The DxO Nik Assortment now consists of seven totally different plug-ins, 5 of that are designed to supply inventive inspiration and results, whereas two are extra ‘corrective’ picture enhancement instruments. We name them plug-ins, they usually can certainly be used from inside Lightroom Basic, Adobe Photoshop, Seize One, DxO PhotoLab, and Affinity Picture, however they may also be used on their very own as standalone purposes.
The inventive plug-ins embody Nik Coloration Efex, Silver Efex, Analog Efex, Viveza, and HDR Efex, and whereas there’s a diploma of crossover for black and white pictures and coloration changes, every one is aimed toward a selected model or style of pictures.
With Nik Assortment 7, Coloration Efex turns into the principal picture modifying instrument, with its capability to use over 50 totally different filter results, mix them as presets, and masks every one with DxO’s quick and efficient management level changes.
Coloration Efex Professional will get essentially the most updates in Nik Assortment 7 and maybe turns into essentially the most versatile and highly effective instrument within the suite. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
Coloration Efex 7 will get the lion’s share of updates on this model, with new preset administration choices, ‘dynamic’ filters which now embody (improved) HSL controls, grain results, and DxO’s personal contrast-enhancing ClearView impact. It additionally has three new filters taken from the Viveza plug-in to increase its potential for picture enhancement and results.
The opposite plug-ins profit from new management level choices too, together with the flexibility to reshape round management factors as ellipses and a brand new polygonal management level instrument. It’s now potential to modify photographs to a special Nik plug-in whilst you work and to export a model of a picture straight from the plug-in with out having to return to the host program first.
Nik Silver Efex is maybe the best-known and best-loved black and white software program in the marketplace, and model 7 will get extra superior masking choices together with the remainder of the plug-ins. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
Nik Silver Efex 7 focuses on black and white pictures, with highly effective instruments and controls that reproduce the depth and richness of analog black and white pictures, whereas Analog Efex 7 replicates the flawed, light, and distressed look of previous analog images and provides in digital camera results like double exposures, lens blur and bokeh.
HDR Efex 7 is little modified from earlier variations however is a really efficient instrument for merging bracketed photographs into excessive dynamic vary composites with a variety of preset results and handbook changes. Viveza is an easier instrument aimed toward coloration management and enhancement utilizing each world changes and DxO management factors for native changes.
Nik Dfine is a robust noise discount instrument for JPEG photographs, however uncooked shooters will get higher outcomes from the newest AI uncooked denoising instruments. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
Nik Dfine 7 and Nik Sharpener 7 are totally different and maybe just a little dated of their enchantment. Dfine is a noise discount plug-in that’s efficient sufficient in a modest approach however outclassed by in the present day’s AI-drive uncooked denoising instruments. Sharpener 7 is excellent at ‘output’ sharpening for particular units, however you possibly can nearly actually do that in your host software program too.
Nik Sharpener gives each a Presharpener (which you’d in all probability do in your host software program, not a plugin) and Sharpener Output for particular shows, print sizes, print media and printer resolutions. All of it appears a bit technical and dated for in the present day’s customers. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
The plug-in lacking from this launch is Perspective Efex. This is sensible as a result of there was at all times a fairly complicated crossover (duplication, even) with DxO’s standalone ViewPoint software program. Apart from, most host applications like Lightroom Basic and Seize One have completely efficient perspective correction instruments of their very own, which you’ll be able to apply earlier than or after sending photographs to the Nik plug-ins.
DxO Nik Assortment 7: Value
DxO Nik Assortment 7 is accessible to obtain now. The total model prices $159 / £145 (about AU$243), however current customers can improve for $89 / £79 (about AU$136). Alternatively, in case you simply need to see what it will possibly do, there’s a 30-day free trial.
You do get lots on your cash. A brand new license will value just a little greater than an annual Adobe Images Plan subscription, however it’s cheaper than a Seize One license and in the identical ballpark as different software program instruments. It’s additionally a perpetual license, so in case you don’t want any of the brand new options in subsequent editions, you need to use this one indefinitely. It doesn’t work immediately with uncooked information, so it received’t be made out of date by new cameras and lenses.
DxO Nik Assortment 7: Interface and usefulness
The Nik plug-ins observe an analogous interface structure, with preset results on the left and handbook changes in the precise sidebar. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
Usually, the Nik plug-ins observe a typical trendy structure, with presets within the left sidebar and handbook controls, together with native changes, on the precise. There are variations within the particulars, although. Nik Coloration Efex 7 gives each particular person filters and presets (mixtures of filters) in its left sidebar, and the flexibility to vary the stacking order of filters in the precise sidebar – altering the order the filters are utilized will change the looks of the picture.
Silver Efex 7 is barely totally different in that the left sidebar has presets, however there are not any filters as such, simply changes you possibly can apply in the precise sidebar, and you may’t change the order – although that basically doesn’t matter very a lot.
Analog Efex makes use of barely totally different terminology and gives ‘Cameras’ fairly than presets and a ‘Digicam Package’ to check with particular person filters and results. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
Analog Efex 7 has presets too, however not filters as such. As an alternative, it has totally different instruments and results below a ‘Digicam Package’ heading which you’ll be able to choose manually, they usually then seem in the precise sidebar the place you can also make detailed changes.
HDR Efex 7 is totally different once more. In Lightroom, this needs to be launched by way of the ‘Export’ menu fairly than the ‘Edit in’ menu, and the interface structure is just like Silver Efex, with presets on the left sidebar and handbook instruments on the precise.
So whereas all of the Nik plug-ins share the identical household resemblance, they do function barely in a different way. It’s not an issue and also you in a short time get used to it and suppose no extra about it, however it’s price declaring that they aren’t similar.
