Is there a thread that discuss' "Picture Settings"

[56 Chevy]

I almost always shoot RAW -- but I would like to learn about what camera setting (picture settings I guess is a better term) that you all use

Is there a tread with examples of what some of you are using -- so that we can try them out for ourselves ?

Thanks in advance

 

[e_No]

I haven't seen a thread. I'm guessing you are talking about Picture Controls? If so, feel free to check out the "Picture Controls" link at the bottom of my Website. I even have some custom controls for download there.

 

[dwind]

d2xs mode 2.

 

[SP77]

I think I'm the only person on the Cafe that actually shoots JPEG most of the time, but I can't help you out because I don't have a newer gen DSLR body where they changed all of that stuff. :tongue:

 

[56 Chevy]

eNo == Thanks -- I'll take a look

 

[bfullmer]

I think I'm the only person on the Cafe that actually shoots JPEG most of the time, but I can't help you out because I don't have a newer gen DSLR body where they changed all of that stuff. :tongue:

After shooting exclusively RAW, I've recently started playing around with the shooting banks on my D200. If you have any suggested settings, I'd appreciate them. Thanks.

 

[chris197]

I almost always shoot RAW -- but I would like to learn about what camera setting (picture settings I guess is a better term) that you all use

Is there a tread with examples of what some of you are using -- so that we can try them out for ourselves ?

Thanks in advance

I'm shooting in "Standard" at the mo. I have sharpening set to 4/9, Saturation is set to +1, Hue set to 0. I generally have active D lighting set to normal.

This keeps images looking "ordinary" but leaves plenty of scope for PP latter on.

I always shoot Jpg, medium sized in fine quality. ISO & white balance set to auto.

 

[56 Chevy]

Brian -- I am in the same boat as you -- been shooting RAW -- and processing everything in CS4 -- now want to experiment with pictures controls and .jpg's

Any help would be appreciated - - - -
Thanks again

 

[Jaytron]

I think I'm the only person on the Cafe that actually shoots JPEG most of the time, but I can't help you out because I don't have a newer gen DSLR body where they changed all of that stuff. :tongue:

I shoot JPEG too

There's no use in changing your picture settings if you're shooting in raw.. it'll all get undone anyways. That's the whole point of shooting in raw. When you shoot in raw, the settings are shown on your camera LCD, but when you import them and view them, the settings will be cleared and you will have to PP every single one again. (Hence the reason I shoot in JPEG most of the time)

 

[Pa]

I shoot JPEG too

There's no use in changing your picture settings if you're shooting in raw.. it'll all get undone anyways. That's the whole point of shooting in raw. When you shoot in raw, the settings are shown on your camera LCD, but when you import them and view them, the settings will be cleared and you will have to PP every single one again. (Hence the reason I shoot in JPEG most of the time)

...only if you do not use Nikon Capture NX2. I now use NX2 for 98% of my postprocessing, and even though I shoot RAW, I do use different "Picture Controls" settings.

Most of the time I leave the camera in "Neutral". But for people pictures, I use "Portrait", and for flowers I sometimes use "Vivid". But it's nice to be able to change these settings in NX2. I also occasionally use "Landscape" for, well, landscape scenes. However that setting often produces too much contrast for my taste.

Bottom line: experiment, but use NX2 so you can make changes.

 

[pforsell]

... When you shoot in raw, the settings are shown on your camera LCD, but when you import them and view them, the settings will be cleared and you will have to PP every single one again.

Not exactly. If you use Nikon View NX or Nikon Capture NX to make the RAW conversions, every in-camera setting is automatically applied.

 

[Jaytron]

...only if you do not use Nikon Capture NX2. I now use NX2 for 98% of my postprocessing, and even though I shoot RAW, I do use different "Picture Controls" settings.

Most of the time I leave the camera in "Neutral". But for people pictures, I use "Portrait", and for flowers I sometimes use "Vivid". But it's nice to be able to change these settings in NX2. I also occasionally use "Landscape" for, well, landscape scenes. However that setting often produces too much contrast for my taste.

Bottom line: experiment, but use NX2 so you can make changes.

Ah ok, didn't know that

LR2 removes your camera settings

I'm pretty sure CS4 does also (OP is using CS4)

I guess there's a way to create a camera profile in LR2 also, I'm looking into it now

 

[Holmes]

d2xs mode 2.

Same. Getting along with it so far.

 

[SP77]

After shooting exclusively RAW, I've recently started playing around with the shooting banks on my D200. If you have any suggested settings, I'd appreciate them. Thanks.

I've got some suggestions in the big D200 thread, which is linked in my sig. At the very beginning, and then the topic came up again near the end as of now.

 

[Mattes]

Hi.

Both of my cams are treated the same way:

- Standard picture control (after a lot of experimenting, I find this one most "natural" to me), sometimes monochrome
- Sharpening 4/9 (D700) and 5/9 (D3)
- White balance always manually set
- RAW anytime, anywhere
- ISO-automatic which max. allowed shutter speed depending on lens and subject
- D-Lighting "off" or "low"

Using CNX2 to develop the RAW files, I still have any chance to alter the settings later. But mostly, there are no modifications necessary.

Regards

Mattes

 

[C2020]

I've recently discovered NX2 and I love the ability to try different picture controls on my RAW images. Interestingly I've found the D2x settings are often the best to my eye. If you've not yet tried NX2 and RAW you're missing out on some great control. There is a demo of NX2 on the nikonusa.com web site.

 

[Harry Lavo]

I almost always shoot RAW -- but I would like to learn about what camera setting (picture settings I guess is a better term) that you all use

Is there a tread with examples of what some of you are using -- so that we can try them out for ourselves ?

Thanks in advance

Well, as others have said, you can get NX or NX2 and play with them after the fact to see what they do.

But if you wish to read threads....check the archives in the DSLR forum here on the CAFE. When the D300 came out there was a great deal of discussion there about what the various controls did, what kind of sharpening and contrast settings seemed optimal, etc. I suspect, but don't know for sure, that some of the books on the D300, D700, etc. discuss this as well.

 

[daveg]

RAW - Neutral with sharpness at 4 (for viewing in camera) and saturation down by one notch.

Turn sharpness off in NX2 and apply USM/High Pass sharpening as last step.

If you want to try other Picture Controls in NX2 it's easy but I usually stick with Neutral.

EVERYTHING is changeable in NX2 when you shoot RAW (except ISO).

 

[bfullmer]

I've got some suggestions in the big D200 thread, which is linked in my sig. At the very beginning, and then the topic came up again near the end as of now.

Thanks Steve. Some good stuff there.

 

[bobrobert]

Not exactly. If you use Nikon View NX or Nikon Capture NX to make the RAW conversions, every in-camera setting is automatically applied.

Can the settings be viewed somewhere in a folder like the metadata? They aren't in the raw image so they must be stored somewhere other than in the NX program I looked in the folder on my hard drive for a folder within the folder where the images are. I know when you open an image in NX you can see an individual "applied" setting but where are they collectively stored? TIA