Nikon D300s dual cards

[joel_stowe]

<p>The question that I have reguarding the dual cards, is can the camera be set to record color to one card and the second card to record black and white. Or do most photographers just do the change later in processing.<br>

Also this would be for the camera's with one card capabilities can you record both black and white and color at the same time, just like they can record both RAW and Jpeg at the same time. This would be in line with the D300 and D700.<br>

Thanks Joel</p>

[lornesunley]

<p>Not likely</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Can't speak to the D300s - but neither the D300 nor the D700 can record 1 color and 1 b/w of the same image. It's either or, but no mixing. </p>

<p>I never let the engineers at Nikon determine the conversion to b/w for me - I shoot 100% in color and then do my own conversions. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[leighb]

<blockquote>

<p>The question that I have reguarding the dual cards, is can the camera be set to record color to one card and the second card to record black and white.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No.</p>

<p>The options are:<br /> 1) to record raw to one and jpeg to the other,<br /> 2) to write files to both cards as a backup, or<br /> 3) to use one as primary and the second as overflow.</p>

<p>See page 72 of the User's Manual.</p>

<p>As David said (we doubled), best to shoot exclusively in color and do the B&W conversion later yourself.</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p><strike>Am I missing a manu option? As far as I know, Nikon does not even allow you to shoot monochrome directly.You can change an image that is already captured into monochrome via the Retouch Menu, but that is afterwards.</strike></p>

<p>I agree with David Haas, though. I wouldn't let Nikon and the small computer processor on board a DSLR to determine how to convert an image into monochrom or convert into JPEG. Those conversions are much better performed on a PC or Mac with much better hardware and software. With the DSLR, I would retain as much information as the camera can with a RAW file (including all colors) and do all post-processing afterwards.</p>

<P>

<I>Sorry, I forgot about the monochrome option under Picture Control.</I>

</P>

[alex_zepeda]

<p>Shun: You use hardware and software to do B&W conversions? But <a href="http://uploads.neatorama.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/desaturatedsanta.png">why</a>??</p>

<p>Anyhow, yeah with the D200 you can shoot monochrome JPEGs.. and that might be a way to accomplish the goal. Shot JPEG+RAW but set the camera to B&W. The RAW file will, obviously, contain the color information. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me to shoot like this, but it seems doable.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Oh, I just realized that you can use picture control to shoot monochrome. I totally forgot about that.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Shun: You use hardware and software to do B&W conversions? But <a rel="nofollow" href="http://uploads.neatorama.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/desaturatedsanta.png" target="_blank">why</a>??</p>

</blockquote>

<p>As long as we are shooting digital, we always use hardware and software to make conversions. The question is whether it is the tiny hardware on the camera or much more sophisticated hardware and software on a full-blown computer.</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>Well, I am going to disagree with everyone! Lets start with the Raw file: this file will <em>always</em> be color no matter what settings you have your camera set to, it is the Raw data. Now you <em>can</em> set the camera to record a B&W (monochrome setting under picture control). This setting is applied to the JPEG. And when set, your preview will be of a B&W image. So, if you record Raw + JPEG, you will have the Raw file which will be color AND the JPEG which will be B&W. The drawback being that your histogram/image preview will be based on the B&W version. So, any camera that will allow you to record Raw + JPEG means that you <em>could</em> record color (Raw) and B&W (JPEG). The advantage to dual card slots would be that the Raw (color) could be on one card and the JPEG (B&W) on another.</p>

[leighb]

<p>As a correction to my earlier post...</p>

<p>John is correct in that you could record a B&W JPEG image and a color RAW image. These could be directed to different cards. But they're not the same image, even if you're using the FINE JPEG option.</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>

 

[alex_zepeda]

<p>Err… Shun, I was teasing. The grayed portions of the digital photo I liked to weren't done with an image manipulation program.</p>

[CvhKaar]

<blockquote>

<p>Well, I am going to disagree with everyone! Lets start with the Raw file: this file will <em>always</em> be color no matter</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well, ....almost ; the "RAW"or "NEF" file contains just the information needed ( data straight from the sensor) to "develop" it into either color- , or monochrome jpeg's , tiff's or any other format you choose to ( which does not have to be Black-white, but could just as well be any other spectrum between two oposing colors..). that's why it is "RAW Data" ....<br>

Your cam. has some "development software" built in ( sometimes also called "Solidware" ...) , with which you can have it perform the extraction and conversion of data to produce either a color, or monochrome jpeg file , which it can do straight after the shoot, but also later on ( at least a D300 can do that..).<br>

So the "RAW" file is always produced, but its only copied to one of the memory cards, when you tell it to do so.</p>

 

[ShunCheung]

<p>While I don't have a D300S, I just did what Joel the OP wants on my D7000:</p>

<ol>

<li>From the Shooting Menu, <strong>Set Picture Control </strong>to monochrome</li>

<li>Also from the Shooting Menu, set <strong>Role played by card in Slot 2</strong> to RAW for Slot 1 and JPEG for Slot 2. (On the D7000, both slots are SD; on the D300S you have one more option to select whether you want the CF card as slot 1 or slot 2, and the SD will be the other slot.)</li>

<li>Hold down the QUAL button and turn the command dial to select RAW + JPEG.</li>

</ol>

<p>With that set up, you will be capturing a RAW and a JPEG each time. The JPEG will be monochrome while RAW is RAW, retaining all colors.</p>

<p>Since you have the original RAW file, you still have all the fine details from the sensor for further post-processing.</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>Isn't that what I said?</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>John, right, what I actually tried on the D7000 is identical to what you wrote earlier.</p>