D2x Tone Compensation

[bravocharlie]

What are you using for a setting on Tone Compensation?

Auto or Normal?

Which one and why?

 

[Joe_Lorenzini]

I set mine to Low Contrast as I've done on the D100 and D2H. It seems to give me more of a gammut to work with and I can always add some contrast if needed. With darker photos I find it holds more detail.

 

[Iliah]

same here

 

[Boobie Joe]

same here

Me too, low contrast.

I did find the D2X to show off excellent details in normal contrast though.

Maybe better DR

 

[jfenton]

Me Too

I'll fourth the recommendation...Less Contrast

 

[DavidM]

Less Contrast...

But I do shoot almost exclusively in RAW, so changes can always be made after the fact.

As others have said, you can always increase contrast later.

Something I'm not sure about though: if you shoot RAW with anything above "less contrast", does the histogram represent the data in RAW form, or the data after contrast has been applied? In other words, does increasing the contrast also increase the likelihood of blown highlights showing in the histogram/highlight screens?

 

[Iliah]

Low contrast helps to better evaluate histogram in camera. Histogram shown in camera is after all camera settings are applied. It is vey similar to in-camera JPEG histogram.

 

[DavidM]

Iliah - you simultaneously answered my question and made my point. Another good reason to use "Less Contrast".

Using any other setting would seem to make the histogram/highlight screens less useful (when shooting RAW), since there could be more detail than those screens would imply if you needed to pull it out later. Likewise, increasing the contrast would tend to show blown highlights and blocked shadows before the sensor data was actually maxed out.

 

[Iliah]

This is the reason I keep a special custom curve in camera - to see histogram without premature highlight warning.

 

[andreasb]

Curiuos about the custom curve Iliah

Curiuos about the custom curve Iliah, can you describe a bit?

I use low contrast too and I have like Yves found that it holds up much better details then the D2H

 

[Iliah]

http://www.pochtar.com/D2xCameraCurve.zip

 

[andreasb]

Thank you!

I will check it out!

http://www.pochtar.com/D2xCameraCurve.zip

 

[Iliah]

Thank you, Andreas. Feedback is always good thing to have

 

[Boobie Joe]

I am trying it as well Iliah ... (UPDATED)

Thank you, Andreas. Feedback is always good thing to have

I will get you some feedback too.


UPDATE: If the curve was created in order to do post process after the shot, it works. I don't like the results from a no processing picture taking POV. I have lost 0 details but have sacrificed most of the important contrast and noticed a slight change in colors using the curve (probably normal due to lower contrast). On the other hand, when you post process the picture you have a very impressive range to play with (colors and contrast)

 

[MontyDog]

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

 

[Iliah]

Thank you, Yves.

This curve is supposed to reach three goals:
- to show more adequate histogram (and can be replaced with regular "normal" or "low contrast" curve in Nikon Capture or through batching in our Curve Surgery"
- to bring more data to Nikon Capture, avoiding its pitfalls when converting NEF data; namely: cut-off in highlights because of data truncation when applying white balance, and some problems with noise in shadows and highlights;
- to presere more dynamic range while shooting JPEGs - but those JPEGs will *need* postprocessing

 

[Steve S]

This linked CC will *not* load into the D2X

I just tried installing it, and Nikon Capture Control says "The selected file is not a valid Camera Control file." The D2X requires a .ncc file extension, and this one is a .ntc file extension, such as the type used on a D2H or D70.
Also, I can't get it to take one I've made myself either, even though I really don't know what I'm doing.
I even tried to copy Andrew Razevski's .ntc file curve, creating my own .ncc curve, but NC4.2 will NOT accept it either! Me thinks there's a bug in NC 4.2!

 

[Iliah]

Dear Steve,

Please start Camera Control, press Cntrl key and navigate to Help-About...

What are the numbers of Application Version, File Library Version, and Imaging Version you have?

 

[Steve S]

Dear Steve,

Please start Camera Control, press Cntrl key and navigate to Help-About...

What are the numbers of Application Version, File Library Version, and Imaging Version you have?

App Ver: 4.2.1.3006
File Library Ver: 6.1.1.3003
Imaging Ver: 4.1.0.3003
What does that tell you?

 

[Iliah]

It tells me you have the latest version published.

If you press Alt-CE, and then Save button - what extension doies it suggest for saving curve?