Upgrading Nik from v3 to v4
Hi. I use Nik Collection v3 and was thinking about upgrading to 4. However, I see from the System Requirements for 4 that I need later versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements than I have installed currently (13), DxO PhotoLab Elite (2), Lightroom (6, perpetual licence), and so on. I'm running Win 10 64-bit with an Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz and 16Gb of RAM, so performance/space is not an issue.
If I were to download Nik 4, is it simply the case that it will not work properly with my installed Adobe and DxO software or will it just not work at all? I am perfectly happy with my existing PP software and do not intend to upgrade any of it just to be able to upgrade from Nik 3 to Nik 4. Likewise, if the 'improvements' offered by Nik 4 are such that an upgrade from 3 won't be all that beneficial, I'll let sleeping dogs lie.
If anyone is/has been in a similar position, I'd be very happy to hear from you.
Thank you.
Bob
If I were to download Nik 4, is it simply the case that it will not work properly with my installed Adobe and DxO software or will it just not work at all? I am perfectly happy with my existing PP software and do not intend to upgrade any of it just to be able to upgrade from Nik 3 to Nik 4. Likewise, if the 'improvements' offered by Nik 4 are such that an upgrade from 3 won't be all that beneficial, I'll let sleeping dogs lie.
If anyone is/has been in a similar position, I'd be very happy to hear from you.
Thank you.
Bob
Hi Bob
I took the plunge and opened my wallet to upgrade to v4 and to be frank, it isn't worth the time, effort and money. In fact, a couple of tools they have 'improved' are, in my opinion, now less user-friendly than before. I just can't see the benefit, tbh...
I took the plunge and opened my wallet to upgrade to v4 and to be frank, it isn't worth the time, effort and money. In fact, a couple of tools they have 'improved' are, in my opinion, now less user-friendly than before. I just can't see the benefit, tbh...
Sorry - late logging in today but I would suggest that Malc is absolutely right. I do get the DXO newsletter monthly and the numerous complaints about version 4 discouraged me from investing. I would add that I was a little puzzled too as I had thought that upgrades would be a nominal sum rather than the rather large amount that is required.
I'm frustrated with the suit at the present too. Every time I open the plug-in from PS or LR I am prompted to purchase the latest update, but the prompt screen immediately vanishes and the whole app then freezes waiting me to click either the buy or later buttons on the prompt. The only way around this I have found so far is to open the app outside of PS to see the prompt screen and then open the plug-in. I'm P@@-off that they don't have a no-thankyou option on the prompt screen - my mind isn't going to change between each use.
Quote:I'm frustrated with the suit at the present too. Every time I open the plug-in from PS or LR I am prompted to purchase the latest update, but the prompt screen immediately vanishes and the whole app then freezes waiting me to click either the buy or later buttons on the prompt. The only way around this I have found so far is to open the app outside of PS to see the prompt screen and then open the plug-in. I'm P@@-off that they don't have a no-thankyou option on the prompt screen - my mind isn't going to change between each use.
That's the same as I experienced when opening it from Affinity Photo, Adam.
For everyone's interest: I subsequently sent an email to DxO raising the points made in my original post, and in answer to "If I were to download Nik 4, is it simply the case that it will not work properly with my installed Adobe and DxO software or will it just not work at all?" they advised that it (ie, Nik 4) will not work at all. Stands to reason, I suppose, given the Systems Requirement spec, but it does rather beg the further question: do DxO honestly believe that every time they introduce a new version of Nik (bearing in mind it is just a plug-in) potential purchasers will be persuaded also to upgrade their existing PP software, just to make sure the new version of Nik will behave as it should? I think not.
Thanks to all who contributed. I found your comments most helpful.
Thanks to all who contributed. I found your comments most helpful.
Quote:It appears that KingBee uses Adobe software so just wondering if DXO's attempted persuasion to upgrade is because DXO are owned by Adobe ?
That Bob uses Adobe products has nothing to do with it...DXO have been greedy ever since they took over the NIK portfolio. OK, given it does cost to improve products, but their pricing for upgrades has, in my opinion, been nothing less than pure greed, especially as the so-called upgrades are minimal changes...
Quote:It appears that KingBee uses Adobe software so just wondering if DXO's attempted persuasion to upgrade is because DXO are owned by Adobe ?
In addition to Malc's comment, I would just confirm that while I do use Adobe products I also use independent software such as ON1 PhotoRAW 2020, and I can happily export to Nik from that, then back again for any further enhancements or whatever.
I don't think Adobe own ON1 but in this ever-changing corporate world, nothing would surprise me.......
Quote:So, they have been taking lessons from Capture One !
We're starting down a different track here, but, since you mention it, I use the free version of Cap 1 for Fujifilm to convert my .RAF files into a more user-friendly format, like .TIFF. All upgrades to this - and Cap 1 do issue them fairly regularly, which is more than can be said for many companies - have been free to date.
It is one of the biggest advantages to Topaz software as once you have bought the software upgrades are free (I think they are still free, but the massive changes they made recently in their software means that a lot of plug-ins have disappeared from view).
