Picture Control presets

[ficarelli]

<p>Although I use only digital cameras I like B&W pictures. I use Nik Silver Efex and love the options it has. I only shoot RAW. I start testing B&W strait from the camera but I didn't like the Monochrome preset from my D7100 and start playing with Picture Control and I could build a set of really nice B&W presets and uploaded to the camera. I said play because I can always convert to Color anyway or use the presets only on post processing.<br /><br />It is very interesting because it is possible to modify de curve and save it on the preset. The camera will not let you change contrast and brightness then. For B&W the color filter should have fine adjustments or should work better, but it's ok.<br /><br />Picture Control presets are very useful for little adjustments like increase the sharpness, or the right saturation and contrast for my "style", easing post editing or for those that shoot JPG. For B&W I could create really nice moods specially when shooting with very high ISO.<br /><br />My question is for Capture NX-2 or NX-D, or View NX-2 users of course or for those that shoot JPG and is just curiosity: Does anybody use Picture Control to create presets and use it on the camera ? How often ?<br /><br /></p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>If you only shoot RAW, then I really don't see the point of uploading picture controls to the camera. Surely it would be just as quick to have a preset or action in your image processing software? I use NX-2 reluctantly. Capture One has a similar UI but is more stable and more flexible IME.</p>

<p>Also a fixed picture control isn't going to suit every subject or image. I find that getting the perfect tone in B&W is far more demanding than straightforward colour. Often needing adjustment of the HSL of the colour original as well as manually adjusting the tone using the curves tool after desaturation. Not to mention using lighter or darker layers to emulate dodging and burning.</p>

[5711]

<p>shooting raw and nik software with lightroom will give you all need.<br /> forget presets.<br /> they suck</p>

<p>edit:<br>

do not, never ever, use desaturation to get to a b&w photo.<br>

try this.<br>

set up a szene..studio outdoors, dsnt matter.<br>

shoot it on hp5, tmax100,400 and digital.<br>

develop film using rodinal and promicrol at stadnard settings.<br>

two different outcomes.<br>

try to get there using digital.<br>

forget premades.<br>

really<br>

..please do ..<br>

lol</p>

[ficarelli]

<p>Rodeo and Norbert, that's why I was curious if anybody is using it. I don't see the point either :) unless for those that shoot JPG.<br /><br />And Norbert, that's was exactly was I was trying to do, to make it close to the real one. Unfortunately I don't use film anymore, I retired my very old F a while ago (the one with electronic photometer on the top). But I created some custom preset on Nik Silver Efex, still tweaking, as start point and I was trying to do the same creating Picture Control presets, eliminating the need of Silver Efex, but although it was fun I still could not see the point to use at the camera.<br /><br />Let's wait to see if anybody comes with a different view.</p>

[5711]

<p>what came to mind is, that people who never used film will probably have a different approach.<br>

i get questions about my b&w editing from time to time and i wonder too, how ppl with premade settings<br>

see this.<br>

lets wait then :)</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>When I used CaptureNX2, I made a lot of use of the Picture Controls in that program - mostly custom ones with the sharpening dialed to zero. The only one I never used was the Monochrome one, mainly because the B&W Filter in CaptureNX2 works really well, so I always used that way to get to B&W.<br /> The others was mainly a shortcut for getting the best starting point for editing. Lightroom has profiles like it (as does CaptureOne which I use nowadays), and while they're not essential, they do speed up work. I never uploaded any of those profiles to any of my cameras; I shoot raw 100% of the time, so there is no point.</p>

<p>There is one scenario, though, where a good B&W profile on the camera may make sense: as a learning tool. Setting it in camera, getting a B&W preview can help speed up "visualising" scenes in B&W. Arguably this is the hardest part with B&W, understanding how a scene is going to translate into grey tonality. Setting a profile a bit less bland than the Nikon Monochrome profile could help to give a bit more of an impression. I have seriously seen it used as learning tool to good effect.</p>

<p>In fact, the one thing I sometimes miss in CaptureOne is the B&W conversions of CaptureNX2; while it is certainly possible to get equal results from C1, it is usually costing me more time than it did in CNX2. On the other hand, it is a very hands-on approach (similar to using the built-in tools of LR: colour filters, contrast and clarity - you don't need much more than those), which I'm growing to appreciate more and more. Maybe more time consuming, but the results are there (usually).</p>

[pieter_wolters]

<p>I only discovered Picture Control last week. And I love it. I made a couple a profiles with the Picture Control Utility and the output is great. I created a high contrast B/W profile with the smallest amount of sepia. Exposure compensation on -1 and the result with sunny wheather is brilliant. No post-processing needed. Which is a good thing since I already spent too much time behind the screen for other things. </p>

[iosif_astrukov]

<p>here are some presets you can use - http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/photography/NIKON/CUSTOMPC/ </p>