram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Auto Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Set White Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Set Neutral Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Set Black Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Add Anchor Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Reset Current Channel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Reset All Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Temporary Cancel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Light > Contrast / Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Light > Auto Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Auto Levels Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Correct Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Correct Color Cast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Light > D-Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Faster (HS) Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Better Quality (HQ) Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Color > LCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Master Lightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Color Lightness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193
Chroma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194
Hue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
Color > Color Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
6 Chapter 3 — Table of Contents
Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Blue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Color > Color Booster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Protect Skin Tones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Color > Saturation / Warmth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Saturation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Warmth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Focus > Gaussian Blur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Opacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Focus > High Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Focus > Unsharp Mask. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Intensity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Correct > Distortion Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Fill Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Correct > Color Aberration Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Red — Cyan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Blue — Yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Noise Reduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Intensity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Sharpness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Edge Noise Reduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Color Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Apply Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Convert to Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Chapter 21 Filter Menu
Photo Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Enhance Photo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Black and White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Sepia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Tinted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Add Grain / Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Grain Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Grain Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Grain Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Contrast: Color Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Hue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Contrast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Colorize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Opacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Blending Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Black and White Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Filter Hue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Color Filter Strength. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Third-Party Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Chapter 22 Batch Menu
Run Batch Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Batch Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Watched Folder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
File Naming Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Processing Queue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Copy Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Paste Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Save Adjustments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Load Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Copy IPTC Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Paste IPTC Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Save XMP/IPTC Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Load XMP/IPTC Preset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Chapter 23 View Menu
Selection Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Hide Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Show Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Show Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Show All Control Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Show Active Selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Show Watch Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Show Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Show Focus Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Show Lost Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Show Lost Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
View at 100% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Fit to Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Zoom In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Zoom Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Full Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Hide Palettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Compare Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Compare in Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Chapter 3 — Table of Contents 7
Compare in Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
Compare with Original. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
Chapter 24 Window Menu
Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Reset Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
Bird’s Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
Edit List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
Photo Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
Cascade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
Chapter 25 Help Menu
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Show Welcome Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Update Capture NX 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
About Capture NX 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Chapter 26 Appendix: Short-cuts
The Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
The Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
Photo Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
File Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
Edit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
Adjust Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
Filter Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
Batch Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245
Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245
Apple Specific Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245
Chapter 28 Appendix: Additional Notices
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Nikon Message Center Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Camera Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
White Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Color Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Exposure Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Image Dust Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Vignette Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Opening Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Saving Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Size / Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Color Management Preferences (Windows). . . . . . 257
Color Management Preferences (Macintosh). . . . . 257
Levels & Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
D-Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Unsharp Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Color Aberration Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Batch Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Chapter 29 Index
Chapter 27 Appendix: Supplied Color Profiles
Standard RGB Profiles Supplied in Capture NX 2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Profiles with a Gamma Value of 1.8 . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Profiles with a Gamma Value of 2.2 . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Technical Data for RGB Profiles Supplied with
Capture NX 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Capture NX 2 and Adobe Photoshop Color
Profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
8 Chapter 3 — Table of Contents
Chapter 4
Introduction
Capture NX 2 contains a wide range of improvements designed to make it an even more complete and
powerful photo editing application specifically designed for photography. The interface and tools in
Capture NX 2 provide you with a new intuitive approach to the art and science of image editing that saves
you valuable time and effort. Capture NX 2 is the latest version in a long line of quality tools from Nikon
designed to speed up workflow for photographers. With Capture NX 2 you will work with industry leading
tools that deliver quality and performance you expect from a photo editing application.
RAW File Format Benefits
Unique among image editing software, Capture NX 2
provides you with the ability to achieve the highest quality
results for processing NEF (Nikon Electronic Format) RAW
files as well as powerful tools that can enhance any image.
