D2x question ;-)

[Keith]

Pretty sad what I had to go out and spend money so I could feel included in this thread :wink: LMAO!!!!! Less than 50 shots so , so much to learn, and who better than all of you!!!

Question- who uses what for sharpening, ie. Nikon Capture, Nik Pro Sharpener, FM CS Pro..........interested with what you use??? I personally have had good luck with NC and FM plug ins............adobe using unsharp mask is not intuitive............

first of many questions. LOL

Oopssss, question #2, who uses memory banks for settings???? I would be interested to hear settings for flight shots..........

Feels like xmas and tax time if you know what I mean

 

[dmwphoto]

all right! you will hate it at first then grow to love it.
I have some specific csm settings but I will let some of the better photogs give you that. I am sure mine could lead a man astray. If you do not get any feedback, let me know.
NC works great for me, and I use PSCS(8) for additional work if needed.

 

[jfrancis]

I suggest you invest (yet more) money in two books:

Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Bruce Fraser)

The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers (Scott Kelby).

These issues (and many more) are covered well.

Congratulations on your new D2X. You are going to love it.

 

[jfenton]

Keith

My sharpening routine depends on a couple of things.

A) I turn sharpening to OFF in the advanced RAW menu and apply USM as follows.

B) As a basis, I use Ron's settings of 55,5,4 up to ISO 400. Once I get to 400, I'm using 55,6,4 and going up one as I increase ISO.....55,7,4 for ISO 500 and so on.

C) IF I'm using NR either in NC or elsewhere...I apply no sharpening at all in processing.

D) I used to use PHOTOKIT sharpener all of the time but from what I've seen with the X, it doesn't work worth squat as far as getting the final output correct.

E) If I used NR, I still need to overcome the effects of the anti aliasing fiolter prior to using the USM settings listed above, once the NR process is completed.

I am now simply applying USM after final resizing in PSCS and depending on the output media, the settings can vary quite a bit. For output to the web, I'm finding that 165, 0.2, 1 seems to work pretty darn well as a starting point although I do tweak each image around this area.

 

[mcampos]

I have been playing around with the Smart Sharpen in CS2 and I like it. I also received the upgrade to Nik Sharpener 2.0. I am looking forward to being able to "paint" sharpening selectively and also there are some options for sharpening the highlights, mid-range, shadows, color range, etc. The demo I saw at a recent show makes it look very easy and powerful.

Before I was using mainly CS USM and did not bother with sharpening in Capture, but with the D2X I am finding that some sort of sharpening in Capture helps, unless you want soft images.

 

[Keith]

....

all right! you will hate it at first then grow to love it.
I have some specific csm settings but I will let some of the better photogs give you that. I am sure mine could lead a man astray. If you do not get any feedback, let me know.
NC works great for me, and I use PSCS(8) for additional work if needed.

thanks Dave and John, will work through it, it is a whole different animal DAve as you said, not as forgiving, and you definitely have to have your shutter speed up!!!!!! When my new tripod gets here, Im sure it will help!
Looking forward to breaking in this new baby!!!

 

[Keith]

HI Jim.......

My sharpening routine depends on a couple of things.

A) I turn sharpening to OFF in the advanced RAW menu and apply USM as follows.

B) As a basis, I use Ron's settings of 55,5,4 up to ISO 400. Once I get to 400, I'm using 55,6,4 and going up one as I increase ISO.....55,7,4 for ISO 500 and so on.

C) IF I'm using NR either in NC or elsewhere...I apply no sharpening at all in processing.

D) I used to use PHOTOKIT sharpener all of the time but from what I've seen with the X, it doesn't work worth squat as far as getting the final output correct.

E) If I used NR, I still need to overcome the effects of the anti aliasing fiolter prior to using the USM settings listed above, once the NR process is completed.

I am now simply applying USM after final resizing in PSCS and depending on the output media, the settings can vary quite a bit. For output to the web, I'm finding that 165, 0.2, 1 seems to work pretty darn well as a starting point although I do tweak each image around this area.

