Pixiq

Nikon has released updates to its Capture NX2 an View NX 2 applications. Nikon Capture NX2 moves to version 2.3.0 and includes 64-bit support in both the Mac and Windows versions, with the Mac version also now officially compatible with OS X Lion (v 10.7.2).

The Mac and Windows versions also incorporate support for photos captured with the Nikon 1 cameras, the J1 and V1, when the Mount Adapter FT1 is attached, adds an 'Astro Noise Reduction'  setting for images of stars captured with long exposures long exposure, alters preview and caching options, plus corrects several bugs and implements minor changes to a range of other features.

Meanwhile Nikon View NX2 moves to version 2.2.5 for both Mac and Windows, adding support for the Nikon 1 system Mount Adapter FT1, an Auto 2 white balance setting for RAW images captured with the Coolpix P7100, introduces compatibility with Mac OS X Lion (10.7.2) and corrects a metadata editing bug in the Windows version.

Nikon Message Center has also been updated, to v2.1.0.

Nikon state that the changes to Nikon Capture NX2 version 2.3.0 are as follows:

• Lens information is now displayed in the Metadata palette for images captured with the Nikon 1 V1 or Nikon 1 J1 using the Mount Adapter FT1 and a CPU lens. 
• Support for images captured with the Nikon 1 V1 and Nikon 1 J1 using the Mount Adapter FT1 has been added.
• An Astro Noise Reduction option has been added to Noise Reduction in the Camera Settings portion of the Develop section in the Edit List palette.  This option reduces the randomly spaced bright pixels that occur in images of stars captured with long exposures.
• An Auto2 option has been added to New WB under White Balance in the Camera Settings portion of the Develop section in the Edit List palette. This option is available with RAW images taken with the COOLPIX P7100 
• When white balance is changed to Auto2 and a settings file saved, a white balance setting of Recorded Value will be applied if the settings file is used on a RAW image that does not support the Auto2 white balance setting.
• When Set Gray Point was selected from White Balance in the Camera Settings portion of the Develop section in the Edit List palette, and the image clicked to specify a portion to use as the grey point, the point selected was sometimes not accurately reflected in the resulting white balance if the image had first been rotated. This issue has been resolved.

Additional modifications to the Windows version

• This software now operates as a native 64-bit application under the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
• An Embed Preview When Saving NEF/NRW item with Thumbnail and Preview and Thumbnail only options has been added to the General panel of the Preferences accessed from the Edit menu.
• In addition, preview images can later be added to NEF/NRW files saved without embedding them using the new Update Preview option in the Browser palette context menu and File menu.
• The default setting for the Use Image Cache option in the Cache Settings panel of the Preferences, accessed from the Edit menu, has been changed to off (not checked). 
• When Capture NX 2 Ver. 2.3.0 is installed with the Use Image Cache option enabled (checked) with the previous version of Capture NX 2, Use Image Cache will be disabled (unchecked) and cached data will be deleted.
• An issue that resulted in inconsistent display of images in the Browser palette and images inside the folder selected in the Folders palette has been resolved.
• When a batch process was run for images captured with simultaneous RAW + JPEG recording by selecting Run Batch Process from the Batch menu with a new naming convention applied to the RAW and JPEG images, new files were not always created for the selected images. This issue has been resolved.
• An issue that caused the Folders, Browser, and Metadata palettes to be shifted down when Windows was set to display the taskbar at the top of the desktop has been resolved.
• When Set as Default Printer was applied to some printers with Windows, a Capture NX 2 stops working error message was displayed when Capture NX 2 was exited. This issue has been resolved.
• When tone curves were edited using Adjust menu>Light>Levels & Curves, Adjust menu>Color>LCH, or Quick Fix in the Develop section of the Edit List palette, positions of anchor points changed unexpectedly. This issue has been resolved.  

Additional modifications to the Macintosh version

• This software now operates as a native 64-bit application under Mac OS.
• An Embed Preview When Saving NEF/NRW item with Thumbnail and Preview and Thumbnail only options has been added to the General panel of the Preferences accessed from the Capture NX 2 menu.
• In addition, preview images can later be added to NEF/NRW files saved without embedding them using the new Update Preview option in the Browser palette context menu and File menu.
• The default setting for the Use Image Cache option in the Cache Settings panel of the Preferences, accessed from the Capture NX 2 menu, has been changed to off (not checked).
• When Capture NX 2 Ver. 2.3.0 is installed with the Use Image Cache option enabled (checked) with the previous version of Capture NX 2, Use Image Cache will be disabled (unchecked) and cached data will be deleted.
• When the selection brush was used to edit an image with the image window displayed at a large size (1980 × 1080, 1512 × 1008, etc.), Capture NX 2 sometimes quit unexpected. This issue has been resolved. 

There is an addendum to the the Nikon Capture NX2 user's guide available here.

NOTE 1: Nikon state the following with regard to installing Capture NX2 v2.3.0:

"This is the full install version of Capture NX 2.3.0 for Windows and Macintosh computers. If you are currently using Capture NX 2 this download will upgrade the existing software to version 2.3.0. When using the software as an updater, it may be necessary to enter the product key again to confirm ownership of a previous version of the software."

If you are updating a full version of NX2, you will only require the product key to that application: however, if your current version of NX2 was installed as an update from the original Capture NX you may well require the product key to both the NX an NX2 (updater) applications.

NOTE 2: If you use the Nik Software Color Efex 3 plug-in with Capture NX2 you must have the latest version (v3.003), as previous versions do not work. Furthermore, the Color Efex 3 plug-in will not run with Capture NX2 in 64-bit mode, you must revert to 32-bit mode.

Nikon Capture NX2 v 2.3.0 can be download from the following links:

Nikon Europe

Nikon USA

NOTE 3: The installation of Nikon Capture NX2 (v2.3.0) will also update Nikon Message Center to version 2.1.0

Nikon View NX2 v 2.2.5 can be download from the following links:

Nikon Europe

Nikon USA