Set Picture Control question (Page 2): Good luck. Developing raw files is pretty easy. Mike...

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

khildy wrote:

Thanks for everyone responding. CHG CANON I have several times thought of shooting only in raw but I have never been able to step off that ledge yet. As DirtFarmer observed I am new to photography and am feeling my way around. Probably the main thing is I am working on but not comfortable at all with is post processing. Thank you larryepage for taking the time for your explanation.

Good luck. Developing raw files is pretty easy.

Mike

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Blenheim Orange wrote:

Good luck. Developing raw files is pretty easy.

Mike

Just another editor/method.

Bill_de Loc: US

Longshadow wrote:

In my camera, those modes will simply allow "pre-setting" of the affected sliders that are used in the manufacturer's RAW editor I use. The settings for each mode are applied to the JPEG when I select RAW+JPEG in the camera. The RAW file is not changed, but when I edit the RAW file, I can see the sliders are moved to the settings used in each mode in the camera.

Typically editors that recognize those settings on the RAW file default to the option "as Shot" or "as Recorded". If you deselect that option it reverts to the editors default settings.

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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Bill_de wrote:

Typically editors that recognize those settings on the RAW file default to the option "as Shot" or "as Recorded". If you deselect that option it reverts to the editors default settings.

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Cool. Don't know if mine has the as shot/as recorded option. Doesn't matter to me though, as when I go into the editor, I usually tweak things to see how different it may look anyway.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

khildy wrote:

Thanks for everyone responding. CHG CANON I have several times thought of shooting only in raw but I have never been able to step off that ledge yet. As DirtFarmer observed I am new to photography and am feeling my way around. Probably the main thing is I am working on but not comfortable at all with is post processing. Thank you larryepage for taking the time for your explanation.

I asked with the idea of prodding you along ... but not unnecessarily off the ledge

The various picture modes help to customize your camera settings / images for the situation, particularly the WB settings. These really can help at being a better JPEG shooter and there's nothing wrong with that. If RAW was 'free' in terms of disk space and / or 1-click superior editing, it wouldn't matter to 'just keep them around' for that just-in-case future event. Decide what's best for you. I coach focusing on one or the other, rather than trying both and progressing slower overall.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

khildy wrote:

I am fairly new to photography and joined a few months ago. I have a question that I would like opinions as to the Set Picture Control. There is Auto, Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape, Flat and Standard-02. Do you change these for certain situations or leave in basically one mode how do you handle this setting. I shoot in both JEG & RAW the reason some photos I just need to print and give to family. I would like some input on this please. Thanks.

I own many Nikon camera's, I like vivid for most of my shots.
Here is what I suggest you do. Start out by taking a control shot, should include as many colors as possible.
Now, go to your menu and pick any control you want, each shot should use a different settings, keep track or your results. Now, compare each to your control shot and see what YOU like.
The picture control is SUBJECTIVE, what I like may not what you like. You should pick the settings that YOU like, not what someone suggests here.

Kiriakos

CO wrote:

His question was about which Picture Controls Nikon shooters use. Instead of answering his question, you want to lecture him about RAW. Read his post:

You can say that again CO. Almost everybody does that. The same with the other common answer like "it depends what you want your camera for".
Straight answers to simple questions please! Then you can further expand if you wish.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

CHG_CANON wrote:

Or, just fill-in our own guesses on what the OP meant ....
...
...

Not like THAT has to be done often here...

Ask a vague question, .....

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

I use Flat mostly - but, experiment. Different settings wok well in different spaces. For example - if out shooting landscape and the light is rather dull I'm likely to use the Vivid setting.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

khildy wrote:

I am fairly new to photography and joined a few months ago. I have a question that I would like opinions as to the Set Picture Control. There is Auto, Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape, Flat and Standard-02. Do you change these for certain situations or leave in basically one mode how do you handle this setting. I shoot in both JEG & RAW the reason some photos I just need to print and give to family. I would like some input on this please. Thanks.

Picture Controls. I use them a lot even though my interests are limited to Landscape and Travel Scenics. As you can imagine, I use Landscape (or some form of it) most of the time. Does very well with green things and blue skies.
I Autumn, I often switch to some form of Vivid to add punch to the leaves "if they need it." If they are vibrant on their own, then Landscape or Standard does well.
I find that the delicate colors of Spring blossoms do better with some form of Neutral. Landscape and Vivid often change the color of blossoms entirely.
In winter I often use Portrait for snow scenes. It seems to give the image a softer "feel" and there is less "blue".
In Europe, I sometimes use a form of Neutral. To me, it more closely captures the "flavor" of the old Agfachrome images that European Togs used to use when I was just learning photography.
Hope this helps. You are the best judge of what you like.

steveg48

CHG_CANON wrote:

If you shoot RAW, the picture control is immateria... (show quote)

Not exactly true. If your camera has a live histogram, the Picture Control setting affects this histogram which is based off jpg. If you use the histogram to ETTR you might want to use a Standard setting as opposed to vivid.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Understand that Picture Control actually modifies only the JPEG files. If shooting RAW data Picture Control can be modified in post.
I have my cameras set to Standard.

steveg48

camerapapi wrote:

Understand that Picture Control actually modifies only the JPEG files. If shooting RAW data Picture Control can be modified in post.
I have my cameras set to Standard.

It also affects what the live view lcd displays. If you want a final black and white output from your raw file, it might be helpful to use monochrome picture control to help you visualize what the final image may look like.

Ruherek

CO wrote:

I usually shoot RAW and .jpeg. I have the picture control set to Standard all the time.

Nikon sets the default sharpening for their picture controls very low at level 3. Nikon expert, Ken Rockwell, recommends going through all of the picture controls and increasing the sharpening to level 6. I went through all of the picture controls and increased to level 6 and 7.

Thanks. I just reset all of mine to 6.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

khildy wrote:

Thanks for everyone responding. CHG CANON I have several times thought of shooting only in raw but I have never been able to step off that ledge yet. As DirtFarmer observed I am new to photography and am feeling my way around. Probably the main thing is I am working on but not comfortable at all with is post processing. Thank you larryepage for taking the time for your explanation.

What camera are you using?