Annoying restrictions when using the Nikon RAW workflow

As the title suggests, this review focuses on the Nikon Coolpix P340 supported Nikon RAW workflow (because this was crucial for me when buying) and its deficits. Who only photographed JPGs or no Nikon software uses / wants to use, therefore is hardly for him useful information. For all, however, use of the camera to editing on PC Nikon products and want to exhaust all possibilities in this way, this review is of interest is likely to be.

* Background *

I photograph for several years with a Nikon DSLR in RAW format and use to the Nikon RAW software CaptureNX2 and ViewNX2. With the P340 I wanted for the event that I can not carry the DSLR / help me with a small compact camera can record higher-quality photos and maintained my usual Nikon RAW workflow. Unfortunately, this is only possible with restrictions.

* Gripe 1 *

For the P340 no Verzeichnungskorrekturdaten are in Nikon CaptureNX2 (also published in a few days ago version 2.4.7) deposited (keyword "Auto Distortion"), a really common feature in CaptureNX2. The Nikon service calls this lack a "suggestion" of my hand and announced that unknown is whether and when an update to Capture NX2 for integrating the correction data of RAW images the Coolpix P340 will be held from higher up. In addition, it said, Capture NX2 is a product that will be replaced shortly by Capture NX-D. Possibly another implementation is no longer planned by such correction data.

Ie as the owner of CaputreNX2 (Euro 200, -) and P340 (Euro 340, -) one should wait until the summer and then buy another program (which has an opposite CaptureNX2 incidentally clearly limited functionality) to the "Auto "Having Distortion available, although CaptureNX2 according to Nikon website now supports the P340. That these support the P340 in CaptureNX2 limited extent did, I found on the website at least nothing when I decided to buy.

* Gripe 2 *

Even more, however, interfere with the following point: take with certain settings, especially in burst mode H (Continuous H, 10 frames per second) in RAW format and is thereby a bright light source in the image (eg backlit by sun behind tree trunk, lamp on the screen, ...), the RAW files in Nikon CaptureNX2 and Nikon are ViewNX2 clearly shown incorrectly. One generated from these RAW files on the other hand within the camera JPG, so the result is impeccable. The Adobe products seem to have with these RAW files no problem. So only the Nikon software shows my knowledge this behavior. Moreover, problematic RAW images a P340 can be converted into a proper JPG with the RAW image editing another P340, ie it is not on the single camera.

If you choose, however the recording mode "Continuous S" (single frame) or "Continuous L" (1 frame per second), it can be seen with RAW images so captured with Nikon CaptureNX2 or ViewNX2 no problem, unlike with "Continuous H".

To illustrate the problem, I have uploaded two shots as customer images, a generated correctly in the camera, an error with Nikon CaptureNX2. This behavior I could reproduce with two different cameras and on two different computers. For RAW images, thousands of Nikon DSLR I never had a similar problem, however. This points to a specific problem in the P340 Nikon RAW workflow.

I can as an outsider, of course, does not say where the fault lies exactly: I had now just two defective camera copies and all the others are OK (which is of course a very big chance would be)? Has the Nikon software a problem? Or it is a part of the camera, which has a malfunction? Or is the camera's firmware, which failed in quick memory mode of "Continuous H" in the RAW format?

The Nikon Service Germany declares anyway now that you could not offer an adequate solution at the moment and will forward the information to Nikon so that this error is taken into account in a possible (!) Software update.

* Conclusion *

When fully functional Nikon RAW workflow I had rated the camera with four stars, because basically it is a good device. Deficits in Nikon RAW workflow whose extensive usability was a key factor in the purchasing decision for me, but lead to a star deduction. The fact that no speedy recovery of defects is to be hoped, leads to another star deduction.

===== ===== UPDATE 2015-02-06

The firmware update to version 1.2 of P340 apparently resolves the "gripe 2"; In any case the fault has not occurred since then.