New Nik Collection 7 Reviewed

DxO has just released the new Nik Collection 7. I have a beta version of the software, and in this video, I review what’s changed and what’s new.
The newly released Nik Collection 7 features a range of improvements to the software's speed and usability. However, perhaps the most interesting features for photographers are the new and updated selection tools. These included an Oval Control Point, freely movable sample points, a new Polygonal selection tool, and a Luminosity Mask selection. There's also a seriously good update to Nik Color Efex.
If you are considering purchasing or upgrading to the Nik Collection 7, I always recommend you first use the trial version of the software (affiliate link): tidd.ly/31u4GDX
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[@maartenroes-francken7996]

That's great. A couple of new features are excellent and clearly very worthwhile additions, but ... I only just paid for an upgrade to DXO 6 about 3 months ago, now they want to sting me for another £70. DXO's product is unquestionably excellent but I think they are taking the mickey by asking for yet more money. I do belive that DXO should reconsider there marketing and upgrade pricing strategies before they damage their market and start to lose customer goodwill.

[@stevehageman6785]

I agree - at this point they are more expensive than LRC + Photoshop.

[@hartmut-wilms]

Are you sure? For instance I bought DXO PureRaw 3 on march 1st and I was able to upgrade to 4 for free. I recommend to have a look at your account and the available updates.

[@aylesburymotorgroup7082]

In fairness all these additions are already in Photoshop Raw changing shapes of masks etc was available in raw 23 and the colour selector eye dropper again has been out in raw for a while so nothing new unless you dont use photoshop, I am a little peeved that having only upgraded to Nik collection 6 a month ago i then got to pay again most companies give you free upgrades for a year very disapointing

[@stevehageman6785]

Thanks for the nice preview Robin. I always head to your channel for DXO previews.... :-)

[@RobinWhalley]

Much appreciated. Thank you.

[@simonchilds2928]

Disappointed with DXO's latest Photolab and Nik Collection 7 updates-they just don't seem worth the upgrade for commercial use. Without clear benefits or standout features, it's hard to justify spending money on them. Time to rethink and explore other options that actually meet our needs. And let's make sure DXO hears our feedback loud and clear for future improvements.

[@patandsusan01]

Purchase Nik 6 less than 60 days ago and just assumed they would provide updates to Nik 7 , boy was I wrong . Reached out to DXO and was told I had to pay for the update , ZERO consideration was given at all . As a long time user of their products this will be the end of the road for me . IMHO this is simply a money grab by DXO , so much for customer retention

[@wellsyboy]

Me too and I have come to the same conclusion - only bought mine 30 days ago - feel shafted

[@aylesburymotorgroup7082]

Same here only just bought 6 and have to pay for an update most companies give you 12 months of free updates but not Nik, in fairness Photoshop is offering many of the Nik features within the software already Nik are losing there edge

[@terrywood3268]

@@aylesburymotorgroup7082 Same here it's just another money grab

[@chipferguson5129]

Thanks for this video Robin

[@RobinWhalley]

You're very welcome

[@rgarlinyc]

Thank you Robin - as usual this is very useful, very helpful. It's sometimes frustrating when software producers change the way things work when they release an updated version, but better to progress than stand still, I say, and provided the new features are better than those discarded, I guess I'm happy. [Roger]

[@RobinWhalley]

Glad it was helpful. Thank you.

[@qwe1231]

Looks great. But I just got this last Black Friday and I'm not going to spend another $89 six months later. Maybe if there's another deal next BF.

[@RobinWhalley]

There's always a chance they may have another Black Friday deal this year but I have no idea. One to keep on your list perhaps (I have a few things on mine).

[@alessandrociampi1811]

i have bought the update from 5 to 6 December 2023 now after 6 months another update? dox is becoming much more expensive than adobe

[@gdan8259]

Topaz is doing the same, but is way more expensive. Adobe's enhancements are taking the punch out of both, but I will definately hoold on to Silver Efex.

[@e.colemantlpss6406]

Only DXO can charge you are upgrade and actually remove features. Thankfully I ditched this money pit a few years ago.

[@tomrockwell6630]

Great review. Thanks for putting it together.

[@RobinWhalley]

You're welcome. Thank you.

[@JFW5358]

Very helpful introduction, thanks Robin. I've downloaded the trial version for now but expect I'll have to fork out for the update soon.

[@RobinWhalley]

Glad you liked it. Thank you. I think you get 30 days on the trial version.

[@rogergray7482]

I was a little surpised to open an official intro to DXO 7 to start hearing your voice. Threw me for a second 😂

[@RobinWhalley]

Yes, DxO asked me to produce some of their videos. I mentioned it when answering another of the comments. I hope it didn't cause you too much distress 😂

[@Daniel_Ilyich]

To me, the lack of AI selection features makes Nik less useful, at this point. Charging $90 for these very minor improvements is mind-boggling. I mean, the new HSL feature is something that's available in LR/C1 and it's even more precise and efficient to use.

[@stevejacob7158]

Thanks for this Robin, really happy with Nik Collection 6 perhaps I will watch your tutorial a few times before I decide to spend the extra money for an upgrade.

