The original Capture NX software introduced the world to direct on-image editing. This revolutionary new development was the basis of the Color Control Point tool which enabled photographers of all levels to easily adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, color and warmth on specific elements of a picture such as sky, skin, grass, etc. This made it possible to choose any area of a photograph for editing without the need for complicated selections or masking techniques.

Capture NX 2 introduces the all-new Selection Control Point tool, which allows users to carry out nearly any image adjustment to a specific area with just a point-and-click to make the selection. Whether applying an Unsharp Mask to just the eyes in a portrait, a Gaussian Blur to only the background of a photograph or D-Lighting to open up the shadows, the Selection Control Point makes it easy to do. What once was a complex and tedious task now takes just a fraction of the time.

The newly developed Auto Retouch Brush allows you to simply apply a few mouse strokes to clear away spots, blemishes or other unwanted distractions that appear in a picture. Photographers can quickly and effectively achieve the results they are looking for without having to learn all new methods and skills.

The Capture NX 2 interface has been updated by adding "Workspaces" to optimize the screen layout. Four preset Workspaces such as "Browser" and "Edit" can be selected as well as a number of user-defined workspaces that optimize single or multiple monitors for the ideal screen layout. The Edit List has been reorganized to allow easier access to most settings. Further, it maximizes the picture display area while simplifying the editing process by allowing multiple edits to be viewed simultaneously.

With this range of impressive tools many shooters will find Capture NX 2 to be a great stand-alone photo editing solution, while others will discover that it’s a remarkably effective addition to their existing photographic editing workflow and process.

Major Features

1. Color Control Point

Enhancements for hue, brightness and saturation are as simple as placing a Color Control Point on your image, then adjusting the length of the sliders. For example, Color Control Points are remarkably convenient for changing the color of flowers to better effect against green surrounding foliage or for changing the color of a blue sky without altering the colors of foliage in the same picture.

2. Selection Control Point

This new function enables you to apply enhancements such as Unsharp Mask or D-Lighting to a specific area with just a click of the mouse. There is no need for precision selection or masks — the Selection Control Point recognizes the areas you want to modify. The enhancement effect can easily be adjusted, allowing you to apply your chosen effect as you would with intuitive masking. The Selection Control Point can be used with virtually any image enhancement tool, including D-Lighting, Brightness, Color, Focus, Correction, and Noise Reduction. (U Point™ technology developed by Nik Software, Inc. of the U.S.A. makes Control Points intuitive to operate.)

3. Auto Retouch Brush

To simply achieve more natural-looking results, Auto Retouch Brush lets you remove dust spots on an image using a mouse click and stroke to match the surrounding color and tones. This can also be used to remove facial blemishes, imperfections on flowers, or other unwanted objects within the frame.

4. Shadow/Highlight Adjustments

Using the slider at [Quick Fix], you can adjust shadows by [Shadow Adjust] and blown out highlights by [Highlight Adjust]*. You can also make such adjustments numerically by directly typing a value from 0 to 100 into the textbox.

5. Workspaces

Four workspaces are provided: Browser, Metadata, Multi-Purpose and Edit, and your window composition can be easily switched among them. Workspaces can be saved with a palette layout, then reopened later. Various customizable shortcuts are also available.

6. Quick Fix

This is a combination of frequently used tools including [Level and Tone Curve], [Exposure Compensation], [Contrast], [Highlight Protection], [Shadow Protection] and [Saturation] in a single window. To work at high efficiency, use [Quick Fix] to process multiple tasks then utilize the image processing steps of each function to adjust details.

7. Simultaneous opening of multiple settings

You can open multiple image processing settings at the same time and make parallel process adjustments of multiple details.

8. Label/Rating support（XMP)

Supports nine kinds of labeling and five levels of ratings according to XMP, a metadata industry standard. Compatible with ViewNX, Adobe Bridge, and Windows Vista. Capable of filtering and sorting by label and rating.

9. A variety of functions to help you realize your desired results

Free download of "Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX 2" update for Capture NX 2

Nik Software, Inc. will start free download service of the "Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0" update for Capture NX 2. Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX 2 adds versatile filter options to image-editing functions of Capture NX 2. Registered customers of Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 can download the free update from Nik Software, Inc.’s website* (expected to be available in June 2008).

• www.niksoftware.com/cepnx/

[Lineup of Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 filters]

Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX offers three packages — Standard Edition featuring 19 frequently used filters, Select Edition with 45 filters to meet the requirements of professionals and advanced amateurs, and Complete Edition’s range of 75 filters to realize any filter effect that professional photographers demand. Used with Capture NX 2, Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX delivers a range of filter effects that will expand your creativity and significantly enhance your enjoyment of digital image editing.

Examples of image enhancements

・Color Control Point

Four Color Control Points were used to adjust color and brightness of various elements independently within the frame.

Two Color Control Points were used to enhance color and brightness of flower petals and the background.

・Selection Control Point

D-Lighting brightens the shadow areas, and Selection Control Point applies the effect only to the bright subjects and their surroundings seen through the opening between foliage and water.

Tone Curve adjusts the brightness and contrast, and Selection Control Point applies the effect only to the man and his surroundings.

・Auto Retouch Brush

Capture NX 2 System Requirements