Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 Software Upgrade for Nikon DSLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I wasn't sure about this. I shoot portraiture photography and have seen how other similar software, Leaf Capture and Canon's Remote Capture performs. What captured my interest (pardon the pun) was of course the advantage of being able to see the images on PC immediately. To finally have the ability to verify 100% of the time that focus, exposure, lighting, and of course composition were all the way I wanted them.....which means great shots all the time, ditching the bad ones immediately, and little to no time in post processing.
The Leaf and Canon software I have seen in use ran very fast which is absolutely important here. How useful would any of this be if when shooting tethered to the PC the pictures started stacking up or heaven forbid froze the computer?
So I downloaded a trial copy from Nikon first. I am pleased to say it runs fast. Previews pop up on screen in no more than one second, even when shooting tif on my D300 which are 35MB files. What pleased me even more is that it ran equally fast on my notebook computer which does not have near the processor or graphics power of my desktop PC.
You are managing 3 windows when working with your camera tethered to the PC. There is a preview window that is resizable showing the images very quickly. It can be configured for different magnifications, single frame view or filmstrip view. A second, smaller, window shows a histogram and download status of the files as they are coming in. The third window is a camera control window that allows remote triggering and access to all on camera settings and menus. If you have a Nikon D3 or D300 you can also work in Live View on screen in both the handheld and tripod modes. Finally found a use for the Live View I suppose; which up until now I have found to be an extremely over hyped useless feature on the new Nikons.
So........what's the "but" all about in the title of my review you ask? Leaf and Canon give their remote capture software to their customers when they lay out thousands of dollars. This seems to be a notion that Nikon hasn't seen fit to subscribe to, yet.
So that is my complaint. I can really use this software or I would never have purchased it. It performs very good and is very useful, but Nikon customers should not have to purchase something like this after they laid down 2000 to 5000 dollars for a camera.
Paul Stewart
Hendersonville, TN


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Camera Control Pro 2 Upgrade is a discounted upgrade-only version and requires a valid serial number from Camera Control Pro version 1.0 - 1.3; users without this number will not be able to use this software and must purchase Camera Control Pro 2 Full (product number25366).Otherwise, this software is identical to Camera Control Pro 2 Full.This software remotely controls most functions of Nikon digital SLRs from a computer that is connected via USB cable or through wired or wireless LAN using a wireless transmitter. Advanced functions of the new Nikon D3 and D300 such as Viewer for preview and selection of images prior to transfer to a computer, Liveview function and Picture Control System are supported. It also supports workflows of Nikon's exclusive photofinishing software Capture NX (optional) and browser and viewer software ViewNX. Compatible with the new functions of the Nikon D3/D300 Images in a camera buffer can be confirmed with thumbnail or preview display on a computer prior to transferring, enabling deletion of unnecessary images. This remarkably increases efficiency.Supporting the Liveview mode (Hand-held mode and Tripod mode) of the D3 and D300, it permits adjustment of focus point and shutter release while confirming the image on a computer. In Tripod mode, focal-plane contrast AF on a desired point within a specific area is possible.It also supports Picture Control System of the cameras. Picture Cont

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Nikon Capture 4 Software for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and Coolpix 8800, 8700, and 8400 Review

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(More customer reviews)Capture 4.4 is the ultimate post-processing program for processing NEF (Nikon Electronic Format) photos, also known as "RAW" format photos. For those not familiar with RAW format, essentially a RAW format photo file enables the photographer to make post-shot changes to a photo to a much greater extent than is possible when shooting conventional JPEG file shots. So, for example, if one wishes to adjust the exposure on a RAW photo, you can do so and the effect is essentially the same, within the range of a couple of F/stops, as though you had shot the picture that way in the first place (there are exceptions to this beyond the scope of this review). The same is true for many other settings, such as Color Mode (SRGB versus Adobe, for example), White Balance, Sharpening, etc. You can modify some of these to some extent on JPEGs, but when you do there is always a loss of data--while there is no such loss when modifying RAW files. The bottom line is that if you botch a setting shooting RAW files you are much more likely to be able to salvage the photo if you shot RAW, as compared to if you shot JPEG. If you are shooting a wedding or some other critical event where failure is not an option, only a VERY competent expert would not opt to shoot RAW, in my opinion at least.
I am explaining this, because it helps to explain what you are getting with Capture 4.4. Capture 4.4 is the ultimate program for modifying the settings that RAW files are designed to allow the modification of. It is Nikon's own program for modifying Nikon Electronic Format (RAW) files, and it is unsurpassed by third parties for this purpose. This is NOT a substitute for Photoshop or its competitors. Capture 4.4 does not give you the cloning tool and the other huge host of artistic modification tools that one finds in Photoshop. (It does have a cropping tool and a few other basic tools along this line, but nothing like Photoshop). The real purpose of Capture 4.4 is to control the "levers" i.e. exposure, sharpening, etc. that the RAW mode was designed to provide when post-processing RAW (and to a limited extent JPEG) photos. Some photographers, myself included, use Capture 4.4 for this purpose, and then may use Photoshop if there are any detailed changes to the photo that need to be done. Capture 4.4 really complements, rather than competes with, programs like Photoshop.
The main gripe most users have with Capture 4.4 is that it is a clunky memory hog, and it is somewhat slow. This is a program that will use every bit of your computer's processing power. The user interface is on the clunky side too, although it is not all that bad. I personally found that I could get up to speed pretty fast with this program without using the manual much.
I give this one 5 stars for utility and 3 stars for being a memory hog with a clunky interface, rounding out to 4 stars. Future upgrades will doubtless cure the technical issues with this program. But for the Nikon photographer shooting RAW files, this program is a "must have" in my opinion. Highly recommended.

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Current Version 4.4 Features: Capture Control for hard-wired remote operation Capture Editor for image processing of NEF, JPEG, TIFF formats New dust-delete technology New image-enhancement technology New Fish-eye 2 rectilinear technology Extensive legacy compatibility

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