HDR Efex Pro 2, which hasn’t been updated for a while, but is still one of the best HDR tools around. Viveza 3 is a powerful color editing tool offering both local and global adjustments. Viveza 3, also updated last time around, is a little more limited than the other creative plug-is, and focused mainly on color dodging and burning using DxO’s unique auto-masking control point adjustments, as found across the suite. Silver Efex Pro 3 is a very powerful black and white plug-in that can recreate a wide range of film and darkroom effects and comes with a good selection of presets. Silver Efex Pro 3, updated and modernized in the previous version, is one of the best known (and best) creative black and white tools you can get. There is some crossover with DxO’s FilmPack 6 software, but that’s more for technical film simulations – Analog Efex Pro 3’s effects are a lot more varied.Ĭolor Efex Pro 5, also updated in Nik Collection 5, is like a filter suite on its own, offering a range of more traditional photographic effects like levels and curves, graduated filters, soft focus, old photo looks, image toning and coloring amongst around 50 different filters – and these can be combined for practically limitless variations.

Let’s take a look at the eight Nik Collection plug-ins in turn.Īnalog Efex Pro 3, updated in this latest version, can create all manner of classic film looks but goes further with antique and lo-fi camera effects too, such as multiple exposures, movement blur and more. Key features Analog Efex Pro 3 has been redesigned to bring it in line with the rest of the Nik plug-ins, and the preset navigation bar on the left is now much more straightforward to browse and use. However, this time it includes DxO PhotoLab 5 Essential edition, which sells for £129 on its own, so for anyone who doesn’t already have PhotoLab, that’s a terrific deal. Nik Collection 5 costs $149/£135 for new users and $79/£69 for those upgrading from a previous version. There are eight plug-ins in total, and while some are designed for image correction, others are for creative effects. DxO Nik Collection 5 is the latest evolution of one the photo editing world’s longest running and best respected plug-in suites.

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