# Nik Software



## lucadiana (Mar 29, 2013)

Hi guys,
not sure if this is the right place but I couldn't find one dedicated to software only. Google has recently purchased Nik Software and they have slashed the prices down to $149 for the entire collection from $149-$200 for a single title (I had purchased Nik Silver EFEX Pro 2 for a lot more myself). On top of that I have a coupon code for an additional 15% off on my blog (but valid only until March 31st).

This is the new addres for Nik
Nik Collection


----------



## AaronLLockhart (Mar 29, 2013)

Does anyone actually use Nik software? I had a ton of it come with the purchase of my camera, and I've never used it a day in my life. I thought most people just toss it and forget it's there


----------



## lucadiana (Mar 30, 2013)

Seriously? I know many professional photographers who do. After buying Silver Efex Pro 2 I started playing with old photos that I never particularly liked. This one for example paid for the software and then some:


----------



## ann (Mar 30, 2013)

I use Nik products as well as OnOne and Topaz labs.


----------



## LouR (Mar 30, 2013)

Nik's Dynamic Skin Softener is a great retouching tool and I like the Vignette Blur, but most of the other things in my Color Efex I rarely use.  I spend most of my editing and manipulation time in Topaz. I downloaded their trial suite and can't seem to open it without issues. There's only so much my Dell can take, I guess.


----------



## Mully (Mar 30, 2013)

Nik is great software .... give it a try.  They have a 30 day trial


----------



## SCraig (Mar 30, 2013)

AaronLLockhart said:


> Does anyone actually use Nik software? I had a ton of it come with the purchase of my camera, and I've never used it a day in my life. I thought most people just toss it and forget it's there



It came with something I have to, but I don't remember what.   All I remember is that it wasn't a demo but a fully-registered version.  It didn't look very useful to me either so I never even installed it.


----------



## lucadiana (Mar 31, 2013)

SCraig said:


> Does anyone actually use Nik software? I had a ton of it come with the purchase of my camera, and I've never used it a day in my life. I thought most people just toss it and forget it's there



I guess judging a software by its look is what makes a great photographer then. Personally I cannot think of anything better than Silver Efex for B&W editing.


----------



## SCraig (Mar 31, 2013)

lucadiana said:


> I guess judging a software by its look is what makes a great photographer then. Personally I cannot think of anything better than Silver Efex for B&W editing.


If I ever converted anything to B&W that might have some meaning, but I don't so it doesn't.


----------



## Derrel (Mar 31, 2013)

There is at least one regular photo poster here who uses some of the Nik tools, and does good work with them. Hint--it is not 'me' either! I think they have some nifty stuff, but the pre-Google prices always seemed very high to me. But then...I'm not into heavily manipulating images on a regular basis. Too old-fashioned I suppose...


----------



## Majeed Badizadegan (Mar 31, 2013)

Derrel said:


> There is at least one regular photo poster here who uses some of the Nik tools, and does good work with them. Hint--it is not 'me' either! I think they have some nifty stuff, but the pre-Google prices always seemed very high to me. But then...I'm not into heavily manipulating images on a regular basis. Too old-fashioned I suppose...



Whoever it is sound like he is a really swell fella....




Rotanimod said:


> This might help some of you who are kicking around the idea of buying this. I see some things that aren't entirely accurate in this thread. Some people speaking without first hand experience with the products, it seems.
> 
> I'll share my workflow that involves these plug-ins to shed light on how I use them:
> 
> ...


----------



## lucadiana (Apr 1, 2013)

I'm not sure why editing has to be considered "heavily manipulating" - As if a JPEG or even a RAW file is not already "manipulated." I find it amusing when people who shot digital tell me they never retouch their images and they are proud of it as if Canon, Sony, Nikon, Adobe, etc. haven't already done the editing

I have wrote an article for my blog on the topic not long ago:
To Edit or Not to Edit&#8230;


----------



## foquito (Aug 25, 2013)

This is my first post.

I have a problem with Viveza 2 and Lightroom.

Here's the issue: the colours that Nik Viveza 2 software displays *on screen *are totally different from the ones Lightroom displays *on the same screen*. And the curious thing is that if i save the Nik Viveza 2 picture as a TIFF and send it back o Lightroom, it displays back in the exactly same way as the original again! 
I think, but I am not sure, that the problem is how Nik (Viveza 2) displays the image on screen, not the information in the file itself. 

