BebuLamar

Yeah because you use auto-exposure mode.

controversy Loc: Wuhan, China

It's great to learn that you are an expert and know the science. Will you please educate the rest of us by explaining the scientific error(s) that Mark Wallace of Adorama makes in this video where he demonstrates that any camera has limitations that cannot be corrected in-camera. We are eager to hear your science-based, empirically tested corrections to his presentation. Perhaps a video demonstration of your testing that proves him wrong?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S3T-qQFZsA

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Yes, No and Maybe are probably the best answer for the SOOC question....... extremely situational.....

In my case, I do it "to see if I can make a great SOOC shot", as a mental challenge of my skills and ability to apply my determinations successfully. Hey, it's a lot more fun than crossword puzzles (no offense meant to puzzle lovers, I'm just a bit more tactile, touchy feely) and a lot of other things I can think of ...............

one_eyed_pete Loc: Colonie NY

The whole keystone of this debate is the concept of "PERFECT". If an image is "perfect" to you, you're done. Who cares if the black, white or color values meet some technical measurement, you're done. I typically prefer to add a bit of salt to some of my food to suit my personal taste.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

At about 1:35 in the video he makes a point of telling us he has an expensive Sekonic color meter. Good for him. Why does he not use it or refer to it again in the entire video? What was the point of showing it in the first place? He has cool stuff -- he must be smart!

Moving on he then introduces his test target and and camera and begins to shoot the test target with the camera tethered to LR. He has the camera transferring to LR Nikon NEF raw files. After taking a series of different exposures he moves on and takes the NEF files into ACR where he can take some measurements of blacks and whites. What camera input profile is he using in ACR? Does he even know. Does it at all matter?

At 10 minutes into the video he makes his point: If you want a high contrast image with black blacks and white whites you're not going to get that in the camera it won't work. SOOC means getting a good final image directly from the camera which for nearly all of our cameras right now is a camera generated JPEG. Did you note that HE HASN'T EVEN SHOT ONE YET! What does saving raw (NEF) files and analyzing them in ACR's default camera profile have to do with SOOC JPEGs?

So he's sub-clueless and are you saying you fell for that rubbish?

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Yes, it is...depending on many variables, one of which includes the photographer's idea of a quality shot, which is often debatable by other viewers. I see a lot of picture on this site where someone posts a picture to prove a point, and they think the posted picture does that, but to me it only proves the other point.

A jpeg shot can work well, assuming a photographer has any skill at all, if the light is nearly perfect and the subject made up mostly of mid-tones. Even a RAW picture taken in these conditions needs little help in processing. Where a RAW shot excels, among other times, is when the lighting conditions are difficult, i.e., a high dynamic range, in other words a big difference in light and dark tones. A RAW image also excels for recovering images where the sky has been exposed to the right, i.e., the highlights in the sky are near to over exposed.

The format a photographer shoots in is often less important than how the photographer uses their skill to take an image. I sometimes think many people focus on the technical issues because they don't have the artistic ability needed to take a quality shot, but they keep hoping their focus on technical issues will help them to be a "better" photographer. Digital photography is a marriage of artistic effort and technical knowledge, both are needed to produce a decent image.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Yeah, I have two distinct workflows, one JPEG SOOC and one raw with post-processing.

The JPEG workflow assumes I can control the lighting, contrast range, lighting ratio, exposure, and that it remains constant. In other words, I'm certain of the outcome and the menu settings and exposure settings on the camera. Ideally, I'm in a studio environment of some sort, but there are plenty of situations outside the studio (but usually indoors) where this works.

The raw workflow assumes that: A) I need the maximum possible quality I can get, with the maximum post-processing options, and B) that I might need to work in an environment with rapidly changing lighting conditions, extreme contrast range, uncontrolled and uncontrollable lighting, etc. Usually, this means I'm at an event where auxiliary lighting is forbidden or gauche, or I'm outdoors in bright sun, or moving from one place to another both indoors and out, pretty quickly, following action. It might mean I need a little windage to make certain I get recoverable detail in both shadows and highlights, or that I'm doing ETTR/EBTR work to maximize recoverable detail.

cameranut Loc: North Carolina

Possible? yes. Probable? maybe.

35B Loc: Australia

I've had things Straight Out Of China, but not recently.
35B

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

Succesful SOOC is what photographers who really know their cameras get.

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Yes, you need to see a book by Gordon Laing titled "In Camera" How to get perfect pictures straight out of the camera. All of the photos in this book are SOOC. Taken with various mirrorless cameras.
He has many images in this book, with explanations and settings used for each one.
This is an excellent book to read for anyone who thinks it is not possible to get great images SOOC.

Will

Bill_de Loc: US

For anyone interested in the book, the Kindle version is only $3.99. There is a sample chapter.

https://smile.amazon.com/kindle/dp/B07YS8MFYB/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_eos_detail

--

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Nice putting the link up, Bill.
I have the hardcover edition. I think it is best way to really appreciate Gordon Laing's images.
It is amazing to me how he is able to get the images he does SOOC.

will

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Here's my attempt at an SOOC. Processing is definitely needed.
--Bob

(Download)