11 replies to this topic

[Gracehoper]

Hi All!

 

I decided to use NX Studio because I ran into problems working with RAW (NEF) files from my new D7500. It's because

I normally use Adobe Lightroom 5 for cataloging and most editing and LR5 cannot recognise this more recent format. My plan is to see what I can do in NX Studio and perhaps figure out a kind of "interface" from it to LR5. (But it will still be impossible to view NEFs there so I'm not so sure how good a workflow that would be!)

 

Anyway -- I am using a Windows 7 PC and when I look at NX Studio download page, system requirements include:

Microsoft Windows 11

Microsoft Windows 10

Note: Pre-installed 64-bit editions only.

 

Does that last part mean that for NX Studio I cannot just upgrade to Win 10, that I need it on a PC which I bought with Win 10 on it?

 

Other options for my initial problem:

-- Use Adobe NEF to DNG converter -- it needs Win 10 too but maybe not pre-installed

-- Buy LR5 to LR6 upgrade -- seems the simplest

 

Thanks for any advice!

[Merco_61]

I don't think you need to buy a box with OEM Win 10, but you might need a clean install rather than an upgrade. This is unless your Win 7 box is marginal for running 10. There are lots of software that doesn't work well on an upgraded system when the structure change is as large as going from 7 or 8 to 10.

 

I am not a windows-user, but I have followed the problems people seem to have...

 

If you want to go with an NX Studio - LR hybrid workflow, you need to save the intermediate step as a Tiff.

 

DNG converter used to be a clumsy way to keep old versions working, but it has always worked from about LR 3.1 or so. One of the few advantages of using DNG is that it gets easier to incorporate a colorchecker into your LR workflow.

LR 6.14 needs Windows 10 20H2 or later and you need 6.14 to read the D7500 raw files.

BTW, feel free to drop me a PM if you need to talk about the upgrade path in Swedish.

[Gracehoper]

Thanks, Merco_61,

 

I thought TIFF would be an option.

 

Looks like a Win 10 upgrade or install is in order.

 

And thanks for the offer of Swedish help but I'm Australian... my Swedish is close to nothing.

[Ron]

I have a Toshiba laptop that I upgraded from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro way back when Microsoft first offered the free upgrade. I was also initially hesitant about running NX Studio on this machine for the same reasons you've articulated. I had the same misgivings. However, NX Studio did install and run on my machine, so I guess it's possible. However, your mileage may vary. If you do decide to try to upgrade, be sure to back up your system first.

 

That said, I don't use it very much and have also pretty much weened myself off of Lightroom, which I still have available through my Adobe CC subscription. These days I much prefer using the Adobe Camera RAW Photoshop plugin. However, I do still have Lightroom installed on my Windows 7 work station and have still have many files in my Lightroom catalog.

 

If you intend to keep using Lightroom, I would definitely consider either the Adobe Photography Plan (subscription) or, if possible, a later version of the stand alone Lightroom application. A lot of bugs have been squashed since LR5. And you're going to need a program that natively reads your Nikon NEF files. I think that requirement alone means giving up the stand alone version of Lightroom, but I'm not 100% sure of that. Adobe can tell you what your options are in this regard.

 

Hope this helps some. Good luck!

 

--Ron

[Merco_61]

Ron, if I remember correctly, the D7500 is the last Nikon to be supported by the version of ACR in Lightroom 6. You have to  update to 6.14, but then it works just as well or badly as LR always did. 
 

I have made no secret of how little I think of how ACR interprets NEF files…

[Gracehoper]

Merco,

 

have you posted somewhere on the downside of ACR? I'd be interested to know.

I have never compared LR5 it to any other option although I do have View NX2 which I don't do much with except to quickly scan what NktTransfer has loaded.

[Merco_61]

I think I might have posted comparisons when I switched to NX-D some years ago. I don’t remember when, and that makes it a bit difficult to find the posts.

ACR doesn’t get the full DR or tonality the files gan give. I mostly use PhotoNinja these days.

[Gracehoper]

Photo Ninja sounds like a good tip -- I just read a glowing review from andybellphotography.com.

 

It's sweet the way PictureCode says it will "probably" run on Windows 7.

[Ron]

As a long time Lightroom user I can only add that, while it's develop module is very good, the database module leaves much to be desired. And, once you have entered a large body of pictures into that database, moving them out becomes a major hassle. The database module is the major reason why I no longer use Lightroom to process photos.

 

Peter, thanks for the update concerning the D7500 and Lightroom 6. I did not know that, but then I have never owned a D7500 so the point was moot for me.

 

I don't have any other recommendations concerning PP software, but I'm considering Photo Mechanic as a database application. I'll probably keep using Photoshop because I'm most familiar with that program but there are myriad other applications, some of which probably still have Windows 7 versions.

 

--Ron

[Merco_61]

I second the recommendation of Photo Mechanic. I think the first version I installed was 2.0 with a three-digit build #. I am now on 6.0 Build 6424... I shoot much too high volume some days to escape frustration with LR or Bridge as the metadata is much too free. I need structured keywords if I am to find photos and keep track of them.

[Ron]

I've been trying to get started with Bridge but I'm having trouble adjusting to it's methodology. It also seems to trigger the spinning beach ball of death each time I launch it... although, so far at least, the beachball has only remained on screen for a few seconds. None of the other Adobe applications I use have shown me the beachball .... yet.

 

Photo Mechanic seems to be the de facto organization application for many working photographers. So, it has that in it's favor. And it seems to handle a lot more things than it used to. I seem to remember a time when some friends who used it would grouse about it only handling jpegs. I think it pretty much works with just about anything now.

 

I'm not sure what you mean about the metadata in LR and Bridge though. Could you elaborate?

 

--Ron

[Merco_61]

I've been trying to get started with Bridge but I'm having trouble adjusting to it's methodology. It also seems to trigger the spinning beach ball of death each time I launch it... although, so far at least, the beachball has only remained on screen for a few seconds. None of the other Adobe applications I use have shown me the beachball .... yet.

 

Photo Mechanic seems to be the de facto organization application for many working photographers. So, it has that in it's favor. And it seems to handle a lot more things than it used to. I seem to remember a time when some friends who used it would grouse about it only handling jpegs. I think it pretty much works with just about anything now.

 

I'm not sure what you mean about the metadata in LR and Bridge though. Could you elaborate?

 

--Ron

It is far too easy to add keywords ad-hoc in the Adobe apps. The same goes for data about what customers have been offered the photo already and what stock agencies have it. Sooner or later, there will be alternate spellings or keywords making things difficult. In PM, the advanced search function makes this far less likely.