Nikon Capture 4 on a Mac...ARRRGH!!!!

Here's an update on Nikon's Capture 4 software, and how it runs on a
Mac...it's a rather long rant, but if nothing else, this will give me a
chance to vent some frustration...and hopefully serve as a warning for
others...



Anyways, I'll start with the good news: when Nikon View and Nikon Capture
are running properly, they actually do a fairly good job of editing and
manipulating Nikon's NEF raw images. (For those not familiar with these
software packages, View is the "freebie" viewing and basic editing software,
and Capture is the "extra cost" editing package.) Certainly not as
sophisticated as PhotoShop, but then Capture is easier to learn and
considerably cheaper. I found I could use Capture pretty effectively within
a short period of time.



But now the bad news: Nikon makes excellent camera gear, but their software
quality and support...well, um...oh dear... Here's the story:



I originally decided to install View and Capture on my new iBook G4 (running
OsX "Tiger") using the 30-day trial versions. It was certainly well named:
it ***was*** a trial to download and install! At one point, View would
run...but Capture would abort with a funny error message. (Maybe something
to do with the PACE anti-piracy software.) Then, I managed to get Capture
to run...but View aborted whenever it encountered an NEF file edited by
Capture. This was all aggravated by attempting to download software from
Nikon's Canadian and American websites, which can only be described as sheer
hell. (I live in Canada, but often access Nikon's U.S. support site for
packages that aren't on the Canadian site.) For starters, I could usually
download View and Capture software upgrades...but occasionally both sites
would tell me I was not authorized to download, even when I should have been
allowed. (Nikon Support couldn't figure that one out.) As well, although
the Canadian and American websites seem to be linked (my Nikon support ID is
honored at both sites), the software packages on the sites don't seem to be
*quite* the same: it appears that the American site has "U.S." versions of
software, while the Canadian site has "international" versions. Now, if you
check the "about" menu selection when Capture is running, there is
absolutely no indication whether it is a "U.S." or "international"
version...but the installation process knows: if you try to update the
software, and there's a "region" conflict, the installer refuses to do
anything. (How idiotic: why doesn't Nikon simply make one version of the
software that installs worldwide?)



Nevertheless, after much tinkering, downloading, and re-downloading, and
re-installing, I finally got the latest versions of View and Capture to run
on my iBook. And I liked Capture...so I decided to buy a permanent copy
today...



(Sigh.)



First problem: I bought a copy of Nikon Capture 4.1 from a local Nikon
dealer, and I was running Capture 4.3.2 (trial version) on my iBook. Now,
you would think that the installation key for 4.1 would work for 4.3.2...but
you'd be wrong. Apparently, Nikon changed the authorization code. Here's
what Nikon says on their support site:



"The license validation method has changed between Nikon Capture 4.x and
4.2. License codes from earlier versions of Nikon Capture cannot be used
with Nikon Capture 4.2. If you own a Nikon Capture 4.x license, please
install and activate that copy before updating to this version."



So, I tried their advice...which lead to my second problem: whenever I
tried to use the "uninstall" option in the Nikon Capture Installer to remove
Capture from my iBook, it would seem to start up, ask me for my
administrator password, and then I would get a pop-up box with this message:
"The application Nikon Capture Installer quit unexpectedly." (From the
error report, it looks like an attempt to access kernel memory caused the
Installer to abort.)



However, if I tried to force an install of Capture 4.2 from the CD-ROM on to
the iBook, then the Installer would tell me I already had a newer version of
Capture installed, and would exit.



At this point, I called Nikon Support in Toronto for help. (At my own
expense, I might add...Nikon Canada doesn't seem to have a 1-800 toll-free
number.) The technician was baffled why the uninstall wouldn't work, but
told me the Capture 4.1 distribution package was obsolete, and the local
Nikon dealer should have sold me a Capture 4.2 package. I called up the
store, and explained the situation. The guy at the store offered to refund
me for the package, but was really miffed: according to him, Nikon Canada
didn't warn him about any incompatibilities with authorization keys, and he
thought the Capture 4.1 package was still OK to sell. Anyways, I went back
to store, and by the time I got there (lo and behold) the store managed to
find a recently-arrived Capture 4.2 box for me.



