D700 - LCD

<p>I have borrowed a D700 to try it out, since I am not happy with my D600. I really loved shooting with it, but I do have one question.<br>

I realize what is in the LCD of the camera may not be 100% accurate as to what has actually been shot (brighter, etc). But when I uploaded the photos (I shot RAW+JPEG), the photos were extremely cooler and quite a bit underexposed. I was pretty pleased while shooting, but was incredibly disappointed in the way I shot that day once I uploaded them until I simultaneously viewed the LCD of the camera and my computer monitor. Could it be that drastic of a difference? I had to do quite a bit of editing to get my picture to look anything close to what I saw on the back of the camera. <br>

Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>And the first of many questions would be is your computer monitor calibrated?</p>

<p>and the second is 'were you looking at the JPG out of the camera or the RAW, and if the RAW, what/how did you 'process' it?'</p>

<p>and the third is 'are you using a color managed application' to view it on the computer?</p>

<p>My suggestion is to go through the entire menu and set it to your liking. The WB may have been set wrongly....you could also have bracketing creating darker images, etc. Having stuff calibrated helps too.</p>

<p>Les</p>

<p>In what way are you not happy with your D600? Its sensor technology is a couple of generations newer than the D700, and in most respects will deliver better image quality.</p>

<p>Anyhow: The rear LCD screen of the D700 has a brightness setting option in the 'tools' menu. It's variable between -3 to +3 and this will obviously make quite a difference to the appearance of pictures reviewed on it. The ambient light when viewing camera images will also affect their apparent brightness, colour and contrast.</p>

<p>In any case, the rear LCD screen of the camera isn't meant to show a colour-calibrated exact reproduction. It's there for a quick check on focus, framing and composition rather than exposure and colour balance. The 3 channel histogram is the right tool for checking exposure and, to some extent, colour. You should also match your final images to some standardised reference with a known color space and white-point temperature. Something like a neutral greyscale, IT 8 or Macbeth chart, using a calibrated high-end monitor, and definitely <strong>not</strong> take the camera LCD display as a point of reference. It's not a calibrated monitor, and Nikon make no claims for it to be. And why shoot RAW files if you expect them to just look exactly the same as JPEGs viewed on the back of the camera?</p>

<p>I compared the jpeg on the lcd to the one on my calibrated monitor. <br>

I was viewing it in Photoshop Elements.<br>

I set my white balance based on what I see on the lcd. I set it to K and adjust to my liking. If the color on the lcd is not accurate, how can I know if my wb is set to my liking?<br>

I don't shoot RAW files and expect them to look the same as JPEGs - if that was the case I would shoot one or the other, not both.</p>

 

You should consider get a high quality durable non-metamerazing gray balance target ( I like the WhiBal) and use that to

shoot an in camera custom white balance.

<p>Why are you not happy with your D600?</p>

<p>Sorry, I get a bit confused: in the OP you state you shot RAW and JPEG, and in your reply you state you don't shoot RAW files.... Now, of you indeed shot both, PS Elements might "stack" the pair and show you the RAW file instead of the JPEG. And the default rendering of a RAW file in PS Elements is what Adobe Camera Raw makes out of it - and this will certainly not be identical to the JPEG. So, "...<em>RAW files and expect them to look the same as JPEGs</em>", I'm sorry, but that is a false expectation.<br>

Maybe the best verification is to install ViewNX2 (which will render the RAW identical to the JPEG) and verify with that program. If anything, my D700 tends to overexpose slightly (to my taste anyway).</p>

<p>Plus, like others asked, I'd wonder what bothers you about the D600? (I can image a few things, even if the point about the better sensor is fully true, I happliy bought a D700 when the D600 came out knowing it would be a better fit for me). But maybe it's a matter of tinkering settings that can help you get back on track with the D600 - especially since D700 2nd hand prices are rather high.</p>

<p>Hi there</p>

<p>I think you may be giving yourself problems by setting a white balance based on what you see on the screen. Our eyes are very good at accomodating white balance changes so what looks correct at the time may well not be. That is the reason for having a custom white balance setting. The individual colour temp settings are for those who can afford a colour meter that gives them a seprate reading to dial in.<br>

