Nikon D70/Unsharp Mark/Capture/Defaults

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

Hi,

I've had my D70 for several months now and I very happy with it (and more
importantly the images!). However, like most people, I'd always like to
improve things.

I've lately been musing on the topic of sharpening, and reading up on the
web. I main use the D70 in Landscape or Aperture Priority Mode. I mainly use
Capture 4 for post processing (both RAW and JPEGs), although have recently
bought Photoshop CS2, but I haven't really started to play with this yet.
Most of the time I shoot the highest quality JPEG's, but occassionally if a)
it seems like a particularly nice composition or b) tricky lighting
conditions, I shot in RAW.

My question relates to the in-camera sharpening. I have read that this
introduces more noise and I should set this to none, and apply unsharp mask
in Capture or Edge Sharp in PS (I think it was Edge Sharp, something like
that). I have done that under Custom Mode which, as I understand it, WILL
effect my AP (or manual or shutter priorty) shots but NOT the landscape mode
ones. Would I be correct in also thinking that this will only effect the
JPEGs and not the RAWs? Surely a RAW is raw and there is NO in camera
processing? If so I think I might turn it back on - I take hundreds of
pictures and only a handful (usually the RAW ones) are ones that I want to
do extensive post processing on. Would a good default configuration be to
have the sharpening switched on in the camera for the day to day shots, but
then use the Capture/PS facilities for sharpening my RAW images, which are
usually the 'special' ones?

I'm rambling aren't I ?!? Advice on users own default setting would be
helpful/useful/interesting !

TIA.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

OK, I think I'll pop out tomorrow and take some test shots with the
differing in-camera settings and see what that gives me. I went through the
same loop with the in-camera saturation settings and finished up with it on
'normal' - ie. the default !

Thanks a lot for the advice.

"Ed Ruf" <egruf_usenet@cox.net> wrote in message
news:usp4e1laovt5vnl8b1t80m7b1eq04nfvf2@4ax.com...

> First you choose whether you want to have full control over your images.
> If
> the answer is yes, then the in camera settings don't mean a whole lot.
> However, you need to be aware Capture will read these AND use them as the
> defaults when you process images unless you override these settings. Other
> raw converters such as Adobe ACR or Pixmantec's free RSE do not use the in
> camera settings as defaults. By making this choice you then need to post
> process each image.
>
> The other side is if you don't want to process every image, then you have
> to choose so settings and shoot jpeg. You are then at the mercy of your
> choices for sharpness, tone comp, saturation, etc. Depending on the image
> and your choices, this may mean the loss of information which can never be
> recovered.
>
> You have to choose what processing flow you are willing to do. Even when
> shooting jpeg in my 990 and 5700 I chose no sharpening or tone comp . It
> then still means one needs to post process..
>
> It's your choice.
> ----------
> Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (Usenet@EdwardG.Ruf.com)
> See images taken with my CP-990/5700 & D70 at
> http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Phot [...] index.html

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 00:32:49 +0100, in rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
"Stephen P." <stephen@nospam-tla-net.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>OK, I think I'll pop out tomorrow and take some test shots with the
>differing in-camera settings and see what that gives me. I went through the
>same loop with the in-camera saturation settings and finished up with it on
>'normal' - ie. the default !

Saturation is the least destructive setting. Tone comp and sharpening are
the more destructive ones. Tone comp can blow out highlights. If you
intend to do any editing of even jpegs (rotation, cropping, etc), best to
set these to none imo. In a decent workflow, sharpening should be your last
action.
----------
Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (Usenet@EdwardG.Ruf.com)
See images taken with my CP-990/5700 & D70 at
http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Phot [...] index.html

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

Ed Ruf wrote:
> On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 12:16:47 +1200, in rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
> frederick <nomail@nomail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Just to add some confusion, I find that slight "over-sharpening" can
>>look better printed. An unsharpened, or insufficiently sharpened image
>>tends to look too smooth when printed - to my eye anyway. OTOH
>>over-sharpening doesn't look that great on screen - especially when you
>>look close.
>
>
> One can argue about the amount of sharpening. however it is quite
> universally agreed it should be the last thing applied to an image. So if
> you will do any editing, even simple cropping, then it's best to turn
> sharpening off if shooting jpeg.

I agree with you 100% on that.