This panel can also be customised to create easy automation if you need to quickly apply the same edit to different images.Īnalog Efex Pro 2 is one of the stand-out plugins included in Nik Collection 3.Īs the name suggests, this plugin includes a vast array of vintage presets but with the option to then tweak specific elements, from Brightness and Saturation through to different frame types and light leaks. Once installed, the Nik Collection panel will appear each time you launch Photoshop.Ĭlicking on one of the plugins launches a dialog where you make your edits which, once completed, then appear as a new Photoshop layer, giving you the additional option to mask out (or in) sections of the plugin’s changes. You’re then into the Nik Collection 3 dialog which, once you understand the layout, is fairly intuitive. However, the one drawback is that this results in some very large files as it creates layers within the TFF file itself (called a “multipage TIFF”). It then gives you the option to save your edits into that TIFF.
To work with raw files non-destructively, Nik Collection duplicates your raw file but as a TIFF file. In Lightroom, you simply right-click an image, choose “Edit In”, and then select the plugin you’d like to use from a list. (I’ve not had a chance to test the integration with Capture One, but I understand that it is similar to Lightroom but requires a slightly different process to set it up.) There are eight plugins, all of which are accessible either via Lightroom or Photoshop. Nik Collection 3 is perfect for relative beginners who want some simple, one-click (almost) editing options to create striking effects, but is also useful for experienced photographers - Silver Efex Pro 2 in particular - who want to create distinctive edits with minimal effort.
Many of the filters can be refined, and some can even be “stacked” on top of one another to create something truly unique. You can apply filters to create gorgeous, vintage-style edits, add light leaks, tweak contrast, create borders, change perspective, add sharpening, stack HDR, make local adjustments - and more. The remaining four replicate some of Lightroom’s functionality - for example, sharpening, HDR, and noise reduction - but adding a few extra touches and can be useful. (There’s also a little bit of overlap between a few of them, and some of the plugins are more useful than others.)įour of the eight plugins are geared towards creative editing and are probably worth the money on their own: Color Efex Pro 2, Analog Efex Pro 2, Silver Efex Pro 2, and Perspective Efex. Trying to describe everything that’s possible with Nik Collection 3 is a challenge, since even within one of the eight individual plugins that are bundled together, there is a vast array of possibilities. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Version 3.3 also adds 25 new presets for Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro. This means that you can return to an image at a later date and tweak your edits - something that’s not usually possible with these types of plugins. This latest version also brings one significant improvement: many of your changes can now be achieved non-destructively. DxO Nik Collection has been around for a few years, having been through various owners and permutations and now maturing into a bundle of plugins and presets that work fairly seamlessly in both Lightroom and Photoshop, and can also be accessed via CaptureOne.
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