Development and profiles

[snowdust]

OK, after many hours of reading, surfing, and questions answered by Mr. Brad Snyder, let me see if I have all this stuff sorted out.

Importing an NEF will bring it in flat and without any camera settings. That is pretty easy to see. To help speed things up download the beta camera profiles. Then take an imported picture with no developement settings, load a profile, then create a preset to that name. Repeat this for all profiles. Now when after you import a NEF, apply one of these new presets and you will be real close to the mfg camera settings that would be applied as if you opened with their software.

Assuming this is correct, where can I find which profile aligns with a D8' with no boost or adjustments in the camera. Meaning what would match a jpg taken.

Can one of you gurus let me know if I am now speaking this RAW language.

 

[Sean McCormack]

You were until right at the end.
You see the modes applied change how the Jpg would look. Each of the applied modes (or picture styles for Canon) create a different looking Jpg, so you see, there's no such thing as matching a jpg taken. You need to apply a profile to match a look. In theory the 'flatest' profile should be the 'Standard' profile, and this may be what you're actually asking for.

 

[snowdust]

When I say match that of a jpg, I mean the way the camera would render it. Actually I am trying to get as close to possible as the same starting point as if I import a NEF in CaptureNX2. I would like to do as minimul work as needed for quick development for "snapshot" printing, and spend my time tweaking the good ones.

 

[Kiwigeoff]

When I say match that of a jpg, I mean the way the camera would render it. Actually I am trying to get as close to possible as the same starting point as if I import a NEF in CaptureNX2. I would like to do as minimul work as needed for quick development for "snapshot" printing, and spend my time tweaking the good ones.

What Sean is saying (in Irish of course) is that cameras have a lot of differing setting and any setting combination will result in a different looking jpeg produced in camera or with NX.
I have made a preset that I am most happy with at the moment that has a combination of tweaks along with the "standard profile" from the new ones. Each person really ought to create their own preset as we all have differing wants and differing eyes and minds!!
I suggest you take a "standard" photo of anything with good light, colour mix, skin tone etc.
Import to LR with "zeroed", then apply the "standard profile" for your camera. Next tweak whatever sliders you need to get the result you want (and it can be all or none) then save this as a preset to apply on import. I have been modifying mine since day one as there are always improvements to be had.

Hope that makes sense and helps....

 

[snowdust]

Hope that makes sense and helps....

It does. I must admit, I have fallen in the preset trap with the number of them that I have DL'd to the point of mental paralysis. I think you could drive yourself crazy with them all and loose track of what really needs to be done to a photo. I think should take your advice and build a good general one and leave it at that for a while.

 

[Kiwigeoff]

It does. I must admit, I have fallen in the preset trap with the number of them that I have DL'd to the point of mental paralysis. I think you could drive yourself crazy with them all and loose track of what really needs to be done to a photo. I think should take your advice and build a good general one and leave it at that for a while.

I think "keep it simple" operates here !!
There are so many options aren't there!!
I would put all the unused presets in a folder so that they are usable but not visible and cluttering the presets panel. Something like "Sample Presets"
Maybe you would be able to fill in your signature as well please to help us help you - thanks.....

 

[Mark Sirota]

In theory the 'flatest' profile should be the 'Standard' profile, and this may be what you're actually asking for.

The flattest one for Nikon appears to be "Camera Neutral beta 1". Camera Standard looks very similar, but is a little more contrasty (and Camera Portrait is between the two in terms of contrast).

I personally like Camera Standard; it's my default profile for the D2'' now.

 

[Rockshead]

OK, where can I find which profile aligns with a D8' with no boost or adjustments in the camera. )

You don't have to find which profile aligns with a D8'. Lr does this for you automatically. Each profile description - Camera Standard etc. - is hiding a host of individual Nikon (or Canon) model profiles. The one that is applied to the image is the recognised by Lr from the individual picture metadata. What is applied to a D8' could be different to what is applied to a D3''; but both will - or should - be Adobe's best interpretation of how a shot would be interpreted by the camera manufacturer's own software (for example View/CaptureNX in the case of Nikon).

Its only a personal opinion, but I think the Camera Standard profile for the D3 is very, very, close to what comes out of the camera as a jpg.

 

[snowdust]

Thanks for all the help. Camera Standard is what I did settle in on as providing the look I was expecting.