Shooting RAW has a number of distinct advantages over
shooting and saving processed files such as JPEG and TIFF
files. The RAW format records important archival
information about the conditions under which the image
was captured. This information can be used by
Capture NX 2 to make unique adjustments to enhance the
image after capture. The following are some of the camera
settings and RAW adjustments that can be controlled
within the Develop section of the Edit List palette:
• Color mode or Picture control (depending on the camera model)
• White balance
• Tone compensation
•Saturation
•Sharpening
• Exposure compensation
•Hue adjustment
• Color moiré reduction
•Image Dust Off
• Auto color aberration
• Active D-Lighting (depending on the camera model)
Chapter 4 — Introduction | RAW File Format Benefits 9
Camera Relationship
Capture NX 2 was designed to support JPEG and TIFF files and to provide unique features that fully support
Nikon digital cameras, allowing you to change many of the settings selected in your camera. After opening
a NEF RAW file within Capture NX 2, you can view the shooting, camera, and exposure information of the file
within the Metadata palette.
U Point® Technology
A key feature in Capture NX 2 is U Point technology. The controls powered by U Point technology enable
you to modify sections of a photograph directly or control where an enhancement is being applied
selectively, all without having to go through the time-consuming process of creating a selection normally
required in other software applications.
U Point technology has been widely recognized as one of the most revolutionary technologies in the
market today and now that technology powers even more tools in Capture NX 2. U Point technology
provides precise and direct control to a variety of tools within Capture NX 2, providing powerful yet simple
photographic manipulation. U Point technology powers Capture NX 2’s series of control points: the color
control point, the black, neutral, and white control points, the red-eye control point, and the new selection
control point. These control points provide you with the ability to create color and tonal enhancements, fix
issues, or selectively apply photographic enhancements within any image, all being applied directly to the
image and with immediate feedback.
The U Point-powered control points found within Capture NX 2 enable you to work with your images
without the need to perform a complicated series of operations in a particular order.
Control points work by identifying an object based on a number of criteria. When you place your first
control point, U Point technology identifies the unique elements of the object on which you place a control
point, including its position, color, saturation, and texture. By identifying these elements, and in conjunction
with the Size slider, the control point can determine the boundaries of the object in order to affect only that
object and objects with like elements. With every control point that you apply to the image comes greater
control over specific objects in the image. The additional control points ensure that the adjustments you
make are being applied to the current object only, and placing a control point on an object with default
settings prevents other control points from affecting that object. Through a unique mixing function, the
effects of the control points are applied throughout the image so as to create a natural-looking, professional
result.
U Point technology powered tools are designed to make enhancements fast, professional, and of the
highest quality. The results will be nothing short of amazing.
10 Chapter 4 — Introduction | Camera Relationship
Chapter 5
System Requirements & Installation
System Requirements
Windows
Preinstalled versions of Windows Vista 32-bit Home Basic/Home Premium/
OS
Processor Pentium 4 or better
RAM 768 MB minimum (1 GB recommended)
Hard-disk space 200 MB required for installation
Screen resolution
Macintosh
OS
Processor PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Xeon, or better
RAM 768 MB minimum (1 GB recommended)
Hard-disk space 200 MB required for installation
Screen resolution
Business/Enterprise/Ultimate editions (Service Pack 1) or Windows XP Home
Edition/Professional (Service Pack 2)
1024 × 768 pixels (1280 × 1024 or higher recommended) with 16-bit color (32-bit
color recommended)
Mac OS X (version 10.4.11 or 10.5.2)
A Please note: Capture NX 2 is not compatible with the Case Sensitive or Case Sensitive,
Journaled disk formats.
1024 × 768 pixels (1280 × 1024 or higher recommended) with 16-bit color (32-bit
color recommended)
Chapter 5 — System Requirements & Installation | System Requirements 11
Installation
Windows
To install Capture NX 2 into the Windows operating system, follow these steps:
Place the Capture NX 2 setup CD into your computer’s CD or DVD drive. Open the CD through the
1
My Computer icon on your desktop, and double-click on the setup icon that appears within the
window that is displayed to begin the setup wizard.
