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What is affecting the raw image result?
Jan 11, 2019 15:42:13   #
tenny52
 
I had the Nikon D610 since 2014, have been shooting Raw + jpg all the time. It still puzzles me which settings are affecting the raw result? Since its raw format NEF can be viewed by Faststone as well as Lightroom, it seems most settings will affect the initial image viewing.
I would like to know what is your settings. Which one will affecting the raw result?
Here is from my SHOOTING MENU settings(or any other settings)
. White Balance: Auto ...etc
. Picture Control: Standard, Neutral,Vivid, Monochrome etc.
. Auto distortion control On/Off
. Color space: sRGB, Adobe RGB.
. Active D-Lighting: Auto , Extra high. High, Normal, Low, Off
. Vignette control: High, Normal, Low, Off
. Long exposure NR : On/Off
. High ISO NR: High, Normal, Low, Off
. ISO sensitivity settings
... ISO sensitivity
... Auto ISO sensitivity control
... Maximum sensitivity
... Minimum shutter speed
Thanks ahead for your inputs

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Jan 11, 2019 15:55:10   #
PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA
 
RAW data is not viewable. Any image shown represented as the RAW image has been processed and in that process many of your choices may be applied even though they are not part of the RAW data from the sensor. It depends on what was used to "view" the "RAW" file. RAW files may include a thumbnail image created in the camera which, also, may use some of the settings you made.

I can't speak for Nikon, Faststone or Lightroom as I don't use them.

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Jan 11, 2019 15:58:46   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
First, you have to appreciate which setting is permanent in the RAW and which can be completely overridden in post processing. In some cases, you also have to understand which setting is Nikon specific and can be seen and overridden only by Nikon software and which can be overridden by all RAW editors.

From your list, you've listed a few that impact the camera and not (directly) the resulting images, specifically the max / min auto ISO controls. The ISO value when the image was captured applies to the image, but the range of possible ISO values applies to the camera and controls how the camera sets the exposure, when a max / min limit is encountered in a given situation.

Regarding universal overrides:

a) A RAW file is color space independent, it doesn't matter what setting you set in camera, your selection of the colorspace in the editor for processing the RAW file is the only setting that matters.
b) WB and Picture style can be changed in the RAW editor without regard to the original value. The value from the camera may impact the image preview / as-shot image, but does not impact / limit how you can change the RAW file in editing.

For the other settings in your list, Nikon shooters can provide better assessments. You might too do some google searching and find confirmations of my response and others, as they arrive.

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Jan 11, 2019 16:12:37   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
tenny52 wrote:
I had the Nikon D610 since 2014, have been shooting Raw + jpg all the time. It still puzzles me which settings are affecting the raw result? Since its raw format NEF can be viewed by Faststone as well as Lightroom, it seems most settings will affect the initial image viewing.
I would like to know what is your settings. Which one will affecting the raw result?
Here is from my SHOOTING MENU settings(or any other settings)
. White Balance: Auto ...etc
. Picture Control: Standard, Neutral,Vivid, Monochrome etc.
. Auto distortion control On/Off
. Color space: sRGB, Adobe RGB.
. Active D-Lighting: Auto , Extra high. High, Normal, Low, Off
. Vignette control: High, Normal, Low, Off
. Long exposure NR : On/Off
. High ISO NR: High, Normal, Low, Off
. ISO sensitivity settings
... ISO sensitivity
... Auto ISO sensitivity control
... Maximum sensitivity
... Minimum shutter speed
Thanks ahead for your inputs
I had the Nikon D610 since 2014, have been shootin... (show quote)


If I set similar conditions in my Canon, those are what are used to display the "RAW" file.
The RAW editor (DPP in my case) decodes and displays an image according to the stored settings.
(Sliders at the middle or pushed to one side.)
If you don't change anything in the camera, then the default settings are used to display your image.
When you look at a RAW file in an editor, you are not looking at a RAW or JPEG image per se in the editor, but simply a display image of the data.

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Jan 12, 2019 06:47:32   #
camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.
 
My experience is only based on what I see when I edit a RAW data. Looks to me that the WB (when working in daylight) is kept and I also see some sharpness applied. My personal opinion is that this is done by the editing software.

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Jan 12, 2019 06:55:47   #
Delderby Loc: Derby UK
 
Longshadow wrote:
If I set similar conditions in my Canon, those are what are used to display the "RAW" file.
The RAW editor (DPP in my case) decodes and displays an image according to the stored settings.
(Sliders at the middle or pushed to one side.)
If you don't change anything in the camera, then the default settings are used to display your image.
When you look at a RAW file in an editor, you are not looking at a RAW or JPEG image per se in the editor, but simply a display image of the data.
If I set similar conditions in my Canon, those are... (show quote)


Which you should be able to save as JPG, TIFF etc. for viewing or for future editing.

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Jan 12, 2019 07:49:33   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
Delderby wrote:
Which you should be able to save as JPG, TIFF etc. for viewing or for future editing.

Correct!
Save AS is the key operator.

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Jan 12, 2019 08:28:32   #
Delderby Loc: Derby UK
 
Longshadow wrote:
Correct!
Save AS is the key operator.



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Jan 12, 2019 08:39:40   #
aflundi Loc: Albuquerque, NM
 
tenny52 wrote:
I had the Nikon D610 since 2014, have been shooting Raw + jpg all the time. It still puzzles me which settings are affecting the raw result? Since its raw format NEF can be viewed by Faststone as well as Lightroom, it seems most settings will affect the initial image viewing.
I would like to know what is your settings. Which one will affecting the raw result?

