Just to share my two cents: I must admit I’m a bit confused as to DxO strategy regarding Nik plugins.
I paid the Nik Collection when Google acquired it and (unfortunately for me) shortly before they decided to make it free for all. Still, I paid a much reduced price compared to what Nik Software was originally asking.
I am a regular licensed DxO user since DxO Optics Pro v6.5 and followed most of the upgrades, now using DxO PL 2.3 Elite
With so little evolution in the Nik plugins (I don’t care for the presets, I work directly with the cursors palettes and create my own sets) and such steep price regardless of long time customers, I remain a happy user of my Nick Collection v1.2
When, IF, DxO finally implement the management of layers then, I would consider a Nick Collection v3
Of course without support from it’s long term users during DXO’s continuing financial difficulties, it remains unclear whether DXO will still be around to implement the management of layers as you suggest. I don’t want that to happen. That is why I unequivocally support DXO from release to release even though the feature updates may be disappointing.
Mark
I already owned nik full collection before google. I bought from dxo last year to support them, even though I never encountered any problems previously. Version 2 does not have ANY major improvements and I feel taken advantage of for purchasing last year, in support of them.
Your situation isn’t too bad. You have the right to upgrade for a lower price (€50 and not €100) and get a free copy of PhotoLab into the bargain. If you already own PhotoLab on the other hand, then the offer is not very good and not particularly fair. If you don’t own PhotoLab it’s definitely worth upgrading Essential to Elite for €50.
You can go from just Nik v1 to PhotoLab 2 Elite + Nik v2 for €100/$100. That’s a great deal.
I haven’t tested the new version yet, so I don’t know if it’s correct to give it a new major version number or if the changes are worth the upgrade price. But adding up the price for version 1 and the upgrade to version 2 and comparing it to the price new customers pay seems very strange to me. You have been able to use the version you first purchased for more than a year now, haven’t you? New customers couldn’t use it during that time, so why should the combination of the prices of the old version and the upgrade be lower than what new customers pay? I really don’t understand that kind of calculation.
And well, I paid quite a bunch more when first purchasing the Nik products from Nik Software. I didn’t even get a discount for purchasing the whole collection, I purchased them one after the other and paid between 100,- and 200,- EUR for every single plugin, and I also paid for the upgrades. And it was worth every single cent!
Then Google came and first lowered the price immensely, then made it available for free - and almost killed the product. Until DxO came for the rescue.
DxO was bancrupt and I’m sure they still urgently need money. And since they are the ones that can rescue the Nik Collection, which I absolutely love and depend upon, I’m happy to give them the amount they demand for the upgrade. I do have other plugins (most everything Topaz offers, for example), but nothing gives me the amount of control the Nik Collection plugins do. This is worth much more than DxO asks from me.
These are high quality products, and it needs time and a bunch of highly qualified people to maintain and further develop them. You should take this into account when complaining about the price.
BTW: I wished Nik Software had never sold the product to Google, although that would mean I had to pay much more for upgrades…
I guess this isn’t the best way to introduce one’s self, but I can’t believe there are people moaning about the price of NIK tools. From what I remember this groundbreaking software was hideously expensive in the first place, and tbh, I’m ecstatic that DxO breathed new life into it again, and carried on supporting it. For what it is, I think NIK is a total bargain. We spend far more money on cameras and accessories, but then have this strange attitude to software, which with the case of NIK is probably the closest I’ve ever come to getting back in a real darkroom with all those lovely smelling chemicals (fixer always smelt like fried eggs covered in ketchup!). Oh well… I can dream on here, but again SilverFX Pro, I mean name another piece of b&w software that comes anywhere close… And the upgrade included a free copy of PhotoLab, which was the icing on the cake.
Sorry if that ruffles feathers, but this is great software, and in my mind, worth every penny. I am so happy and grateful that DxO are still supporting it.
Comparing the upgrade cost of DXO’s Nik collection to the original cost when the Software was owned by Nik is not relevant to the current issues many have expressed.