If you downloaded Capture NX 2, locate and double-click on the setup file that was saved to your
computer to begin the setup wizard. (Product keys can only be purchased over the Internet in some
countries and regions.)
Capture NX 2 will check to see if the Microsoft .NET Framework is installed and available on your
2
computer. If not, the Capture NX 2 setup wizard will attempt to download and install the
appropriate version of the .NET Framework, which is required for Capture NX 2.
Follow the steps in the installer to select the appropriate location to install Capture NX 2 to.
3
Once the software has been installed, follow the steps for color management found in the “Color
4
Management Options” section later in this chapter.
At the last screen, select which file types to associate with Capture NX 2. Those file types associated
5
with Capture NX 2 that are then opened from within the Windows Explorer will be opened directly
into Capture NX 2.
Macintosh
To install Capture NX 2 into the Macintosh operating system, follow these steps:
Place the Capture NX 2 setup CD into your computer’s CD or DVD drive. Double-click on the CD icon
1
that appears on your desktop and double-click on the setup icon that appears within the window
that is displayed to begin the setup wizard.
If you downloaded Capture NX 2, locate and double-click on the setup file that was saved to your
computer to begin the setup wizard. (Product keys can only be purchased over the Internet in some
countries and regions.)
Follow the steps in the installer to select the appropriate location to install Capture NX 2 to.
2
Once the software has been installed, follow the steps for color management found in the “Color
3
Management Options” section later in this chapter.
Complete the installation process.
4
12 Chapter 5 — System Requirements & Installation | Installation
Color Management Options
Once the setup wizard has installed the files onto your computer, you will be provided with options to set
up your color management preferences. The color management settings provided within the setup wizard
enables you to set the default functionality for Capture NX 2 and can be later changed within the
“Preferences” dialog.
To determine how Capture NX 2 manages the color of opened images, follow these steps:
Select how the working color space is determined when a file is opened in Capture NX 2. You are
1
provided with two options to set the working color space:
Use the color space of the file to be opened as the working color space
When selected, Capture NX 2 will always use the profile embedded in the image that is opened as
the working color space.
If Capture NX 2 cannot determine the profile of the embedded image, the profile identified as the
default RGB color space will be used as the working space for that image.
Always use the default RGB color space as the working color space
When selected, Capture NX 2 will automatically convert the image from the color profile embedded
in the image to the color profile selected in the Default RGB Color Space pull-down menu.
Select the color space to be used as the default working color space.
2
Click on the Default RGB Color Space pull-down menu and select the desired color space to be
used either if Capture NX 2 cannot determine the embedded profile or if the Always use the
default RGB color space as the working color space option is selected.
Complete the installation process of Capture NX 2.
Running Capture NX 2 in Trial Mode or Activating Product
Upon first launching Capture NX 2 after completing the setup process, you are presented with the
Capture NX 2 splash screen. The Capture NX 2 splash screen presents you with the options of either running
Capture NX 2 for 60 days with full functionality in trial mode or entering your product key.
To run Capture NX 2 in trial mode, click on the Continue Trial button from the Capture NX 2 splash screen.
The Continue Trial button will be accessible for the entire 60 days of the trial mode. At the end of the 60
day trial, you will only be able to access the Purchase Product Key, Enter Product Key, and Exit buttons.
To activate Capture NX 2, click on Enter Product Key and enter your name, company (optional), and
product key. You may enter a product key and active Capture NX 2 at any point.
If you purchased Capture NX 2 from a camera store or retailer, the product key may be found on the CDROM case. If you purchased Capture NX 2 as an electronic download, the product key will be found in the
email you received as a receipt of the purchase. Do not lose this key. It is required when installing or
upgrading this software and cannot be replaced if lost. (Product keys can only be purchased over the
Internet in some countries and regions.)
Chapter 5 — System Requirements & Installation | Installation 13
Upgrading From Capture NX Version 1
When upgrading from Capture NX version 1, follow the installation instructions as listed previously in this
chapter. Both Capture NX version 1 and Capture NX 2 can be installed on the same computer at the same
time.