As others have said it is alwyas a good idea to carry a neutral grey card with you to either take a white balance or just to include in an image and then use it to white balance later. Something else to bear in mind is that auto white balance takes a new reading everytime the shutter fires so you need to set one of the fixed colour temps if ou want consistency across a sequence of images.</p>

<p>Simon</p>

<p>If I remember correctly, Elements displays images in the sRGB color space. The D700 can process JPEG files in either sRGB or Adobe RGB. Which color space is set on the D700? The wrong color space can make some images appear different.</p>

<p>The K (manual) WB setting is really only for use when you know exactly what colour temperature your light source is; e.g. 3200K studio tungsten lights, 3400K Photofloods, etc. But the K setting takes no account of any magenta/green shift. It may be that your borrowed D700 had been previously given an M/G shift in the fine-tune WB menu - did you check for that?</p>

<p>I can only repeat that the rear LCD of the camera is <strong>not</strong> any sort of colour reference standard. I don't know of anyone who uses it as such, or would recommend using it in that way. So, I'm afraid you're very much on your own in relying on the rear LCD to set a White Balance from.</p>

<p>As other have said, the right way to set a WB from an unknown light source is to use the custom (PRE) WB option. You don't need an overpriced Expodisc to do this, or even a grey card. All you need is a simple sheet or two of fresh, white copier paper, and to follow this procedure:<br>

1) Set the camera to P exposure mode and switch the lens or body to manual focus.<br>

2) Select [PRE] as the WB mode - you can further select D-1 to D-4 as a custom memory bank, but the default D-1 will do.<br>

3) Press the WB button for about 6 seconds until [PRE] begins to flash.<br>

4) Point the camera at a doubled-up sheet of clean copier paper and fill the frame with it - doesn't matter if it's in focus or not. Also make sure the paper is under the same light you intend to shoot with, and not shaded by the camera.<br>

5) Release the shutter.<br>

6) You should now see 'GOOD' displayed on the camera LCD, or 'Gd' in the viewfinder. If you see 'No Gd', then you need to try again, maybe in better light or with an increased ISO.<br>

Assuming you eventually see 'GOOD'; that's it! You can now use any preferred exposure mode and turn autofocus back on. The camera is now set to use the prevailing light as a custom White Balance, and there's no excuse for off colours.</p>

<p>What RJ says will work just fine. I do things slightly different but it comes out the same. When I am shooting at an indoor arena with mixed lighting I will find a piece of clean cement flooring that is under the same lighting that I am shooting under. I then do a custom WB off of the floor. I find it gives me a slightly cooler WB then paper does. Also since we are talking about RAW files I can make the WB what ever I want in post. Sometimes it is much better to do it that way especially when I am shooting under changing WB conditions.</p>

<p>With digital photography comes a whole suit of issues about managing technology from the camera through the lens match (focus), through the file format, through the color protocol and software. I doubt that any of your problems are related to the camera. There are so many variables to understand and manage. Getting it right is not as easy as it once was. It truly is a systems management issue. Missing just one function can throw the whole thing off.</p>

Hey, the D700 is simply a better camera, maybe the best Nikon DSLR ever, unless you have special needs.

Wouter- please take another look at

that sentence before you try to twist

things. I shot raw+JPEG at the time.

Uploaded to lr and made adjustments

to the raw files. I opened up the JPEG

files directly in elements.

When I compared the LCD to the

computer, it was the JPEG image in

elements. I said I don't expect raw files

to look like jpegs. If I did expect that,

why shoot both raw and JPEG?

 

Thank you everyone for chiming in and

educating me. I read a few tutorials

about using kelvin to adjust wb and all

said you can switch to lv and adjust the

temp based on what you see in screen.

Guess you can't believe everything you

read and see in the back of the

camera.

Thank you Rodeo for your response. I

guess this is what I need to do from

now in to ensure the correct wb is

used.

<blockquote>

<p>please take another look at that sentence before you try to twist things</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Sorry, I did not actively try to twist things, no need to accuse me of that. Maybe I misunderstood your question? Especially since I explicitely said I got a bit confused?<br /> So please, I just tried to help, no hidden agendas to change your words into something you didn't say and I guess a little more leeway for people responding to your question before you accuse them of being disingeneous wouldn't be a bad thing. No need to get this touchy.</p>