Back at home, I started up Nikon Capture 4.3.2 on the iBook, entered the
authorization key from the 4.2 CD-ROM...and it worked! Now Capture works
fine. BUT...I don't know whether my earlier attempt to uninstall affected
any files, or not. I did an experiment, and found that with even with the
4.2 CD-ROM I ***still*** can't uninstall Capture (the abort still occurs),
or re-install Capture 4.2 Lovely...I have an installation of Nikon Capture
that might, or might not, be OK, and that I can't seem to fix.



Now, is it just me, or is it dumb to:

1) Have different "region" versions of the same software that are
incompatible?

2) Change the license validation method within the same major release
of a software package?

3) Have an "uninstall" procedure that doesn't work?

4) Have no way of forcing an installation of an earlier version of the
software?

5) Have a support site that might, or might not, allow you to download
software updates?



I really like my Nikon D100 (and my F90X and my F3), and my iBook, and I
even like Nikon Capture, when it works. But this is, without question, the
worst experience I've ever had in trying to install and update software on a
personal computer. What really cheeses me off is that this is all so
unnecessary: I can't understand why Nikon even bothers charging anything
for Capture. They might as well just include it with any camera they sell
that supports NEF files, and then Nikon users wouldn't have to worry about
"validation keys" and "authorized downloads". I can't believe Nikon is
making that much money off Capture to make this pain to the user community
worthwhile. Better yet, maybe they should just farm out raw image editing
software to a software house that knows how to properly debug and support
software. It's pretty obvious software isn't Nikon's strong suit.



BTW, if anyone has any ideas how to work around the "uninstall" abort,
please let me know.

"Amr" wrote in message
.. .
Here's an update on Nikon's Capture 4 software, and how it runs on a
Mac...it's a rather long rant, but if nothing else, this will give me a
chance to vent some frustration...and hopefully serve as a warning for
others...



Anyways, I'll start with the good news: when Nikon View and Nikon Capture
are running properly, they actually do a fairly good job of editing and
manipulating Nikon's NEF raw images. (For those not familiar with these
software packages, View is the "freebie" viewing and basic editing software,
and Capture is the "extra cost" editing package.) Certainly not as
sophisticated as PhotoShop, but then Capture is easier to learn and
considerably cheaper. I found I could use Capture pretty effectively within
a short period of time.



But now the bad news: Nikon makes excellent camera gear, but their software
quality and support...well, um...oh dear... Here's the story:



I originally decided to install View and Capture on my new iBook G4 (running
OsX "Tiger") using the 30-day trial versions. It was certainly well named:
it ***was*** a trial to download and install! At one point, View would
run...but Capture would abort with a funny error message. (Maybe something
to do with the PACE anti-piracy software.) Then, I managed to get Capture
to run...but View aborted whenever it encountered an NEF file edited by
Capture. This was all aggravated by attempting to download software from
Nikon's Canadian and American websites, which can only be described as sheer
hell. (I live in Canada, but often access Nikon's U.S. support site for
packages that aren't on the Canadian site.) For starters, I could usually
download View and Capture software upgrades...but occasionally both sites
would tell me I was not authorized to download, even when I should have been
allowed. (Nikon Support couldn't figure that one out.) As well, although
the Canadian and American websites seem to be linked (my Nikon support ID is
honored at both sites), the software packages on the sites don't seem to be
*quite* the same: it appears that the American site has "U.S." versions of
software, while the Canadian site has "international" versions. Now, if you
check the "about" menu selection when Capture is running, there is
absolutely no indication whether it is a "U.S." or "international"
version...but the installation process knows: if you try to update the
software, and there's a "region" conflict, the installer refuses to do
anything. (How idiotic: why doesn't Nikon simply make one version of the
software that installs worldwide?)



Nevertheless, after much tinkering, downloading, and re-downloading, and
re-installing, I finally got the latest versions of View and Capture to run
on my iBook. And I liked Capture...so I decided to buy a permanent copy
today...



(Sigh.)