I think few people have a problem with the general pricing of the Nik Collection, which is a bargain. However, the initial issue was that DXO’s version 1 of the Nik Collection contained no functional updates to the Google version that many people had obtained for free once Google stopped supporting it. Many were able to overlook that since this suite of applications was once more supported with a potential for new functionality in future upgrades. But, when DXO’s version 2 was released, again with no functional updates other than addressing a 4K monitor issue and some presets, many people were upset having now paid for two different DXO versions without getting any significant functional updates to the free Google version they already owned.
On top of that, the advertising for version 2 implied the Nik Collection with U-point technology now supported raw files, which it does not. Instead, a copy of DXO PhotoLab Essential Edition was included for free which does allow editing of raw files and uses the U point technology. For those who do not want or need to use PhotoLab, nothing has changed with regard to raw files. Finally, people were upset with the pricing model. For instance, those who purchased DXO’s version 1 only a month or two earlier had to pay the full upgrade price again for version 2, and still not get any new or upgraded features. As a result of these various issues, many people felt both deceived and ripped off.
Even many of us who have been willing to overlook DXO’s marketing and pricing excesses for the sake of supporting them while they recover financially, are rolling our eyes over some of their poorer decisions.
Mark
Hi Mark.
From what I recall, and forgive me if I’m mistaken, the suite had a problem in that it wouldn’t run in High Sierra on a Mac correctly because of 32bit compatibility that was dropped in HS. It also stopped working as a plugin (although in fairness, the upgrade lost the functionality in Aperture as well- but not so much a problem seeing that Apple had abandoned Aperture anyway). Nor was it working correctly in Affinity Photo which the upgrade fixed. Owners of Windows OS possibly didn’t notice these important improvements. So I disagree in that the upgrade no functional upgrades from the Google version, apart from the happiness it brought everyone knowing that NIK was no longer abandonware.
However, I do think you have a valid point concerning the support of RAW files. I too was looking forward to that functionality (as well as plugin functionality with Phase One’s Capture One my new DAM). I’m not a great fan of Adobe and their ridiculous subscription service. It does seem that DxO pander a little bit too much to Adobe’s Lightroom- which I never use, or have used. But hey. DxO are a small company. I’ll just have to wait some more for that.
TBH, and on the subject of ‘upgrades’, not to mention having to pay for every upgrade- the reason I loathe a lot of software companies- although with everything on iPhone/iOS costing a quid per app, slightly understandable on DxO’s behalf. I point I’m trying to make is that I don’t really mind having to shell out £30 for another upgrade because I love this software, and afaik, it is a unique product.
I’m also worried about feature-creep, and I really like NIK just how it is. I actually find the U-Point tech in PhotoLab quite fiddly compared to that of NIK. Son in conclusion I really don’t mind the upgrade costs if it keeps both NIK and DxO in business - and I’m neither exactly in the position either to admit I’m a flushed photographer- ie ‘rich’ - which I’m certainly not.
Cheers!
Tom
Where do you get £30 for an upgrade? I am a long-time PhotoLab and NIK user and my ‘upgrade’ price is £69!
I already do own photolab 2 elite version
For the upgrade price I think it is irrelevant if you already own PL2 Elite or not. 59,99€ is the reduced upgrade price for the Nik Collection. I still get this offer. Normal upgrade price, 79€.
30£ upgrade for Nik Collection 2 would mean that DXO, if it’s true, has additional pricing schemes.
By the way, I also have PL 2 Elite.
While I agree that the upgrade cost is too pricey, I kinda understand why. I believe that pricing in the software world heavily depends on the size of user base. The company needs to add features or fix bugs only once. If the software has the large user base, the cost to develop and maintain the software can be shared among a large number of users. Therefore each individual can pay relative low price when the user base is huge.
Now, it comes down to the strategy of the company. They could grow the user base if they ask for a relatively cheap price to attract new users to join in. Nevertheless, the market is very competitive for the photo editing software. If the low price could not attract new customers, they will likely have an issue sustain their business.