Google Drops Nik Plugin Collection To $149

Google is now offering the Nik Collection for the super-discounted price of $149, a big drop from the previous $499 price tag. The Collection by Google bundle includes all of the Nik desktop plugins. In addition, the company is also offering some other perks and convenience features to sweeten the deal, including a single-installer for all supported software.

The Nik Collection by Google is comprised of the following plugins: Viveza 2, Dfine 2.0, HDR Efex Pro 2, Color Efect Pro 4 Complete Edition, Sharpener Pro 3.0, and Silver Efex Pro 2. The plugins can be used with Apple Aperture, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements, among others.

The folks over at DPReview spoke to Google's Product Manager Josh Haftel, who is quoted as having said, "We definitely plan to continue developing and evolving the software. This is our first release and by bringing this under the Google brand, we hope to show our commitment not only to Nik users, but to the photography community at large." He also stated that the Nik Collection's only difference over the previous versions is the Google brand and one-to-control-them-all installer.

The deal gets a little sweeter for those who have already previously invested in one or more of the Nik plugins, with Google offering free downloads to previous customers. Those who bought one or more of the plugins within the last half decade can get the Nik Collection for free, while those who bought one or more plugins after February 22, 2013, having spent more than $149, will get a refund for the difference.

[via DPReview]