Plugins and Google Nik software?

[PaulWog]

I am just trying out the Google Nik plugin software for Lightroom, and I'm having troubles finding a lot that it's useful for. It seems like a lot of the features are redundant, despite some great reviews dating at 2013.

Analog Efect Pro 2 seems to offer a few presets that are fun/neat. Color Efex Pro seems pointless. Silver Efex Pro I'm still undecided about, I'm not sure how useful it is / how much it's really doing. Viveza seems pointless. I haven't gotten to try the HDR function yet. Sharpener and Dfine both seem really pointless as well.

For someone who has Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 5, do you see any merits to Google Nik? Have I missed anything about it? Are there any other plugins that are worth looking at from other companies? I'm not looking to toss my money around, I'm just curious about plugins and what's out there.

 

[mmaria]

I have cs6 and Nik Collection.

I, like Nik, but I needed the time to figure it out and find what suits for me.
Earlier, when I was learning I didn't want plugins to do the job for me, so I spent enough of time with ps and I kind of know something in that software now The moment when I become good with ps I decided too try and use Nik.
I use 2-3 presets in silver and color efex and of course I adjust them to my liking.

Others will tell you more

 

[tirediron]

I don't use the colour applications either, but both the noise and sharpening applications are excellent. One of the key features is what NiK calls 'control point' or selective enhancement. This allows you to work in a specific area and exercise very strict control over the processing. Silver Effex doesn't do a lot for me, 'though many people swear it's the best monochrome converter ever. Personally for the give-away price for the whole suite now that Googe's taken it over, IMO, it's well worth it just for Define and Noise Reduction.

 

[Ido]

I used the trial version for the time period it's offered for, and really loved it. I bought it quite impulsively then - a purchase I regret now. I hardly ever use it.
The only one I actually find useful from time to time, is Viveza. The control points are very intuitive yet very powerful - it allows for much quicker selective adjustments than Lightroom and, to me, Photoshop. But still, I find that the time I save by using those control points is negated by the time and hassle of constantly switching applications and having several copies of each file.

I'm now using a trial version of Capture One Pro 8 (thankfully it's a long 60-day trial period with full functionality, so there shouldn't be any impulse purchase after it expires). Selective adjustments with C1 are very impressive and intuitive, for me at least.

 

[pthrift]

I tried the nik software trial twice (two different PC's I edit on) so I wound up with 30 days to try it and still haven't decided if I need to spend the cash on it. I see the value in the software I'm just not sure I see the value for me personally (will I use it enough to make it worthwhile)

 

[Lucryster]

It hasn't been updated in forever. Think Google has stopped caring about it and just bought nik out to put some of its functions into g+.

 

[The_Traveler]

Although you can do anything that the plugin can do in PS, there is one very specific advantage that keeps me using it.
A single Efex Pro or Color Efex Pro layer can take the place of many layers in PS, thus I can try different end results without 40 or 50 indibvidual
PS layers and 4 or 5 layer comps.
It is the same concept as using PS actions.

 

[snerd]

It hasn't been updated in forever. Think Google has stopped caring about it and just bought nik out to put some of its functions into g+.

Not true. They just don't notify you of upgrades. There have been 3 I think over the last year.


Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Tapatalk Pro

 

[The_Traveler]

Updates to the Nik Collection are made on an ongoing basis. These updates may include bug fixes, performance enhancements, new features and additional hardware or software support. All updates will be installed to the computer automatically

.

 

[snerd]

Updates to the Nik Collection are made on an ongoing basis. These updates may include bug fixes, performance enhancements, new features and additional hardware or software support. All updates will be installed to the computer automatically

.

Hmmm......... mine never are. I have to go fetch 'em!

 

[The_Traveler]

Updates to the Nik Collection are made on an ongoing basis. These updates may include bug fixes, performance enhancements, new features and additional hardware or software support. All updates will be installed to the computer automatically for people we like.

 

[grep4master]

I use Silver Efex Pro on a regular basis. I like it for a very particular set of effects that I've been yet unable to mimic in Lightroom 5. That being said, I don't know if you can justify $150 if you don't have a need (or a desire) like I do.

 

[Actinia]

I use Nik often. I particularly like the control points. I find that the sharpener is quick and easy to use. I have also found that Nik's HDR will often work with hand-held shots when Photoshop's does not.

 

[MrMorbid81]

I use Google's Nik Collection w/Photoshop CS6. Let me just say from my own perspective, I like what the app can do. There are other editing apps that do strictly monochrome. Like Tonality Pro that I like using as well.

 

[TCampbell]

If you're using it to apply global image adjustments (which you can do) then you probably won't see much difference between using Nik vs. Lightroom vs. Photoshop, etc.

But if you learn to use it's control "bugs" to drop an adjustment to a localized area then it's very nice. I started using it because of the reputation of Silver Efex Pro... but then started experimenting with other Nik components.

Here's an example:


Torch Lake by Tim Campbell1, on Flickr

The above image is edited with Nik. The smoke from the train lacked the contrast I wanted. I needed to increase the contrast by darkening the darker areas of smoke and brightening the lighter areas. But this was a problem for a global adjustment because the subject is a "black" train. I don't want to make the train itself any darker or it'll just go black.

I needed to increase contrast only in the area where the smoke is located. I dropped a control "bug" in the middle of the smoke and then adjusted the contrast on the bug... Nik does what I want, but feathers out the adjustment naturally so that once you get too far from the control bug, it has no effect at all... hence the engine itself isn't changed by the adjustment.

Using Aperture or Lightroom, I could have "painted in" the contrast adjustment and then carefully feathered the edges to get the result I wanted. But it was just as easy to do with Nik. You can also drop many control "bugs" on an image and then link them to a "group" so any adjustment made in one will change all.