When you’re launching them from Photoshop, you have got one other potential workflow. The Nik Assortment installer provides a Nik Assortment 7 palette which you need to use to launch the plug-ins immediately. There’s additionally a piece for ‘Meta presets’, that are automated mixtures of plug-ins and settings you possibly can apply with a single click on – although it’s a comparatively small choice and you may’t create your personal.
The Photoshop workflow is attention-grabbing as a result of you possibly can apply the Nik filters to Sensible Objects, which suggests you possibly can return and alter the filter settings later – it’s a non-destructive workflow.
The Nik Assortment gives a intelligent non-destructive workflow based mostly round two-layered TIFF information (the orginal and the edited model) which include the stay processing directions wanted to create the completed impact – although these TIFF information are fairly giant. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
However you can even obtain a non-destructive workflow from Lightroom and different host purposes, and even when launching the Nik instruments as standalone apps. There’s a non-destructive TIFF file choice that does double the file dimension, however shops each the unique picture, the edited model, and the processing directions wanted to realize it.
This non-destructive route is just not new, however the plug-in switcher and fast export choices are. These are genuinely helpful additions to Nik Assortment 7. They don’t change any of the inventive choices accessible, however they do make it potential to swap to a different of the plug-ins in case you notice you didn’t launch one of the best one for the job or to export a number of variations of your picture whilst you’re nonetheless within the plug-in.
This can be a sensible new addition to Nik Assortment 7. With the plug-in switcher you possibly can swap to a special plug-in whilst you’re modifying, and with Fast Export you possibly can export the present model of a picture with out having to reserve it again to the host utility first. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
DxO Nik Assortment 7: High quality of outcomes
Nik Silver Efex enjoys a near-legendary status amongst black and white photographers for its capability to provide wealthy, dense, and dramatic black-and-white photographs. It additionally gives a set of instruments that correctly mirror the way in which photographers see and manipulate black-and-white photographs.
Silver Efex gives unprecedented management over black and white, tonality, dodging and burning and picture ‘ending’ with borders, firming and edge darkening. On this model it will get DxO’s lates management level enhancements, with elliptical management factors, polygons and now luminance masking. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
For me, although, Coloration Efex has at all times been the star of the present. Its filters are highly effective, creative, and genuinely helpful day after day, and the vary of permutations and presets you possibly can create are virtually infinite. The enhancements in Nik Assortment 7 make it higher nonetheless.
I additionally love Analog Efex, although its presets generally is a little heavy-handed and its generally odd pictures jargon firmly rooted within the Google period – that is the one plug-in added by Google throughout its tenure earlier than DxO took over. However what different instrument provides you multiple-exposure results, lens distortion, movement blur, and multi-lens results like these?
Coloration Efex might be essentially the most versatile instrument within the suite, providing common on a regular basis picture enhancements – together with an improved HSL coloration management filter – alongside extra dramatic and artistic results. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
Analog Efex gives instruments you may anticipate, similar to frames, grain and lightweight leaks, however some you will not, like a number of exposures and multi-lens results. It is a fairly outstanding recreation not simply of previous movies, however of previous cameras. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
Wild HDR results have develop into considerably passé lately, however HDR Efex Professional can tone it down the place wanted and gives the identical new management level instruments discovered throughout the remainder of Nik Assortment 7. (Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
I additionally like HDR Efex 7, although its HDR presets can look just a little excessive by in the present day’s requirements. In order for you naturalistic excessive dynamic vary imaging, you’re higher off in a program like Lightroom, Seize One or Affinity Picture, the place the HDR tone mapping is designed to be invisible, not exaggerated.
Viveza appears, to me, much less priceless. It gives world and native coloration changes you possibly can apply simply as simply in Coloration Efex. Certainly, Coloration Efex 7 now consists of three core elements of Viveza as new dynamic filters.
Dfine appears a fairly old style method to eradicating noise in photographs which have already been processed. It could possibly do a helpful job on noisy previous JPEGs, however in case you shoot uncooked you’d be higher off with certainly one of in the present day’s uncooked denoising instruments. Nik Sharpener 7, in the meantime, can apply delicate sharpening enhancements for printed output, however once more appears a little bit of a throwback to older methods of working.
DxO Nik Assortment 7: Verdict
This evaluate factors out some inconsistencies within the Nik Assortment 7 plug-ins and maybe some areas for enchancment. This may make it sound like a fairly common kind of product. It isn’t.
The very fact is, Coloration Efex 7, Silver Efex 7, Analog Efex 7 and even HDR Efex 7 are simply so spectacularly good you possibly can forgive the Nik Assortment 7 something. Viveza appears much less helpful and Dfine and Sharpener are distinctly quaint and restricted. However who cares? These first 4 plug-ins are so good they simply carry the remainder.
These Nik Assortment plug-ins are traditional picture modifying instruments which have stood the check of time after which some. DxO has continually up to date them with out ruining them, enhancing and creating them with a care and generally an ingenuity that’s stored them proper on the slicing fringe of photographic creativity. AI? Who wants it, when you have got software program that so completely releases the photographer’s personal human intelligence?
Nik Assortment 7 is just not excellent and maybe by no means will likely be, however it’s so good that it hardly issues.
(Picture credit score: Rod Lawton)
Must you purchase Nik Assortment 7?
✅ Purchase this if…
Lightroom presets do not go far sufficient for you
You’re caught in a rut and want some inspiration
You want ‘actual’, ‘completed’ photographs not digital edits
🚫 Do not buy this if…
You’re pleased with delicate enhancements and changes
