"Wehs" wrote in message
I’m wondering what Nikon Capture 4 can do that Photoshop CS Raw converter can’t? Is it worth the $100?
I can’t speak intelligently about ACR’s features, as I haven’t used it much, but I can say that the original version sold apart from PS7 was a kludge. It dumped shadow detail terribly and had a decidedly muddy look, which Adobe admitted when I sent early samples of NC2 vs. ACR. I couldn’t believe Adobe would release something so utterly incompetent.
Now we’re at NC4 and ACR 2.3 and this Adobe version is much improved, but I still like the look of NC3 or NC4 when used with my D1H and D1X. Can’t speak for D2H, D70, etc. Colors are truer with NC to my eye.
I’m a commerical photographer and I don’t mind the $100 if the product is better. In any case, I would download the free trial version (30 days, I think) and do some comparisons. Look closely at shadow detail, especially in textured areas like clothes, and skin tones. Play around with the settings and controls and make your decision.
I also like NC’s batch mode, where a complete folder can be converted unattended using either the camera’s settings or those set from within NC. I don’t think you can do this in ACR.