Shooting in black and white

[jake_terrey1]

<p>Hey there!</p>

<p>So i'm having a bit of trouble with something that seems quite specific so i can't.. or have not to my interwebs capabilities, found a resource for solving the issue.<br>

The issue is..</p>

<p>I'm shooting raw files on a D3s using custom image controls, i only just recently realised the issue with monochrome settings but to that reason i can assume it's happening with all my other custom setting banks..<br>

When i upload the images, all the settings are lost and the files are converted back to the original settings automatically. So all the images that were shot as black and white files in camera, were displayed on the camera as black and white files and upload to bridge or lightroom or whatever as black and white files are then eventually converted to colour. Even when i view the files through the Finder as thumb nails they are eventually (within minutes) colour again.<br>

I had originally thought it was an issue with camera raw but it happens across all the programs i have.<br>

This is really frustrating... of course i could do all the same stuff on PS et cetera but.. i don't want to and often spend a while configuring settings on the camera.<br>

I'm sure this is something really obvious.. it's those things that always escape me with software it seems.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for your help! </p>

[elliot1]

<p>Nikon software such as NX View2, etc. open RAW files using your picture control settings. Programs like Photoshop do not recognize Nikon's picture control settings. This is normal. (JPG files would open correctly,)</p>

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>My belief (which may be uninformed) is that the RAW files contain a thumbnail of the image for quick preview. The thumbnail, being generated by the camera, probably includes the camera's processing, including greyscale conversion. Once the software has gone over the RAW file to produce a (potentially) higher quality version of the preview, you'll get the colour back because - as Elliot says - they're generated ignoring picture control settings. I see the same thing with more subtle colour shifts even if I've not told the camera to do anything exotic. At least, that's my guess about what you're seeing.</p>

[Jerry_]

<p>If you set your camera to Fine and Large (.jpg) images, you will get B+W images on your computer after transfer from your CF card....as noted above.</p>

<p>With your current use of .NEF files, you will have the option of keeping a image (in color) and then converting to B+W on your computer. Or get Nikon Capture NX2 for your image editing.</p>

<p> </p>

[James Kazan]

For what ever reason Adobe and Nikon are at war over this issue. I've contacted both company's and had some long conversations about this with both. When shooting Sepia and B&W I do what Elliot suggest which is to open those files in NX View2 and then converting them to tiffs.

[photo5]

<p>I've found only Nikon Capture NX2 is able to convert my RAW files correctly. Adobe Photoshop CS5 doesn't come close when I compare the two. Unlike Canon, Nikon does not release the source code for it's NEF format, so Adobe and all others except for NX2 has to reverse-engineer the format to decode it, resulting in not as accurate results as NX2 can achieve. I've never used NX View 2 but it can also apparently decode NEF files correctly.</p>

[jake_terrey1]

<p>So helpful, thanks so much to all of you! </p>

[jukka1]

<p>When I shoot bw in camera (nef), nx2 opens them also like that.<br>

You can change afterwards it as standard, then it comes back to colour.<br>

Maybe you have some options in nx2 that it changes everything to standard when you put files to your computer?<br>

Sincerely, Jukka</p>