Sharpening in CS3

[michael_mcblane]

I've had CS3 since it came out and has worked very well. Since I scan most of

my images I've never tried sharpening because it wasn't necessary.

 

Recently I've shot a few images with my Nikon D200 and when I try to sharpen

them, they sharpen in the preview (180 at 1.6 radius) but when I OK it and wait

for the progress bar to complete, it is sharp up until the end then reverts

back to it's previous state.

 

Any ideas.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Michael

[sattler123]

it's a setting in Bridge preferences. you can change it!

[michael_mcblane]

Please explain. As I mentioned above, I'm in CS3, and have done some retouching, and have gone into Sharpen, Smart Sharpen and chosen 180 at 1.6 then pressed OK. The image is sharp until the progress bar reaches the end then it reverts back to less sharp.

 

Michael

[patricklavoie]

what is the magnification? 100% 50% 24% or some funky fraction%

[patricklavoie]

sorry i meant 25%, not 24%.

[raysgallery]

I don't know if this is your problem or not. I ask a Nikon rep why when I import an NEF file to Photoshop, for about a 1/2 sec it looks like I edited it in Capture NX, and then reverts back to the original.

 

To make a long and complicated story shot. Photoshop doesn't like NEF files and won't recognize anything you do in Capture NX unless you save it as a Tiff or JPEG.

 

When you import the file into Photoshop, first try and save it as another file type before you start on it. I don't know it this will work or not. I just know Photoshop doesn't like NEF files. Not according to Nikon support anyway.

[michael_mcblane]

I look at the sharpening effect in a lot of magnifications from 12 up to about 33 to get a feel for how much it's sharpening. The size is 20x24.

 

The image is converted to photoshop working space which is adobe RGB I believe, not a NEF file.

 

Michael

[patricklavoie]

Since anything other than 25% 50% or 100% will give you a non representative preview, you should only check your sharpen at those size. Apply your SMART SHARPEN at 100% and see if after you still have it or it seem to disapear.

[trunfio]

Photoshop loves my NEFs. I don't know what you mean Charles.

[michael_mcblane]

Thanks Patrick. It looks as though it is staying sharp when viewed at 50 and 100. It's interesting though that previously when I sharpened the image I looked at it a lot of different magnifications to get the right amount and when I decided I backed it down the image to full frame, about 12.5 magnification

 

I could still see the sharpening. But like I said, after hitting OK, as it's progress reached completion, it visibly at 12.5 would seem to revert back to unsharp.

 

Michael

[raysgallery]

I don't know. I just know why I lost all my work. I guess I'll have to go dig up his email, but not today.

[raysgallery]

I found it. Here it is

 

 

Hi Ray,

 

Bridge and Photoshop outright ignore changes made in NX (even base adjustments) because they cannot process them the same way as NX. They also ignore changes if you made them in another RAW processor such as Bibble.

 

 

The reason you see the edited image is because there is an embedded preview JPEG of the last saved version of the NEF file inside that NEF file. So it looks at the preview, then it sees it is an edited NEF then goes to the RAW file without changes.

 

 

I hope you are running version 1.2 as it is very fast.

 

 

Also, you can set Capture NX to open the last state of a NEF file in Photoshop if you set it up in Capture NX; you go to Preferences (Mac) on the Mac menu or Options (Windows) under the Edit menu in Windows and set Photoshop as an external editor.

 

 

Then you go under file and select ?Open with?? this then will send a 16 or 8 bit (depending on the original NEF) TIFF file over to Photoshop with the last changes done in Capture NX. It will be a big, unnamed file (forcing you to decide if you want to save it) and may take a little time to open up as it can be a very, very large file.

 

 

Best,

 

 

Michael

[wesleybrownphoto]

<p>Michael - I had this same problem and asked about it in the forums. I can;t recall if someone helped or if I eventually just figured it out on my own. Here's the deal. When you sharpen a large image, the preview screen will indeed show you the sharpening effect at 100% and then when the progress bar completes and you revert back to viewing the image at say, 12.5% you won't see the same effect. I've found that with my larger images (when I first import to PS for processing) require a MUCH higher level of sharpening to get the right effect. I usually use between 250 and 300 amount and 0.6 radius. I know, it sounds crazy, but this is my first sharpening pass before I do any correction. Then, I edit everything and then resize to my output, whether for web or for print and then I do anothr smart sharpen pass at a way lower amount, typically between 20 and 100 with the same radius, which is all that is needed on the smaller images (unless I'm doing a large print, which may require more). You can check out my site to see I'm not a mad sharpener or anything www.jwesleybrown.com</p>