When activating an upgrade version, your Capture NX version 1 product key will be requested. First, enter
your name, company (optional), and Capture NX 2 product key. You will then be prompted to enter your
Capture NX version 1 product key.
After entering both the Capture NX 2 and Capture NX version 1 product keys, your copy of Capture NX 2 will
be activated and the application will open.
14 Chapter 5 — System Requirements & Installation | Installation
Chapter 6
Getting Started
Launching Capture NX 2
In the Windows operating system, Capture NX 2 can be
opened by navigating to the start menu, selecting the
programs menu, rolling over the Capture NX 2 menu item,
and selecting Capture NX 2.
In the Macintosh operating system, double-click on the
Macintosh HD icon on your desktop and navigate to the
“Applications” folder. Double-click on the Capture NX 2
folder, and then double-click on the Capture NX 2
application icon.
Convert Capture NX Version 1 Labels
If you labeled images on your computer using Capture NX
version 1, Capture NX 2 provides you with the opportunity
to convert those labels to the system used by Capture NX 2
and ViewNX. When Capture NX 2 is launched, it will check
for any existing Capture NX version 1 labels stored on your
system. If Capture NX version 1 labels are found, the
Convert Labels dialog is displayed.
Click on Ye s to begin converting the labels used by
Capture NX version 1 into labels compatible with
Capture NX 2 and ViewNX. Selecting this option will not remove the labels from your system and images
labeled by Capture NX version 1 will continue to be accessible within Capture NX version 1.
A Please note: If you have many images labeled by Capture NX version 1, this process may take some time.
Click on No to prevent Capture NX 2 from converting your labels. If you do not wish to see the Convert
Labels dialog the next time Capture NX 2 is launched, check the Don’t Show Again checkbox.
Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Launching Capture NX 2 15
Welcome Screen
Upon launching, Capture NX 2 will display the “Welcome” screen, which lists the last files and folders that
you accessed.
Windows Macintosh
q w
q w
r
e
q Open Recent
Image
w Open Recent
Folder
e Don’t Show
Again
r Drag an image
here to open it
(Macintosh Only)
e
The Open Recent Image section contains a list of the most recent images that were opened within Capture NX 2. The last image edited can be found at the top of the list, with the remaining images you have edited listed in chronological order. Click on the image name to open the image within Capture NX 2.
The Open Recent Folder section contains a list of the most recent folders accessed within the Browser palette, with the most recent folder displayed at the top. Click on one of the displayed folders to open that folder within the Browser palette.
The Don’t show again checkbox enables you to prevent the “Welcome” screen
from being displayed after launching Capture NX 2. Check this box to prevent the
“Welcome” screen from appearing when Capture NX 2 is launched. To access the
“Welcome” screen again, navigate to the Help menu and select Show Welcome
Screen. You can then uncheck the Don’t show again checkbox in order to
display the “Welcome” screen whenever Capture NX 2 is launched.
The Drag an image here to open it section is available only in the Macintosh
version and enables you to open an image by dragging it from the Macintosh
Finder onto this section. In the Windows operating system, you can drag an image
from the Windows Explorer into the Capture NX 2 window to open the image
within Capture NX 2.
16 Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Welcome Screen
Browsing and Opening Images
Capture NX 2 provides you with a number of ways of locating and opening images in order to enhance
them.
Using the Browser
To open an image using the browser, follow these steps:
Open the Folders palette, the Browser palette will
1
automatically open. Click on the folder within the
Folders palette that you wish to display within the
browser.
Locate and double-click on the image that you wish to open.
2
Using Open Image
To open an image using Open Image…, follow these steps:
Navigate to the File menu and select Open
1
Image….
Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Browsing and Opening Images 17
Within the dialog that is displayed, locate an image
2
to open, and click on the Open button.
