D200, NEF and image set up

[carlosquandt]

Hello,

Im learning the features of my D200. I always shoot in NEF quality and dont

know if the settings on sharpness, contrast, tone (image improvement) affect

the NEF file. So �does the NEF file include the setting of this parameters?

 

PD I dont find any translation for the spanish verb "optimizar", so i

wrote "image improvement" as the possible name in the englsh camera menu.

Excuse my bad english

[Richard Williams]

They are stored in the NEF, but how they are used depends on the raw converter, e.g.:

 

Nikon Capture - Uses the in-camera settings as defaults, but can change them at the time of raw conversion.

 

Nikon View/Picture Project - Uses the in-camera settings. Can only change white balance and exposure compensation at the time of raw conversion.

 

Adobe Camera Raw (and most other 3rd party raw converters) - Ignores most of the in-camera settings (but understands white balance). Uses its own defaults instead.

[rainer_t]

Carlos,

 

Only settings that directly influence the exposure (ISO setting, exposure time, aperture) have direct influence on the resulting raw-file.

 

The other parameters are stored in the raw-file, but they are not

applied on the image-data (like they would have been when shooting

jpg). The raw-converter can read them from the raw-file and use them

as defaults.

 

Rainer

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

Actually that data is NOT stored in the RAW file but in an .xmp file or "sidecar" describing the parameters to be used when the image is displayed in a program like Capture or PS. With the exception of the exposure parameters as mentioned above (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) none of the other parameters like sharpness, saturation, hue etc, is written to the RAW file, but only to the sidecar. Therefore, if you set those things in your D200 and you open a file in Capture, your image will be displayed with your settings, but because it's not actually in the RAW file, you can change those setting at will.

 

The English word I think you're looking for is optimize.

 

Paul

[mawz]

Paul: that's incorrect. The in-camera settings are stored in the EXIF data for the RAW file(NEF) at the time of creation. XMP sidecar files are created when you modify the default settings in ACR (and possibly Capture, I'm not sure if it uses XMP sidecars, but it's likely).

[Richard Williams]

'The other parameters are stored in the raw-file, but they are not applied on the image-data (like they would have been when shooting jpg). The raw-converter can read them from the raw-file and use them as defaults.'

 

Again, this depends on the raw converter. It's true for Capture, which uses the other parameters as defaults but can change them. Nikon View reads and uses the other parameters but can't change them (except for white balance and exp comp). Most 3rd party raw converters (like ACR) ignore them altogether (except for white balance).

 

'Actually that data is NOT stored in the RAW file but in an .xmp file or "sidecar" describing the parameters to be used when the image is displayed in a program like Capture or PS.'

 

This only applies to Photoshop, not Capture (or the D200 itself). Even with Photoshop, you can choose a DNG workflow and write everything back to a single file rather than using a sidecar.

 

'...and possibly Capture, I'm not sure if it uses XMP sidecars, but it's likely.'

 

In fact the (fully reversible) changes made in Capture are just written back to the NEF metadata, so it's a bit like using ACR with DNGs.

[john_layton]

jeesh!! Yeah - I love my D-200 also, but I don't think I'll rip out my wet darkroom anytime

soon!

[carlosquandt]

Woooow, Im impressed because all your detailed and well explained answers.

Now my duty is to learn till the end the Nikon Capture 4.4 features

Thankyou all very much.

Regards