As much as I like using Nikon’s Capture NX 2 image editing software for processing my NEF files, I also really like using Nik Software’s plug-ins.  Currently, only Color Efex Pro 3 works natively within the Capture NX 2 environment.  However, I was recently having a discussion with one of my contacts at Nik Software, and he mentioned an interesting fact: the Lightroom implementations of Nik’s plug-ins can essentially be made to work as “stand-alone” applications, and launched directly from Capture NX 2.  This is because Lightroom doesn’t really support “plug-ins,” instead it supports external editing applications.  The upside of this design is that if you have the Lightroom version of a Nik plug-in installed, you can send it TIFFs or JPEGs directly without using Lightroom or Photoshop!

Here’s how to make Nik Plug-ins work with Capture NX 2 as external editors: Continue reading Using Nik Plug-ins with Capture NX 2 →