Camera Profiles for Nikon D2H Type II

[Jim Mohundro]

Lightroom Version Number

6.14

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I’ve been using “Cross Camera Profiles” from PS Kiss for many years (Nikons D200, D300, D80, D700, the Panasonic GX series) for the Nikon D2H. After many hours of experimentation the Nikon D2H Type II profile has become my camera profile of choice. I’m now trying to return from a hiatus from RAW shooting and Lightroom post processing. I have and continue to use the so-called perpetual license LR 6.14 and its tools are perfectly adequate for my level of post-processing needs, experience and skills. I’ve now acquired a Nikon Z6 and have had some difficulty downloading and installing the PS Kiss Cross Camera Profiles for my new Z6 and am attempting to work (as I have for years) with Tal at PS Kiss without, so far, much success. I continue to use the profiles designed for my Panasonic GX85, but of course they’re unique for the GX85, and not available to the Z6. Now, with the Z6, LR 6.14 only offers me one all-purpose camera profile, after I complete the Adobe DNG converter process and import my images. I’m asking if there are any other Nikon D2H Type II profiles that I may purchase if the PS Kiss situation does not get resolved.

 

[clee01l]

There is a lot that I don't remember about the D2H profiles bit Nikon long ago discontinued them. And Adobe stopped including them after (I believe) LR3. PSKiss might have discontinued them too. You will have to contact PS Kiss to see if these profiles are still included for the Z6 package. Now to the real question. Are you shooting RAW on the Z6 and expecting them to import into the LR6.14 as DNG? The Z6 lens profiles are built into the Z6 RAW image file. I do not know if the Adobe DNG converter applies them in some way when creating the DNG?
What you are going to find I think is that the technology of the Z6 & Z& has surpassed the capabilities of the LR6.x app. I used the D2H profile on my D8xx camera until discontinued by Adobe Lightroom after LR3. What I would suggest is that Adobe does a better job with camera profiles than the in camera profiles that have been reengineered. I have a Z7 and discovered accidentally that the imported image is now almost perfectly exposed on import by using Adobe Landscape Profile on import. Not only that, I find that there are now 83 profiles that can be chosen and applied. The shear number of profiles available in Lightroom Classic is overwhelming.

 

[Jim Mohundro]

There is a lot that I don't remember about the D2H profiles bit Nikon long ago discontinued them. And Adobe stopped including them after (I believe) LR3. PSKiss might have discontinued them too. You will have to contact PS Kiss to see if these profiles are still included for the Z6 package. Now to the real question. Are you shooting RAW on the Z6 and expecting them to import into the LR6.14 as DNG? The Z6 lens profiles are built into the Z6 RAW image file. I do not know if the Adobe DNG converter applies them in some way when creating the DNG?
What you are going to find I think is that the technology of the Z6 & Z& has surpassed the capabilities of the LR6.x app. I used the D2H profile on my D8xx camera until discontinued by Adobe Lightroom after LR3. What I would suggest is that Adobe does a better job with camera profiles than the in camera profiles that have been reengineered. I have a Z7 and discovered accidentally that the imported image is now almost perfectly exposed on import by using Adobe Landscape Profile on import. Not only that, I find that there are now 83 profiles that can be chosen and applied. The shear number of profiles available in Lightroom Classic is overwhelming.

PS Kiss still provides a set of camera profiles (a couple of Leicas, several Canon and many Nikon, including those for the Z 7 and 6), and I’ve used these with satisfaction with at least five of my camera bodies. It’s not the lens corrections here that are my difficulty (Z 6 NEFs easily convert as DNG with Adobe converter so are easily imported.). Given that I’m not ready to leap forward to the LR subscription model (I’m not a professional nor even an advanced amateur) when I’m quite comfortable with all the basic adjustments already available to me in LR 6.14, and it’s simply the look and feel of that old Nikon D2H Type II profile that I’ve settled on after many hours of testing the many profiles available for many types of subjects. I haven’t viewed the Forum for at least a couple of years, because, frankly, the users here have seldom been casual LR users like myself but more often professionals and quite advanced amateurs, whose skill levels great exceed mine and their skill levels often seem more than a little intimidating. I’ll keep working with PS Kiss to solve my problem with installation of the Z 6 profiles, and it may be that there are no competitive products available as a fallback for me but I’m hoping that somehow, sometime I’ll be able to return to a straightforward workflow within my skill set.

 

[clee01l]

Based upon my observation of User questions, I would say that the majority of forum participants are casual users just like yourself. Some like me may take 1000 photos/month But even that can vary. Until I got my Z7 in May, I had probably taken less than 1000 photos over the two previous years.

Technology is a galloping horse. It has been about 15 years since Nikon discontinued production of the D2H. Lightroom ceased updating the 6.14 in 2017 and the technology was fixed 4 years ago. At some point you are going to get a windows OS update and LR6 will cease to run because it is that obsolete. You need to prepare for that eventuality.

If you read my earlier post, you will note that I used the D2H profiles because they had merit even though the D2h had been out of production 2 years before LR was introduced. When Adobe stopped supporting that camera, I found something else. If you are one of those that will NEVER buy a Lightroom subscription, you might get start looking somewhere else. On1 PhotoRAW is an alternative. It has lots of different presets. You might just find one that suits you as well as what oy have been using.

 

[Jim Mohundro]

I owe an update to those who responded to my inquiry, here and on the forum for the subscription version above. First, a trivial note: the ancient Nikon camera profile I was seeking to use with my LR 6.14 was D2X, not D2H and I’m sure that could not have many any difference in the responses. More important, I’ve been able to work out the technical issues with my camera profiles provider and once again have been able to nest a few camera profiles (some Leica, a few more Canon and several Nikon, including the Nikon D2X, Type II), to be avaiable in my Development Module. Thanks for taking an interest in my issue.