When I first saw Viveza I wasn't sure why I needed it. After a decade of using layers & layer masks for image enhancement learning how to use U-Points instead seemed un-necessary. But once I started using Smart Objects more often in Photoshop I wanted a Smart Filter plug-in to allow me to do image adjustments while retaining all the power of Smart Objects. Viveza fit the bill perfectly. And to my surprise I found that I got quite quick with U-Points and they worked out very well. So now nik has upgraded Viveza...

Read More: Point & Click Photoshop made even Easier: nik Releases Viveza 2.0 Upgrade

David, I've been using Viveza for some time now. Version 2.0 is just knock-down great. The global adjustments work fine. The structure slider really makes things pop. It was money well spent.
Hard to imagine what the future versions will be like.
Charlie

Charlie--Glad to hear you're a loyal user and that Viveza is working well for you. One thing I would like to see them do is incorporate the irregular shaped smart selections that LightZone uses as an option for controlling the shape of the area affected by a control point. I got them to take a look at the idea but so far they don't see it adding any value over the way U-points work currently, but I keep hoping:-)

--David

Anybody here use Capture NX2? It uses U-point tech too!


effie

effie--I use Capture when I find an image that I can't find a good way to get the color I want in Photoshop ACR. I don't mind the U Point part of Capture, but I'm not a big fan of their non-standard user interface & I already use Photoshop, so I tend not to fire up Capture that often, but I know many folks rely on it religiously as it gives great results on Nikon raw files.

effie,

I use NX2. I wish it were faster. It is a fine piece of software for Nikon NEF conversions.
I agree with David about the interface. Having been a PhotoShop user since v3 any new software interface is a thought process instead of a reflex action for my work.

I like the U-Point stuff. Works great. I dont' like the step numbers without custom names in the editing phase. I can't remember what I did multi steps ago.

My workflow needs some fine tuning now that I am taking on more varied work to pay the bills and I am looking at a lot of different software solutions.

What is Viveza doing with U-Point that is not being done in NX2?

Have a prosperous new year everyone.

I have been using Viveza since it first became available. It seems to me that the U-Points in NX2 do give better results than the first Viveza in CS4 or Lightroom. I got Viveza 2 the first day it was offered. I think the results are much better, especially since I can now run it it on my 64-bit version of CS4 with Win7.

In my experience, the results in NX2 are still a bit better than the new Viveza 2 in CS4. If I have photos that need special attention, like one I just worked on for an X-mas card, NX2 gives better results. It was mid-afternoon, some fairly strong cross lighting, my wife and I with three horses, two goats in front of an open barn. NX2 pulled out the dark stalls in the background very well. Not quite as good with Viveza 2...

Mel Hughes
Sparta, TN

Mel--I think one thing NX2 has going for it is that it operates directly on the Raw. By the time you get to Viveza in PS or LR you've already passed the Raw stage and you're working on the processed image.--David

I agree, David. Add to that the fact that Nik created NX2 for Nikon. It makes for a powerful combination, working directly in raw in a software designed for processing with U-point being a core component.

I also find that NX2 works extremely well "enhancing" jpegs I shoot with my Canon SD770 IS and G11. I am able to open the images, run Nik Colorefex filters if necessary, and hit a few control points in a matter of moments. It is a great tool.

Am I reading the above posts correctly that the U-Point technology in NX2 is doing the same work and possibly better than the U-Point technology in Viveza 2 with Nikon nef files? The only advantage I can visualize for Viveza2 over NX2 would be its plug-in ability with Photoshop.

The more I use NX2 the more I like the results, but I still am frustrated with the slowness of NX2 in processing files.

It is amazing how software continues to be a major important factor in a commercial photography workflow.

Rick--You are correct. The whole purpose of Viveza is to bring the U-Point system of control points for basic contrast/saturation corrections to Photoshop users. You've already got that in NX2.

To reiterate the disadvantage of the Viveza approach is that it is "after" Camera Raw so you're operating on the de-mosaiced and initially processed NEF once it has turned into a bitmap.

Thank you for the clarification David. That makes it an expensive plug-in when NX2 is only ~$125 from Amazon.

Rick, NX2 is slower because you are working on a very large NEF 16 bit file and all the changes you make are being saved back to that file along with the original image. Since the NEF file has all the info off the sensor, you have about four stops to play with and that means the U-Point controls more info. It is slower, but the results are extremely better.

I use Lightroom for proofing changes and NX2 for the final print. Just for the speed when doing a lot of images.

By the way, you can use NX2 on tiff and jpg. It's faster then NEF.

Billy

Thanks Billy for your explanation. Software will catch up to the demands of a working stiff with clients that want immediate results and proofs. With NX2 I spend more time waiting for the image to render than the time I spend actually working on the image.

Just for fun yesterday I took a quick RAW shot with my 14mp Kodak 14nx and opened it with Kodak's proprietary software PhotoDesk. Working within that old early software on the RAW was noticeably faster than working with smaller files on newer NX2 software. I guess that I was spoiled by PhotoDesk and what it was able to accomplish 8 years ago on slower machines.

I do love what I can do with NX2, U-Point, and Nikon files. The results can be remarkable. I am done complaining. U-Point is very cool and it has changed the way I work on my files.

Rick--If it is the U-Point that you really like from NX2 and you find it really slow, you might try the trial of Viveza in Photoshop. Per earlier posts in the thread it doesn't kick in until after you do the ACR piece so it may not do exactly what you want, but I suspect it runs faster since Adobe owns all the pieces (one issue with NX has been that Nikon traditionally does the 'secret sauce' raw stuff while nik does the image processing stuff and I don't think that helps performance any).--David

David,

I don't know what I like anymore.
Everything in my photography business is different than it was before and it keeps changing right in front of my eyes. My mantra now is "change is good" but I'm not sure if I agree with it 100%.

My past bread and butter work demanded jpgs. I took a lot of images and only worked on a small percentage of them. Now I am shooting a more limited number in RAW and working on a very high percentage of them. It is taking some getting used to.

Rick--Certainly one key to the "new way of life" with Raw files is to keep it simple. When I do workshops I really try to stress sets of corrections that can be done in under 1-minute. Otherwise you could spend your whole life mucking with images.

Of course for folks doing what you do, even one minute may be way too much by the time you multiply that by the number of images you need to process. In that case it really does need to be nearly automatic or maybe a few seconds each.--David

Lightroom writes the raw file changes to a side file and that makes Lightroom really fast and you can produce jpgs in a batch. I use it for all my weddings. I use NX2 for portraits and difficult files. But just for regular work and when I need to produce a lot of jpgs for printing, then Lightroom does it.

The trick of course is to shoot it right and you don't have to make many changes. I just try to get as close as I can.

Nik has great tutorials on their site for NX2 and Viveza and other products. And Adobe has plenty on Lightroom. And there is Lightroom Killer Tips.

Billy