[UncleVanya]

I upgraded today, but didn't pull the trigger on the Nik collection. The software still isn't integrated into dxo as well as it is into Adobe products. Essentially you export from dxo to Nik.

[Breakfastographer]

[...] Essentially you export from dxo to Nik.

I haven't tested this. Are you saying right now you'd have to export as a file first, then separately open Nik to import the file, rather than having a direct hand-over of the data?

[UncleVanya]

I haven't tested this. Are you saying right now you'd have to export as a file first, then separately open Nik to import the file, rather than having a direct hand-over of the data?

I haven't tested it. I asked support a question. This was the response, "You can use the Nik Collection in PhotoLab by using the function Export to application > Open Application > select the plugin you want to use."

It sounds more integrated than what I implied.

[Larrymc]

I haven't tested it. I asked support a question. This was the response, "You can use the Nik Collection in PhotoLab by using the function Export to application > Open Application > select the plugin you want to use."

It sounds more integrated than what I implied.

I just tried the export to application. It seemed to work well opening the selected NIK collection module, DXO exports JPEG files and I honestly see little difference in doing it this way and dragging and dropping the developed JPEG on to the selected NIK Collection Module in my initial use of the Export to Application method. I see no reason to export to Define2 as its not as effective as DXO Prime in noise reduction.

I've used the Export to Application function to export to Zoner ZPS-X to add a watermark which DPL2 doesn't do.

[emalvick]

I feel that long-range there will be an intent to incorporate Nik into PL (perhaps with the next version of Nik). I would hope it would go into PL in a similar way that the Film and Viewpoint software plug-in. But, it is worth noting that a lot of what Nik has is redundant with features in the Film plugin. This is probably part of why there has been a delay in any updates as they are probably trying to integrate the Nik suite in such a way to use the best of what they already have and the best of what Nik has. I've given them the benefit of the doubt on that.

Like others, the PRIME engine has been great, and I've found that the control points work decent in PL.

By the way, I generally export to the Nik suite (mostly SilverEfex) using a Tiff file, and the system works pretty well. It really isn't any different from how things worked with LR. The only method I haven't tried yet is exporting the HDR Efex. That wasn't straight forward in LR, and I imagine it wouldn't be with DxO. I use a separate DAM for cataloging my images, so I generally export a bracket set from DxO and then use my DAM to open in HDR Efex (or Aurora HDR). That method works ok.

On the issue with the K-1 mii. I'm a bit surprised that DxO isn't playing kindly. A long time ago (when I got a K-3 and it was new), I had a similar issue with DNG files and the metadata. DxO should get there at some point. I know that their use of DNG files is based on metadata because I had originally used a K-10d with PEF files and when starting with LR, I had converted them all (in hindsight, stupidly) to DNG. Originally, the images would not work in DxO when I started with it. However, I snapped a few photos with the K-10d in DNG mode and compared the metadata between the DNG out of the camera and the PEF out of the camera (and converted DNGs). I don't recall exactly what I did, but I essentially copied a few key Exif fields from the out of camera DNG to the converted DNGs at which point my files were usable in DxO. Something similar was needed when the K-3 wasn't supported well. I used a DNG that was working and compared its metadata with one that wasn't. My recollection was that LR was stripping out some Exif (or XMP) data that was then rendering the image unusable by DxO.

All those issues went away once I quit using LR. LR likes to play with Exif and XMP data, and I think it can sometimes have adverse consequences that show up like you see in PL2. It isn't that you are writing Keywords or Location data but rather that it is removing (or not syncing) some of the maker data that is embedded in the metadata of our files when we take the photos. My current DAM only writes data if I am adding keywords and locations and syncs all metadata appropriately when creating the XMP record. You might just have to investigate what your software (I think you said Photomechanic) might be doing when you edit metadata.

1. Work closely with your DNG files on a few instances to recreate what is causing you problems and see if you can track down any differences in the metadata and see if you can script a way to fix it. iMatch (my DAM) has a module for scripting Exiftool, so when I find old files with the issue, I can quickly run the script and in a few seconds I am good.

2. Us PEF files. I've considered this. I think I went away from PEF because I was under the impression DNG files were foolproof and invincible. As this thread shows, they aren't. I've yet to find software that can't open PEF files from even my old K10d. Most metadata software will only edit keywords in a separate XMP file. Of course the XMP file is an added file, and that has its issues for people. But as Pentax enlarges its file sizes, I strongly consider using XMP files. It is actually safer for not corrupting your images. I've not gone this route yet.