[@RobinWhalley]

You're welcome. It's worth testing the new version to help you decide. I've been able to run it alongside the existing Nik Collection 6 without any issues.

[@michael-lt2lf]

Robin, thanks so much for this.

[@RobinWhalley]

You are welcome.

[@robertolazary2807]

Nice demonstration of the new update. I am using NIK a very long time. I see that you use the great TK9 plugin too!

[@RobinWhalley]

Thank you and yes, I use TK9 (although I preferred TK7). I also use a few other Luminosity Plugins including Lumenzia and Raya Pro. I'm a fan of all three.

[@robertolazary2807]

@@RobinWhalley I like the big three from Topaz

[@RobinWhalley]

@@robertolazary2807 Yes, they are great too. I've used Topaz for years.

[@robertolazary2807]

@@RobinWhalley I purchased Nik 7 today

[@lewisfink1281]

Only reason I upgraded is Nik 5 is not compatible with os14. Spoke to DXO to ask why my Nik 5 was not working for two days and they just came up with dumb answers. They attempted to send me a link to compatibility but sent the wrong link twice. Finally figured it out myself. Customer service is incompetent

[@ianyorke2617]

Removing Perspective is a major downgrade. It doesn't impact me personally as I have Viewpoint 4 but selling a new version with a major upgrade (Perspective) only to remove it at the next upgrade cycle is not a good look.

[@ItsWillLee]

Practise like this should be illegal. As much as I like the programs, this is a complete d×ck move..lemme guess, it's also more expensive than last year...with less

[@alangauld6079]

I will miss it but it did always feel like a clunky bolt-on to the rest of the tools. You could never launch it from other editing tools as easily as the others and it only really did its best working on raws (which the rest of Nik don't work with!) But I'd rather have it than not!

[@1972WoodridgeHighSchool-pk1qr]

Thank you for your review Robin. One question I have is well all the new features work when I'm using it as a plug-in with Affinity 2.0?

[@RobinWhalley]

I didn't use the beta software extensively with Affinity Photo but the new features did appear to be working. Something that I noticed was that the Switch To button wasn't visible in Affinity Photo. It may be because plugins can't generate new layers in Affinity Photo (at least I don't know of any that can). It's always best to test things out with the trial version if you can.

[@1972WoodridgeHighSchool-pk1qr]

@@RobinWhalley Thank you, I will try in 30 day trial

[@carstenhjort9993]

Absolutely worth the upgrade for me!

[@RobinWhalley]

I'm also happy to upgrade.

[@hawaiianstarman]

What did the upgrade provide you that was lacking in v6?

[@stevehageman6785]

@@hawaiianstarman I've been wanting 'stretchable' control points. It was a drag to make an ellipse with multiple control points.

[@EricGross]

Nice review. I bought it only to discover that it crashes my Mac running Sonoma when an image is exported from LR. It's not quite ready for prime time. I'm sure DXO will work this out, but right now, it has some problems.

[@RobinWhalley]

I don't know what is causing your problem and it may be worth contacting DxO support. I've been using the Beta version on Mac Sonoma 14.4.1 from Lightroom and haven't seen any problems.

[@EricGross]

@@RobinWhalley I have contacted DXO.

[@winfriedhennes5552]

I´ve asimilar issue on my Mac Studio M1 Max, Sonoma 14.4.1, when using as PS plugin. The Nik filter is closing PS and shows an error message that Nik can´t handle file format or file size. Confirming the message by clicking ok the Nik filter is closed as well. Same issue when using in Affinity Photo 2. No issue on my Win11 Notebook. I´m in contact with DxO support, hopr they get this fixed soon.

[@EricGross]

@@winfriedhennes5552 DXO has, again, released a new NIK version for software that is clearly still in beta.

[@wojciechskorza3051]

Yes, this is a very big step forward for such helpful and functional software. Big applause for the engineers from DXO. I use it and will definitely buy it. Greetings from Poland, from the city of "Przemyśl Fortress".

[@RobinWhalley]

Thanks for sharing.

[@metalfatigue]

There are always multiple ways to accomplish the same thing. In fact, multiple ways of doing the same thing is a real Adobe problem ("Do any of the following...") As if learning just one way wasn't enough. But I prefer the DxO interface and the lack of a subscription. On the other hand, if you prefer a non-intuituive interface or just like a challenge, you can do a lot with luminosity using the Lumienza plug-in and it's very inexpensive.

[@RobinWhalley]

I'm a fan of Lumenzia as well as TK actions and Raya Pro.

[@Mustang_Joe]

Negative control points are still there. If you hold down ALT when adding the point, it becomes a negative point.

[@RobinWhalley]

Thank you. I'm currently working on a video to explain the options. DxO contacted me to say that I had missed the shortcut. I had always used it to duplicate control points so never thought about using it to add one.

[@joedusel]

I only ever use Silver Efex in the Nik Collection, so is there any reason to update from version 4?

[@RobinWhalley]

Probably not if you are only using Silver Efex. I can't remember what was in V4 and if it had moved to the new interface at that point. If you really wanted to know, you could download and install a trial of the new version. It's possible to iunstall it alongside your existing version 4 without affecting it.

