I use a Nikon and post process with Nikon Capture NX2.

Ben Long's "Nikon Capture NX2" book says:
"With Picture Control you can define different processing schemes that get applied to your images when shooting JPEG. If you choose a Picture Control when shooting raw, then you camera will note in the file that you selected that Picture Control. When you open the image in NX2, the Picture Control will automatically be selected, and NX2 will process your image accordingly."

Great info - Thanks

To me this means the picture part of Nikon's "NEF" raw file is unmodified. However, the NEF raw file has additional Picture Control info, which Capture NX2 applies. In Capture NX2's "Edit List" there is a Picture Control area. This area shows the applied Picture Controls from the camera, which I can change.

Example: In my camera, I choose "Monochrome". When imported into Capture NX2, the image is initially displayed in black & white. In Capture NX2, I change the Picture Control to "Neutral" and almost all changes to the raw file are removed. (See Nikon Manual for Picture Control details.)

For White Balance, which is not part of Nikon's Picture Control, processing is similar. Ben Long says "Even though your camera doesn't perform any white balance adjustments when shooting in raw mode, it does store the white balance settings in the images's EXIF information. Your raw converter, in turn, reads this setting and uses it as the initial white balance setting. You can adjust the white balance from there."

Different raw converters and post processing applications may handle Nikon NEF files differently. Similarly, other raw files, raw converters and PP applications may be different.

Cheers

I use a Nikon and post process with Nikon Capture NX2.

Ben Long's "Nikon Capture NX2" book says:
"With Picture Control you can define different processing schemes that get applied to your images when shooting JPEG. If you choose a Picture Control when shooting raw, then you camera will note in the file that you selected that Picture Control. When you open the image in NX2, the Picture Control will automatically be selected, and NX2 will process your image accordingly."

One more time - Thanks - great info and I was wondering how that happened and what the relationship actually was.

To me this means the picture part of Nikon's "NEF" raw file is unmodified. However, the NEF raw file has additional Picture Control info, which Capture NX2 applies. In Capture NX2's "Edit List" there is a Picture Control area. This area shows the applied Picture Controls from the camera, which I can change.

Example: In my camera, I choose "Monochrome". When imported into Capture NX2, the image is initially displayed in black & white. In Capture NX2, I change the Picture Control to "Neutral" and almost all changes to the raw file are removed. (See Nikon Manual for Picture Control details.)

For White Balance, which is not part of Nikon's Picture Control, processing is similar. Ben Long says "Even though your camera doesn't perform any white balance adjustments when shooting in raw mode, it does store the white balance settings in the images's EXIF information. Your raw converter, in turn, reads this setting and uses it as the initial white balance setting. You can adjust the white balance from there."

Different raw converters and post processing applications may handle Nikon NEF files differently. Similarly, other raw files, raw converters and PP applications may be different.

Cheers