3. Further remark to DxO about how ridiculous their requirement of not editing Dng files is. I honestly think that they should just open a DNG file. If they don't have a profile already, they can ask for one that is close. That's how they do it when you open images with lenses that aren't in their database. You pick one, see that it works, set it as a default and move on. Should be easy.

[Larrymc]

I feel that long-range there will be an intent to incorporate Nik into PL (perhaps with the next version of Nik). I would hope it would go into PL in a similar way that the Film and Viewpoint software plug-in. But, it is worth noting that a lot of what Nik has is redundant with features in the Film plugin. This is probably part of why there has been a delay in any updates as they are probably trying to integrate the Nik suite in such a way to use the best of what they already have and the best of what Nik has. I've given them the benefit of the doubt on that.

Like others, the PRIME engine has been great, and I've found that the control points work decent in PL.

By the way, I generally export to the Nik suite (mostly SilverEfex) using a Tiff file, and the system works pretty well. It really isn't any different from how things worked with LR. The only method I haven't tried yet is exporting the HDR Efex. That wasn't straight forward in LR, and I imagine it wouldn't be with DxO. I use a separate DAM for cataloging my images, so I generally export a bracket set from DxO and then use my DAM to open in HDR Efex (or Aurora HDR). That method works ok.

On the issue with the K-1 mii. I'm a bit surprised that DxO isn't playing kindly. A long time ago (when I got a K-3 and it was new), I had a similar issue with DNG files and the metadata. DxO should get there at some point. I know that their use of DNG files is based on metadata because I had originally used a K-10d with PEF files and when starting with LR, I had converted them all (in hindsight, stupidly) to DNG. Originally, the images would not work in DxO when I started with it. However, I snapped a few photos with the K-10d in DNG mode and compared the metadata between the DNG out of the camera and the PEF out of the camera (and converted DNGs). I don't recall exactly what I did, but I essentially copied a few key Exif fields from the out of camera DNG to the converted DNGs at which point my files were usable in DxO. Something similar was needed when the K-3 wasn't supported well. I used a DNG that was working and compared its metadata with one that wasn't. My recollection was that LR was stripping out some Exif (or XMP) data that was then rendering the image unusable by DxO.

All those issues went away once I quit using LR. LR likes to play with Exif and XMP data, and I think it can sometimes have adverse consequences that show up like you see in PL2. It isn't that you are writing Keywords or Location data but rather that it is removing (or not syncing) some of the maker data that is embedded in the metadata of our files when we take the photos. My current DAM only writes data if I am adding keywords and locations and syncs all metadata appropriately when creating the XMP record. You might just have to investigate what your software (I think you said Photomechanic) might be doing when you edit metadata.

1. Work closely with your DNG files on a few instances to recreate what is causing you problems and see if you can track down any differences in the metadata and see if you can script a way to fix it. iMatch (my DAM) has a module for scripting Exiftool, so when I find old files with the issue, I can quickly run the script and in a few seconds I am good.

2. Us PEF files. I've considered this. I think I went away from PEF because I was under the impression DNG files were foolproof and invincible. As this thread shows, they aren't. I've yet to find software that can't open PEF files from even my old K10d. Most metadata software will only edit keywords in a separate XMP file. Of course the XMP file is an added file, and that has its issues for people. But as Pentax enlarges its file sizes, I strongly consider using XMP files. It is actually safer for not corrupting your images. I've not gone this route yet.

3. Further remark to DxO about how ridiculous their requirement of not editing Dng files is. I honestly think that they should just open a DNG file. If they don't have a profile already, they can ask for one that is close. That's how they do it when you open images with lenses that aren't in their database. You pick one, see that it works, set it as a default and move on. Should be easy.

Regarding the DNG files in PhotoLab I've had similar experiences with with an unsupported Sigma 18-200 lens. What I did was edit the maker notes with ExifTool to make PhotoLab think its an older Sigma 18-200 and it works perfectly. The 18-200 is my walk around lens so I needed the ability to use the PhotoLab to process the DNG files. The same thing could probably be done with the K-1II files.

How exactly did you pick a Lens Module for your unsupported lens and set it as default? I really don't see how that is accomplished in PL2.