Today's Tim Grey post brings up an important consideration regarding the popular Nik Collection--a software bundle that includes Viveza, Silver-Efex Pro, and other good photo-editing programs. I've copied Tim's post below so you can be aware of a very important warning: If you already have the free version of the Nik Collection, and if you download a trial version of the new ($) version from DxO, your free program WILL NO LONGER FUNCTION! Besides, the new version contains no significant updates or improvements over the old, so there is no reason at all to even try it.
Today's Question:
Do you know if the NiK Collection filters are still available to purchase? Tim's Quick Answer: Yes, the Nik Collection is still available, now being offered by DxO Software. You can find the updated release of the DxO Nik Collection here: https://nikcollection.dxo.com
More Detail: The Nik Collection set of (mostly excellent) plug-ins was originally available from Nik Software. Google acquired Nik Software a while back, seemingly with a primary interest in the Snapseed app for image editing on mobile devices. While Google initially offered the Nik Collection for sale, they later made the full collection available for free. More recently, DxO Software acquired the Nik Collection, and released a new update dubbed the "Nik Collection by DxO". This update to the Nik Collection is no longer free. You can get a 30-day free trial, but if you want to continue using the software you'll need to purchase it. It is important to note that if you have a previous version of the Nik Collection installed on your computer, installing the free trial of the Nik Collection from DxO will cause that previous version to no longer be usable. So, for example, if you have the free version of the Nik Collection from Google installed on your computer, even after installing the free trial of the Nik Collection from DxO, that Google version will no longer function. There have not been any major updates to the Nik Collection by DxO, so if you're looking for new features after using an earlier version, you may be disappointed. However, if you don't have a copy of the Nik Collection, getting the latest update from DxO may certainly be desirable. Within the Nik Collection from DxO, I don't consider Dfine to be particularly useful, as many other software tools provide what I consider to be significantly better results. I also don't consider Sharpener Pro to be a critical plug-in for most photography workflows. However, some of the other plug-ins, such as Silver Efex Pro and Analog Efex Pro, can provide some great creative effects for your photos.
