CaptureNX2 Version 2.2 works best with NEF, NRW, JPEG & TIFF files originated from Nikon DSLR. Nevertheless, it handles JPEG & TIFF from other sources or cameras.
Below are the strength of CaptureNX2, especially Version 2.2, when it processes NEF files from Nikon DSLR cameras
- dust removal using NDF dust reference file
- various ways to set the colour temperature (or white balance) of a picture
- two alternative ways for manual highlight and shadow recovery
- automatic & manual colour saturation boosting
- automatic chromatic abberation (or fringing) correction
- automatic vignetting correction based on the Nikon lens used
- automatic distortation correction based on focal length and Nikon lens used (in Ver 2.2)
- automatic de-fishing of picture captured using Nikon fish eye lens
- retains camera body suggested level of noise reduction intensity and sharpening for various ISO setting
- selection and adjustment of Picture Control setting of NEF file, after image is captured.
- simplified luminosity-chroma-highlight-colour saturation-hue adjustment
- simplified high pass implementation compared to method used in GIMP, IIRC
- intelligent cloning, YMMV
- U-point approach and (simplified) colour brush method for applying effect
IMHO, it competes well, despite complain of sluggish performance and troublesome batch processing, with other
non-destructive image processing softwares available.