Since many, if not most raw post processing software reads the settings from the NEF file and try to duplicate as a starting point what the JPG would have been, you could say all those things affect the raw file as the raw file records the settings. But if you are talking about just the raw image data, from your list:
Quote:
Here is from my SHOOTING MENU settings(or any other settings)

yes :: Long exposure NR, ISO sensitivity
no :: White Balance, Picture Control, Auto distortion, Color space, Vignette control, High ISO NR,
Can affect exposure choice in auto modes and therefore what data is recorded :: Active D-Lighting, ISO sensitivity, Auto ISO, Max ISO, Min SS

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Jan 12, 2019 09:35:45   #
selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA
 
tenny52 wrote:
I had the Nikon D610 since 2014, have been shooting Raw + jpg all the time. It still puzzles me which settings are affecting the raw result? ...

Only these will affect what is recorded in the raw file:
. Long exposure NR : On/Off
. High ISO NR: High, Normal, Low, Off
. ISO sensitivity settings
... ISO sensitivity
... Auto ISO sensitivity control
... Maximum sensitivity
... Minimum shutter speed

Reply
Jan 12, 2019 13:38:15   #
chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY
 
tenny52 wrote:
I had the Nikon D610 since 2014, have been shooting Raw + jpg all the time. It still puzzles me which settings are affecting the raw result? Since its raw format NEF can be viewed by Faststone as well as Lightroom, it seems most settings will affect the initial image viewing.
I would like to know what is your settings. Which one will affecting the raw result?
Here is from my SHOOTING MENU settings(or any other settings)
. White Balance: Auto ...etc
. Picture Control: Standard, Neutral,Vivid, Monochrome etc.
. Auto distortion control On/Off
. Color space: sRGB, Adobe RGB.
. Active D-Lighting: Auto , Extra high. High, Normal, Low, Off
. Vignette control: High, Normal, Low, Off
. Long exposure NR : On/Off
. High ISO NR: High, Normal, Low, Off
. ISO sensitivity settings
... ISO sensitivity
... Auto ISO sensitivity control
... Maximum sensitivity
... Minimum shutter speed
Thanks ahead for your inputs
I had the Nikon D610 since 2014, have been shootin... (show quote)


Noise is usually present always so it will appear in the RAW data. I usually keep NR to "normal". This can be minimized with LR and other tools.
Shutter speed affects sharpness and/or blurring effects, so that of course is recorded and can't be altered.
Active D - best to keep it off unless you are shooting jpgs only and want a small or large degree of HDR effect.
White balance - auto but it can be adjusted post RAW.
Vignette - depending how severe it is may be unrecoverable.
Auto distortion - you can correct lens distortion in post with LR and other tools, so this may be turned off or on - user preference. I keep it off and rather process it post.

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Jan 13, 2019 03:11:14   #
Ron Dial Loc: Cuenca, Ecuador
 
The simplest way to understand it is compare the old wedding photographers. Wedding photographers almost always shot negative film. Outdoor and architect shooter use transparency (slide) film.

Negative film is grainy, BUT if your shot is over or under exposed by up 2 stops., you can still get a great print. Transparency film must within 1/2 stop; otherwise you lose the shot.

Shooting in RAW is like shooting with a negative. YOU can be off by up to 2.5 stops +-, and still get the shot

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Jan 13, 2019 10:16:15   #
via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP
 
Nikon Picture Control directly affects a JPEG image and the viewing image on the monitor. You can use Nikon software and it will read the Picture Control settings and then apply them as you've chosen. Lightroom, and as far as I know, other non-Nikon software does not do this. Picture Control does not affect RAW as you take the shot, but again, will affect the RAW image if you choose the appropriate setting in the Nikon software. White balance does affect both types of files but can be adjusted in post. Color space only affects JPEG.

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Jan 13, 2019 11:19:20   #
srt101fan
 
via the lens wrote:
Nikon Picture Control directly affects a JPEG image and the viewing image on the monitor. You can use Nikon software and it will read the Picture Control settings and then apply them as you've chosen. Lightroom, and as far as I know, other non-Nikon software does not do this. Picture Control does not affect RAW as you take the shot, but again, will affect the RAW image if you choose the appropriate setting in the Nikon software. White balance does affect both types of files but can be adjusted in post. Color space only affects JPEG.
Nikon Picture Control directly affects a JPEG imag... (show quote)


Forgive me for nit-picking, but I don't believe your statement "Picture Control....will affect the RAW image if you choose the appropriate setting in the Nikon software" is correct. The way I understand it, there is no such thing as a "RAW image" so the Picture Control settings cannot affect it. What they can affect is the process of converting the RAW data file to a viewable image file, no?

This has been discussed before and I don't mean to beat a dead horse. But I also think that this subject is the source of a lot of confusion so I am pleading for precision in the language we use when discussing it.

Please correct me if I'm wrong!

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Jan 13, 2019 12:40:56   #
rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA
 
camerapapi wrote:
My experience is only based on what I see when I edit a RAW data. Looks to me that the WB (when working in daylight) is kept and I also see some sharpness applied. My personal opinion is that this is done by the editing software.


It depends on how you configure the RAW editor you are using; the settings it automatically uses whenever you open a new file. When using a RAW editor for the very fist time, configuring the software should be the first step. Unless the default configuration is all you want.

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