First problem: I bought a copy of Nikon Capture 4.1 from a local Nikon
dealer, and I was running Capture 4.3.2 (trial version) on my iBook. Now,
you would think that the installation key for 4.1 would work for 4.3.2...but
you'd be wrong. Apparently, Nikon changed the authorization code. Here's
what Nikon says on their support site:



"The license validation method has changed between Nikon Capture 4.x and
4.2. License codes from earlier versions of Nikon Capture cannot be used
with Nikon Capture 4.2. If you own a Nikon Capture 4.x license, please
install and activate that copy before updating to this version."



So, I tried their advice...which lead to my second problem: whenever I
tried to use the "uninstall" option in the Nikon Capture Installer to remove
Capture from my iBook, it would seem to start up, ask me for my
administrator password, and then I would get a pop-up box with this message:
"The application Nikon Capture Installer quit unexpectedly." (From the
error report, it looks like an attempt to access kernel memory caused the
Installer to abort.)



However, if I tried to force an install of Capture 4.2 from the CD-ROM on to
the iBook, then the Installer would tell me I already had a newer version of
Capture installed, and would exit.



At this point, I called Nikon Support in Toronto for help. (At my own
expense, I might add...Nikon Canada doesn't seem to have a 1-800 toll-free
number.) The technician was baffled why the uninstall wouldn't work, but
told me the Capture 4.1 distribution package was obsolete, and the local
Nikon dealer should have sold me a Capture 4.2 package. I called up the
store, and explained the situation. The guy at the store offered to refund
me for the package, but was really miffed: according to him, Nikon Canada
didn't warn him about any incompatibilities with authorization keys, and he
thought the Capture 4.1 package was still OK to sell. Anyways, I went back
to store, and by the time I got there (lo and behold) the store managed to
find a recently-arrived Capture 4.2 box for me.



Back at home, I started up Nikon Capture 4.3.2 on the iBook, entered the
authorization key from the 4.2 CD-ROM...and it worked! Now Capture works
fine. BUT...I don't know whether my earlier attempt to uninstall affected
any files, or not. I did an experiment, and found that with even with the
4.2 CD-ROM I ***still*** can't uninstall Capture (the abort still occurs),
or re-install Capture 4.2 Lovely...I have an installation of Nikon Capture
that might, or might not, be OK, and that I can't seem to fix.



Now, is it just me, or is it dumb to:

1) Have different "region" versions of the same software that are
incompatible?

2) Change the license validation method within the same major release
of a software package?

3) Have an "uninstall" procedure that doesn't work?

4) Have no way of forcing an installation of an earlier version of the
software?

5) Have a support site that might, or might not, allow you to download
software updates?



I really like my Nikon D100 (and my F90X and my F3), and my iBook, and I
even like Nikon Capture, when it works. But this is, without question, the
worst experience I've ever had in trying to install and update software on a
personal computer. What really cheeses me off is that this is all so
unnecessary: I can't understand why Nikon even bothers charging anything
for Capture. They might as well just include it with any camera they sell
that supports NEF files, and then Nikon users wouldn't have to worry about
"validation keys" and "authorized downloads". I can't believe Nikon is
making that much money off Capture to make this pain to the user community
worthwhile. Better yet, maybe they should just farm out raw image editing
software to a software house that knows how to properly debug and support
software. It's pretty obvious software isn't Nikon's strong suit.



BTW, if anyone has any ideas how to work around the "uninstall" abort,
please let me know.



Mac users seems to have as many odd problems as Canon users.

In article ,
"A. Longor" wrote:

Mac users seems to have as many odd problems as Canon users.

At least they aren't the kind that inspire one line bottom posted, smart
ass responses to lengthy articles. I say you have a bigger problem
indeed.
--
Would thou choose to meet a rat eating dragon, or
a dragon, eating rat? The answer of: I am somewhere
in the middle.

Would you have bitched if I'd top-posted?

"Little Green Eyed Dragon" wrote in
message
...
In article ,
"A. Longor" wrote:

Mac users seems to have as many odd problems as Canon users.

