Am I ever going to get my lens back?

You can also use the - Edit/Preferences - to change how the program works along with the Assistant. If I remember correctly, the Assistant also offers different choices depending on which Persona you are in.

As far as Lightroom is concerned, I only had LR5, strip out all the "initial or default" presets, and it is also a fairly flat image.

Make sure that your using the same color space in both editors if you wish to check this out.

Ron

This dead horse has been beaten to death.

The raw file is "not" changed. The out put is changed by the algorithm (Nikon Presets, if you choose) which are designed to broaden the tonal ranges in High Contrast situations. You can achieve the same results using curves, but then there a lot of folks that are not interested in PP or shooting in RAW. This will give you a different histogram than the initial or original raw histogram, and reacts differently depending on which camera profile you have set (whether in the camera or Nikon software). It will also change noise, white balance, and sharpening to achieve it's results. You can fine tune the D light with Nikon software, but it is not always effectively transferred to Adobie software or other PP software. If you shoot Jpeg you have better luck as that is all the PP software has to work with, but you have discarded the original raw file. If you have a flat (low contrast) file you can use it to bring in some contrast, but you have to tweak the file first for it to work significantly. Then again this works best in RAW as you have more data to manipulate, resulting in a much better out put file.

Yes the Nikon site does not go into the finer details, they are talking to the average ordinary consumer who just wants to take a picture and understand what D light can do. You can contact Nikon directly, and with enough persistence actually talk to someone who can flesh out the finer details of anything you want to know about Nikon products. Actually this is true of most manufactures.

Being a scientist or engineer will not accomplish as much as using the functions in "RAW" with the Nikon software and seeing what it does to your output file. Then if you want, process that file as a 32 bit LAB and have some fun.

Ron

Why don't you just go to the Nikon site and find out what Active D light does, and how it works. Forget about raw digger. Shoot your image in both RAW and Jpg. The histograms will be different. If you use the Nikon software, you will be able to change the Active D light in the exposure comp tab, even if you have set it in the camera menu if you use the RAW image. You cannot in the Jpeg, you cannot even change the exposure in Jpeg., because you dumped so much information and baked into a smaller file. Sure, you can take your Jpeg into some other PP software and work the exposure comp, but you threw away part of the base information so they have to "interpret" what was discarded.

I know, Nikon software is junk as far as most are concerned, but if you take the time to learn it and it's capabilities, you might be surprised at it's capabilities. I would be surprised if this were not true of other manufactures software. As for Active D Light, it seems that all manufactures have some form of it. Is it comparable, I don't know and not interested as I've only invested in Nikon DSLR's.

Ron

It has been available for PC for some time. I run it on an 10 year old Dell with Win 7 and on our PC's. Works much faster on Win 10.

Ron

I don't use Adobie products, but (for me), in DXO if you play with the blk and mid tone sliders before using the prime noise reduction, then you can use the exposure comp to taste. I use this method to remove the artifacts for printing, and it seems to allow the noise reduction to work better (again my opinion). So far it has worked on my older 9000 & 9600 printers. Newer printers and their software may not necessitate this work flow, but they may also accentuate the problem. On screen, for me it worked beautifully.

Ron

If you have DXO it will do what you want. I was impressed with what it did to your file.

Ron

Well stated!

Ron

So then it will be "Grey Market Film" ?

Ron

Yes it will, and if you store the original NIK file on an internal drive, back up usb drive, or stick, it will also be over written and usless if you use the free trial and then decide not to upgrade.

Ron

Nope, I used sonic plugs inside muffs. After 40 years of competitive shooting I have a 60% hearing loss.

Ron

The files are from 2.6 to 3.7 gig zipped tiff. Have tried to get them down to 20mb jpeg, but they won't open. Have tried LR, DXO, On1 Raw, no joy. Will play around with them later. The will open in Affinity. I'm assuming it is something to do with the file size as the named programs will have large chunks left out before they crash.

Ron

10K is not bad compared to the equivalent Hassy and Phase one. It is less than some of the used backs on the market, and that is without the body and adapters required for them. Depending on the actual size of the sensor, the pixel density will probably equate to the D850, Z7, or the big Canons. Not familiar with Canon so do not know the models of their big guns.

Sure would be fun to work with one of the MF digitals, if it would be the same "Wow" factor when I got my first Bronica. Didn't shelve my Nikons, but they never were never used as much for certain types of photography.

Ron

Try Affinity, works when others have failed for me. Twenty three, 36mp frames in RAW. Could not get it done in any other software, probably because it was done with a 600mm and no way to set the proper node point for the lens. Done in less than 2 min.

Ron

Try Fotodiox. They even made a one off for me.

Ron