[@PhiddyPford]

I've learned to pause between versions. Having started with free google, not sure if 7.0 is better than 5.9. But I can play free for a month. My question is can I display the NIK pallet in Affinity Photo 2? It does show in PS as on your screen, but in Affinity its only available as a dropdown filter? Thanks for your input.

[@RobinWhalley]

No, the Nik Palette only works with Photoshop and Elements I'm affraid.

[@PhiddyPford]

@@RobinWhalley Bummer, In affinity I cannot switch from color to silver easily.

[@fotografia_ml89]

I’m really dissapinted how little they have changed since the original version of NIK was released. And this is already the 7th version 😳

[@RobinWhalley]

Do you find it disappointing because you thought the old version didn't work well. I would argue the tools have changed a lot but it's really down to what you expect. Are there filters you think are missing?

[@royhobbs785]

Perspective effects missing is odd.

[@RobinWhalley]

I guess they took the decision that they have a competing product in View Point that can also be used as a Plugin.

[@thesaint1517]

After watching these improvements, it convinced me to stay with 6 as I find it a little cumbersome rather than simplifying the editing process.The lack of AI features I thinks is a major set back to any editing programs. $89 is quite stiff for what it's being offered. No thanks!

[@uhligsu]

Thanks for the great overview. To me, the NIK collection is still not much better than the old, tested and free Google version. I still cannot find enough reasons why I would spend so much money for relatively few improvements. I am still happy to use the old and free version as a Photoshop plugin. Programs such as Boris Optics (completely underrated by the way) or Luminar Neo show what can be done.

[@RobinWhalley]

Glad you liked to the overview. I've been a fan of the Nik Collection since I started using it in 2008. If you are still happy with the free Google version then there's no point in changing.

[@MikeRollerson]

It's crazy how little they do with this software and continue to call it a new full-version. Some years they'll add new presets or features to a couple of the plugins and roll it out as a full upgrade to the suite. The filters/plugins in each plugin seem to be the exact same as they were in the google (and previously, Nik) versions from 15 years ago. The filter-lists, the lens-flares, the borders, it looks like nothing has ever been updated with any of them. I do like the ability to quickly switch between the plugins, but that should have been there long ago or at least not a full-version upgrade. The Nik suite is still probably one of my favorites -- much moreso than the earlier Topaz FX plugins and On1 suites, but compared to others like Luminar Neo and Boris Optics, it just feels so far behind. The only reason the Nik suite is good is for what was built into it 15 years ago. It's nice to see them adding things here and there, but they seem to only be trying to keep it alive a little longer while doing as little as possible.

[@mihaimihai7505]

Dfine have no +. So all this + are not for me

[@MsRickismom]

thanks

[@RobinWhalley]

You're welcome!

[@dingbat19]

Damn, I use -ve control points a lot, to remove those seems pretty dumb move to me

[@RobinWhalley]

Don't worry, I've got something coming up soon to help.

[@Mustang_Joe]

If you hold down ALT when adding the control point, it becomes a negative point.

[@scrollop]

So, they took away useful features and gave UI changes with no improvements to the filters or new core features. This doesn't warrant a major release from 6-7, should be a minor update.

[@RobinWhalley]

I disagree. I think the new selection tools are excellent and a significant improvement. If you have ideas for new filters then please share them.

[@scrollop]

@@RobinWhalley Have DXO improved the Nik Collection with new filters since they bought it? Seems to be mainly UI changes. Ideas for new filters? I'm not sure, I'm merely a tinkerer, however things like AI spatial mapping, copy looks from other photos, if you put a group of devs in a room they would likely come up with ideas. Or, just improve the UI, take away some features, don't add anything significant and call it a Major Upgrade - more money please.

[@RobinWhalley]

@@scrollop I don't think we should rely on developers to come up with ideas. Photographers should explain what they want to do, and the developers come up with ways to do it. For me, the selection tools are the most important part of the software. The Collection already has a huge collection of filters and tools.

[@johnpap9328]

DxOs versions of Nik collection don't make any sense to me. It would make sense adding more filters but they don't. Versions 6 and 7 of Nik are much slower than version 4 offering very little additional features. People can just get the latest free google version of it and use it along with C1, Ps or Lr instead of opting for this money grab.

[@alandyer910]

I enjoy your videos but in future you should disclose your company affiliations. You’ve failed to mention you are employed by DxO, so you are not in a position to present independent and objective reviews of their products. Product tutorials yes, but not videos billed as “reviews,” as this one is, implying we will learn about both the good and bad points of a product.

[@RobinWhalley]

I am a DxO affiliate, and they have not paid me to make this review video. Yes, I also produce videos for DxO from time to time, which appear on their KZbin channel. This is freelance work to pay my bills. It's always written into my contract that I am free to express my honest opinion on my own channel (which I do). The video presents what has changed in the software and isn’t trying to tell you what’s good or bad. That’s for you to decide. I always recommend trying the software for yourself because everyone's opinion is different.

[@walkingmanvideo9455]

far too expensive for what it is.