At least they aren't the kind that inspire one line bottom posted, smart
ass responses to lengthy articles. I say you have a bigger problem
indeed.
--
Would thou choose to meet a rat eating dragon, or
a dragon, eating rat? The answer of: I am somewhere
in the middle.

In article ,
"A. Longor" wrote:

Would you have bitched if I'd top-posted?

No, I would not have, every person has a right to be a wise ass
in my book. Its the stupid crap that wears thin.
--
Would thou choose to meet a rat eating dragon, or
a dragon, eating rat? The answer of: I am somewhere
in the middle.

Mac users seems to have as many odd problems as Canon users.

In fairness to Apple, the iBook is my first Mac...I've had it a couple of
months...and except for the Nikon Capture issue I've been very pleased with
the iBook. And the Capture issue is Nikon's problem, not Apple's. I've
used PCs since the '80s, and I've had far more crazy software issues with
Windows...even my new Win/XP Hewlett-Packard desktop system, which I bought
this past June, had some odd software behaviour problems straight out of the
box.

Macs seem to be "of a piece", and the software and hardware knows how to
play together. By contrast, in my experience Windows software likes to pick
fights with the hardware it's running on. (Add in a virus-scanner, and it
just gets worse...) I've noticed that stuff that is difficult or
time-consuming on a PC is a snap to do on the Mac.

A. Longor wrote:

Mac users seems to have as many odd problems as Canon users.

Yup. But don't worry. Windows is still ahead.

---- Paul J. Gans

A. Longor wrote:
Would you have bitched if I'd top-posted?

I think the idea was that you could have trimmed
the original post a good bit.

---- Paul J. Gans

The problem is the weird licensing protection system used by Nikon.
This is not just an issue with the Mac version, BTW.

You can use Spotlight to find all the Nikon Capture files and remove
them, then reinstall using your 4.2 disk. Uninstall does not
necessarily remove all the old Nikon Capture files on either Mac or
Windows, nor does it remove all Windows registry entries, but you can
pretty much start with a clean slate on a Mac by removing all files and
folder related to Nikon Capture. It is actually a little easier with
the Mac version because there are no .dll files in a "Windows" or
"System" subdirectory that Spotlight will not find.

Once you have reinstalled using your 4.2 disk you can use the updater
to update to your current version.

One other warning. Nikon Capture, Picture Project, and View are highly
intolerant of moving their folders from their default location. Don't
do it.

And another warning: if you use Photoshop, any of these programs will
install the Nikon raw plug-in which is not as flexible or powerful as
the Photoshop raw processor. Go to your Photoshop plug-in folder and
trash the Nikon raw plug-in in the File Formats folder.

Nikon's software is terrible, but Capture does have some uses, such as
removing distortion from 10.5mm DX Fish-eye images. It also does a nice
job of quickly adjusting some images. Overall, though, I have to say
that it is a waste of money. One of the worst aspects is the supposed
ability to send a Capture image to Photoshop. It is actually faster to
save the image and then open it in Photoshop than it is to send it
directly to Photoshop. Nikon's software also makes and saves
adjustments to original images without asking you whether you want it
to do that.

Besides the flakey copy protection scheme, silly interface, slow
Photoshop transfer, lousy raw editor, and a high probabiity of making
unwanted irreversible changes to your original files, there is very
little that I can find wrong with Nikon software.

cjcampbell wrote:

You can use Spotlight to find all the Nikon Capture files and remove
them, then reinstall using your 4.2 disk. Uninstall does not
necessarily remove all the old Nikon Capture files on either Mac or
Windows, nor does it remove all Windows registry entries, but you can
pretty much start with a clean slate on a Mac by removing all files and
folder related to Nikon Capture. It is actually a little easier with
the Mac version because there are no .dll files in a "Windows" or
"System" subdirectory that Spotlight will not find.

Don't be so sure. Nikon Capture installs a kernel module that Spotlight
will never find; it silently alters obscure system-level configuration
files that should not be edited; and it silently runs a background process
on the system at all times, without offering any way to disable it or even
telling you it's there.

I strongly recommend never letting it anywhere near your system. It's not
like it's any good anyway.

--
Jeremy |