Sounds like we have the same work flow, wanted to know if anything different from D2h to D2x...........will continue as is. Was playing with the idea of Nik sharpener as I have heard some good things about it, but sounds like I will stay away.

do you use your bank memory? interested in your flight shot settings :roll: if you would be so kind. I sent you an email but obviously you didnt get it.

thanks again Jim!
Keith

 

[Keith]

thanks Mike..........

I have been playing around with the Smart Sharpen in CS2 and I like it. I also received the upgrade to Nik Sharpener 2.0. I am looking forward to being able to "paint" sharpening selectively and also there are some options for sharpening the highlights, mid-range, shadows, color range, etc. The demo I saw at a recent show makes it look very easy and powerful.

Before I was using mainly CS USM and did not bother with sharpening in Capture, but with the D2X I am finding that some sort of sharpening in Capture helps, unless you want soft images.

I predominately use NC and finish in adobe, will probably continue to experiment. I have never used adobe for RAW images, find it clumpsy for myself. Guess it is what you get use to

thanks for taking the time to comment
Keith

 

[Catz]

I use Nik Multimedia Pro Sharpening the most. Sometimes I use smart sharpen in CS2.

 

[thomas]

Re: Photokit Sharpener

My sharpening routine depends on a couple of things.



D) I used to use PHOTOKIT sharpener all of the time but from what I've seen with the X, it doesn't work worth squat as far as getting the final output correct.

Hi Jim

Try using "capture sharpener/35 positive/narrow edge" and adjust opacity as needed. While playing around with Sharpener I found that this option worked well with D2X files.

 

[jfenton]

Hi Thomas

Thanks....

I'll give it a try this weekend!

 

[jfenton]

Keith?

Do I use my "memory bank settings"? Are you talking about the A,B,C,D, custom menu banks? If so, the answer is YES. I use two of them to have my AIS lenses all set up and programmed and I use the fourth as a landscape setup with the delay feature on (I think it's a .4 second delay?).

As far as flight settings go it's pretty simple.

Typically, it is AF-C, FOCUS or Frame Rate + Focus, always center area and group 1. Again, typically, I am using single area dynamic (second option up), HOWEVER, if I'm shooting birds in the sky where I know nothing will get in the way, I will use group dynamic. I never use this if there is a background other than an unobstructed sky because the camera will definitely grab the background instead of the target most of the time. I have tried this mode using closest subject but the camera still jumps to the background, probably because it is usually higher contrast and catches more of the sensors than the subject does.

NOTE: CUSTOM MENU a4 IS TURNED TO OFF. If left on, it kills the ability to properly track flight shots. Maybe it works for sports where you have a player moving behind another object bit it absolutely kills you in flight stuff.

I am always shooting in CH, no matter if I'm using full mode or HSC.

FOCUS gets you much slower shooting than frame rate+focus so when I'm shooting this mode, I try to use a greater DOF to catch the subject adequately.

I have found that I absolutely have to shoot at higher ISO than with the D2H in order to increase DOF and keep the shutter speed up. The X has a smaller "perceived DOF" due to the increased resolution that you're used to with the X. Things which may have appeared in focus with the H (outward tip of a wing for example) will show as OOF on the X unless you increase the DOF to compensate.

If I'm shooting with a naked 500 (no TC) I'm happy at 6.3 on up with my flight shots. If I'm using the 1.4 on the 500, I won't shoot flight shots at less than 7.1 and I really prefer f8. The light doesn't always permit it however.

Lastly...I haven't seen your e-mail? Perhaps a PM here would work more betterer?????

 

[MontyDog]

#1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax;

 

[greyflash]

After discussions with Joe Marques, I purchased PhotoKit sharpener from Pixel Genius and have never been sorry. I used to use a low level sharpening in NC and then additional if necessary in PS CS. I also purchased FM's Intellisharpen II but it has fallen into disuse because of my Pixel Genius sharpener.