I hope someone has had the same problem and could help me. The same problem happens with Nik Dfine 2.

Thank you


----------



## foquito (Aug 25, 2013)

This is my first post.

I have a problem with Viveza 2 and Lightroom.

Here's the issue: the colours that Nik Viveza 2 software displays *on screen are totally different from the ones Lightroom displays on the same screen. And the curious thing is that if i save the Nik Viveza 2 picture as a TIFF and send it back o Lightroom, it displays back in the exactly same way as the original again! **
I think, but I am not sure, that the problem is how Nik (Viveza 2) displays the image on screen, not the information in the file itself. 

I hope someone has had the same problem and could help me. The same problem happens with Nik Dfine 2.

Thank you
*


----------



## ratssass (Aug 25, 2013)

...you can't have a first post,twice!!It upsets the natural balance of our universe. ldman::razz::scratch:


----------



## MiFleur (Aug 25, 2013)

I use nik software on a regular basis, not all the time but often enough to say it is very useful, I love the tonal contrast filter and the skin softener filters a lot, they also have filter to make your digital photos look like old film photos that give an interesting style.
I would suggest to people interested to take advantage of the free trial.


----------



## skieur (Aug 25, 2013)

AaronLLockhart said:


> Does anyone actually use Nik software? I had a ton of it come with the purchase of my camera, and I've never used it a day in my life. I thought most people just toss it and forget it's there



I do quite frequently.  Their software provides control over selective parts of the image as in exposure, individual  colours , contrast, lighting etc.  and is faster than doing multiple edits in Photoshop to create the same result.


----------



## foquito (Aug 25, 2013)

ratssass said:


> ...you can't have a first post,twice!!It upsets the natural balance of our universe. ldman::razz::scratch:



I am very sorry about that. I am so sorry that I would like to apologize one in this post and one in the next, but the natural balance of the universe would upsets again!!


----------



## ratssass (Aug 25, 2013)

foquito said:


> ratssass said:
> 
> 
> > ...you can't have a first post,twice!!It upsets the natural balance of our universe. ldman::razz::scratch:
> ...




...nicely,played,my friend......just having fun with ya.


----------



## elementgs (Sep 11, 2013)

I use some small component of the collection for every photo I have, either the sharpener, dfine, Viveza and as mentioned, Silver Efex.  It's an amazing suite and honestly worth the money if you have photoshop/lightroom.  It really makes every average picture simply perfect.


----------



## EDL (Sep 12, 2013)

Do you have to have Lightroom or photoshop to use the NIK suite?


----------



## ann (Sep 13, 2013)

go to their website and it should indicate which programs will support the collection. I believe corel paint pro is one, along with PS and lightroom


----------



## usayit (Sep 13, 2013)

EDL said:


> Do you have to have Lightroom or photoshop to use the NIK suite?





Nik Collection


----------



## foquito (Sep 16, 2013)

I trying NIK Viveza and Dfine with Lightroom. The problem is that when I go to both of them from Viveza, the pictures are shown with a strange blue cast that makes me impossible to work with the picture. But when I return to Lightroom, the tiff generated by Nik is shown as the original photo was -without the strange blue cast-. I think the problem is something related to Color Space, but I can not fix it.
Thanks


----------



## bravozulu (Oct 30, 2013)

As a Plug-In with Aperture, I find it great. Easy to use and trouble free. It takes a bit of learning to master ColorEfex and Viveza, but worth the effort. And the results of HDR are just plain fun.


----------



## Bykhoff (Dec 15, 2013)

I have a very basic question regarding Nik software. I just purchased the software.

My question is, when I start with Sharper my only option is "Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments." And after I'm done with the adjustments, it creates a .tiff file. Do I then use that .tiff file, do I use that same file to "edit in" the next Nik tool? Am I not repeatedly degrading the raw file by processing it in one tool after another?

Thank you kindly,

Daniel (Bykhoff)


----------



## usayit (Dec 15, 2013)

Unfortunately, Nik software has much better integration with Photoshop than Lightroom.   Yes... the plugin doesn't work on the raw file but requires that Lightroom exports to it in TIFF format.   You can continue to edit the Tiff to Tiff.   I generally group the subsequent images together.   You shouldn't worry about degrading the raw file.


----------