Using ViewNX
To open an image from ViewNX, follow these steps:
Select one or more images to open into Capture NX 2.
1
Click on the Open with Capture NX button within the ViewNX interface.
2
Using Nikon Transfer
To open a folder of images transferred to your computer using Nikon Transfer, follow these steps:
Within Nikon Transfer, navigate to the “Preferences” tab.
1
Click on the pull-down menu for the Open destination folder with other application after
2
transfer option.
Select Browse….
3
Select Capture NX 2 from the displayed “Select program” window and click OK.
4
After the next transfer is completed, the folder identified in the primary destination folder will be displayed
within the Capture NX 2 browser. You can then open one or more images by double-clicking on them
within the browser.
18 Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Browsing and Opening Images
File Format Differences
Capture NX 2 supports three different file formats: NEF, TIFF, and JPEG.
NEF
The NEF, or Nikon Electronic Format, was designed as the archive file format for your images. The NEF file
format saves the complete contents of the Edit List palette along with the original image. All changes
made to the image are stored separately within the file, enabling a non-destructive image editing workflow.
NEF allows for relatively small file sizes with no loss in image quality. Within Capture NX 2, NEF images
remain nearly the same size as the original image file, regardless of the number of enhancements that are
applied within the image.
A Please note: The file size of NEF files may increase slightly after being saved in Capture NX 2 due to the inclusion
of a full resolution, high quality JPEG preview. This JPEG preview ensures that other applications can accurately
display the current state of the image. This file size increase will occur only after the first save within Capture NX 2,
while subsequent saves may cause small file size variations due to the inherent nature of the JPEG compression
used on the embedded JPEG preview or due to the size of the JPEG preview having been changed with the Crop
or Size / Resolution tools.
There are two different types of NEF files: NEF RAW files and converted NEF files. NEF RAW files are created by a
camera using the RAW file type option. Converted NEF files are files that started off as either TIFF or JPEG files, but
were saved as NEF using Capture NX 2 or a previous Nikon Capture application.
Both NEF RAW files and converted NEF files benefit from the ability to store enhancements separate from the
original image details.
A Please note: Only NEF RAW files support changes to settings made within the camera and other RAW specific
enhancements.
NEF RAW File Support
NEF RAW files are generated by all Nikon Digital SLR cameras as well as some COOLPIX cameras.
Capture NX 2 provides support for NEF RAW files from the entire line of Nikon digital cameras that produce
NEF RAW files.
TIFF
TIFF is commonly used as a standard for high-quality image reproduction. Saving your image in TIFF will
result in a file that contains the final state of your image as shown within Capture NX 2, with full image
quality. Once an image is saved in TIFF and closed, you will not be able to change the edits previously
applied to the image within the Edit List palette.
Chapter 6 — Getting Started | File Format Differences 19
JPEG
The JPEG file format is one of the most widely used file formats. This file format enables you to save a greater
number of images using the same amount of hard disk space as the other file formats. To create such a small
file size, a form of compression is used that irreversibly affects the quality of the image. Because of this
compression, it is recommended that you only use the JPEG file format when a small file size is required.
Workflow Suggestions
While there is no single workflow optimized for every image, there are some basic guidelines to consider.
When using Capture NX 2 to edit images, the following order is recommended:
Start with characteristics that affect the entire image, such as removing digital noise, fixing color
1
casts, and reducing tonal issues (such as brightness of contrast issues).
20 Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Workfl ow Sugges tions
Next, modify elements that affect only localized areas, such as blemishes and small distracting
2
elements.
Then, apply effects that add a style or mood to the image.
3
Finally, prepare the image for output by resizing and sharpening.
4
Following these simple guidelines can help improve the quality of your images and provide a more
structured approach to enhancing your images.
Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Workflow Suggestions 21
Printing
Capture NX 2 provides you with a full range of printing options. The print function is both easy and
powerful, enabling you to create high quality, fully color managed prints. You can select Print… from the
File menu at any time to print the current image, or you can select multiple images from within the
Browser palette to create a print package. Print packages are essentially a collection of images printed at
the same time, often with more than one image appearing on the same page. Print packages make the
most of your printer and paper, enabling you to create proof sheets so that you can review and select
images based on the output, rather than the computer screen.
Printing a Single Image
Capture NX 2 provides you with a variety of different printing options for a single image.
Printing an Image to Fill the Current Page
To print an image so that it fills the entire page, follow these steps:
Navigate to the File menu and select Print….
1
Ensure the Use Output Resolution checkbox is
2
unchecked.
22 Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Printing
Click on the Select Layout option and choose 1
3
Photo on Page.
If the image’s orientation is different from the paper
4
you will print to (such as when you print a landscape
oriented picture), check the Rotate to Fit option.
If desired, check the Crop Photos to Fit option to
5
ensure the entire printable surface is utilized. If the
image’s aspect ratio is different from that of the
paper, some image detail may be cropped away.
Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Printing 23
Review the settings within the “Color Management”
6
tab and then click Print.
Printing an Image Using the Settings Found Within the Size / Resolution Dialog
To print an image using the size and resolution settings made with the Size / Resolution tool, follow
these steps:
Ensure that the appropriate size and resolution are
1
set for the image by navigating to the Edit menu
and selecting Size / Resolution…. If necessary,
modify the settings and click OK.
Navigate to the File menu and select Print….
2
24 Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Printing
Check the Use Output Resolution option. If the
3
image is larger than the page, click on the Page
Setup button and select the appropriate paper size
that the image will fit upon.
If the image’s orientation is different from the paper
4
you will print to (such as when you print a landscape
oriented picture), check the Rotate to Fit option.
Review the settings within the “Color Management”
5
tab and then click Print.
Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Printing 25
Printing contact sheets
To print a series of images as a contact sheet, follow these steps:
Open the Browser palette and select the images you
1
would like to print. To select multiple files, hold
either the Shift key and click on the first and last
images of a range, or hold the Ctrl (Windows) or
command (Macintosh) keys while single-clicking on
each additional file you want to add. To select all of
the images in the current folder, navigate to the Edit
menu and click on the Select All option, or use the
shortcut Ctrl + A (Windows) or command + A
(Macintosh).
Navigate to the File menu and select Print….
2
Ensure the Use Output Resolution option is not
3
selected.
26 Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Printing
Click on the Select Layout option, and then in the
4
provided pull-down menu, choose the number of
images you would like to display on a single page.
Alternatively, you can use the Select Picture Size
option and select the size of each picture.
Capture NX 2 will automatically tile the available
images to fit onto one or more pages.
Click on the page backward or page forward buttons
5
to review the available pages.
To add information about each picture, such as the
6
file name, shooting data, or date shot, click on the
Metadata… button.
Review the settings within the “Color Management”
7
tab and then click Print.
For more information on the various options available in the “Print layout” window, please see “Print…” in
Chapter 18, “File Menu”.
Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Printing 27
Batch Processing
Batch processing is the automatic application of one or more enhancements to a series of images. Typically,
a photographer will use a batch process to apply a predefined series of adjustments to several images at
once. Capture NX 2 contains even more methods of batch processing than before. You can select a folder of
images and select a series of enhancements to apply to those images, you can add an XMP/IPTC preset to a
series of images, you can set up a live edit batch process, or you can set up a watched folder.
Applying a series of enhancements to a folder of images
Enhance an image that is representative of the images that you would like to apply a batch process
1
to.
Navigate to the Batch menu and select Save
2
Adjustments…. This will call up the “Save
Adjustments” dialog and let you create a settings
file.
Check each of the checkboxes for the enhancements
3
that you would like to apply in the batch process and
provide a name for the settings file. Click OK.
28 Chapter 6 — Getting Started | Batch Processing
Loading...