Does View NX 2 correct Lens Vignette?

[paul_b]

Im talking about View NX 2 here not Capture NX 2 (& with RAW files).

I know it adjusts for lens distortion (if the setting is turned on in camera), but i'm unsure about vignetting. I cant see any slider for it, and so if it does correct for it then it must do it automatically?

 

[480sparky]

It does not. You must use the in-camera function or another editor.

 

[aroy]

Download the Capture NX-D beta. That has all the bells and whistles, including lense corrections, noise reduction and picture controls.

 

[paul_b]

It does not. You must use the in-camera function or another editor.

Thanks for the reply/s

I cant find anything in-camera that turns vignetting on or off (i have d3100)

The ViewNX 2 RAW exports are virtually identical to the in-camera Jpeg versions of the same shots. Does this mean the Jpeg versions will also have NO vignetting correction too then?

 

[paul_b]

Download the Capture NX-D beta. That has all the bells and whistles, including lense corrections, noise reduction and picture controls.

Sorry, replying to 2 answers from 2 different people at the same time

What does Capture NX-D beta do automatically to each RAW that's loaded into it?

After having a little go with it, it seems to do lens distortion correction (if turned on in camera), and noise reduction too (if turned on in camera). It doesn't seem to do vignetting (that has to turned on in software).

What about things like sharpening etc? Is that included in the picture control adjustment?

Etc

 

[aroy]

Sorry, replying to 2 answers from 2 different people at the same time

What does Capture NX-D beta do automatically to each RAW that's loaded into it?

After having a little go with it, it seems to do lens distortion correction (if turned on in camera), and noise reduction too (if turned on in camera). It doesn't seem to do vignetting (that has to turned on in software).

What about things like sharpening etc? Is that included in the picture control adjustment?

Etc

As you will be processing RAW images in computer it is best to switch off all the correction functions. The Noise and lense corrections functions take up CPU time, hence slow down shooting a lot. So do all the scene modes.

What Capture NX-D beta does automatically depends on what you have switched on as default. Some functions are
- Lense geometric corrections
- Vignetting correction. Either from the lense profiles or if that is not available you can do it manually.
- Scene modes.
- Exposure control.
- White balance and Colour correction.
- Noise reduction at 3 levels - fast, medium and with full control of radius, edge and colour.
- Custom level controls, with both predefined modes as well as custom curves. Custom curves and levels can be saved and applied in batch mode.

The number of controls is quite a lot, and I have yet to try them all out. I normally use exposure controls, preset shadow recovery and at times geometric correction. I have tried sharpening, but prefer what comes out of camera. My aim is to get low noise from the camera itself, hence I rarely use noise control.
For converting RAW into jpeg/tiff you can either do it individually or select all the files and do it at one go.

 

[paul_b]

Aroy, thanks for the detailed reply. Will take the advice on board as I try out cap nx-d.

One question: where's the sharpening slider?

 

[aroy]

I am now in XP-64, Nikon software does not work here. When I switch to Windows 7, I will post a screen shot. I have most of the menus open.

 

[aroy]

Here are the menus. Each one is a separate window. I have them arranged differently, but the screen capture in Windows 7 captures only one menu (window) at a time. So I arranged them in Paint.




Most of the useful options are here. There are a few other functions which I do not use, hence they are not here.

 

[paul_b]

Great. Ty buddy.


What I'm trying to do is make the best images from my raws. I love DxO optics pro for its lens corrections but don't like its Raw engine (plus it doesn't do things like d-lighting or camera controls etc). So I want to process the raws in Cap NX-D and adjust things like white balance and d-lighting, export as tiff and then do lens corrections in DxO.


I just need to figure out what to do in what program (as most things could be done in both). I'm thinking vignetting, noise reduction and sharpening in Cap NX-D and then just lens distortions in DxO. Although that's open to change depending on how the test results go I suppose

 

[RocketCowboy]

As you will be processing RAW images in computer it is best to switch off all the correction functions. The Noise and lense corrections functions take up CPU time, hence slow down shooting a lot. So do all the scene modes.

What Capture NX-D beta does automatically depends on what you have switched on as default. Some functions are
- Lense geometric corrections
- Vignetting correction. Either from the lense profiles or if that is not available you can do it manually.
- Scene modes.
- Exposure control.
- White balance and Colour correction.
- Noise reduction at 3 levels - fast, medium and with full control of radius, edge and colour.
- Custom level controls, with both predefined modes as well as custom curves. Custom curves and levels can be saved and applied in batch mode.

The number of controls is quite a lot, and I have yet to try them all out. I normally use exposure controls, preset shadow recovery and at times geometric correction. I have tried sharpening, but prefer what comes out of camera. My aim is to get low noise from the camera itself, hence I rarely use noise control.
For converting RAW into jpeg/tiff you can either do it individually or select all the files and do it at one go.

Just so I'm understanding (sorry for the newbie question), all of the scene modes on the camera ... they only affect the JPG generated by the camera and not the data stored in the RAW file? Is the same true with the picture control settings?

I just downloaded the NX-D Beta for Mac, so will be trying it out.

 

[paul_b]

Thanks for the screenshots, i still cant see any sliders for sharpening though

 

[paul_b]

Just so I'm understanding (sorry for the newbie question), all of the scene modes on the camera ... they only affect the JPG generated by the camera and not the data stored in the RAW file? Is the same true with the picture control settings?

I just downloaded the NX-D Beta for Mac, so will be trying it out.

Yes you are correct. The purpose of RAW files is to allow yourself to make all of the developing decisions yourself, rather than having it hard baked in into a finished Jpeg by the camera. With a Jpeg you are virtually stuck with what comes out the camera, whereas with a RAW you can tweak all kinds of things before exporting to a final Jpeg (or Tiff). Therefore a Raw file contains a copy of what the sensor actually sensed without any bells and whistles permanently added (that may of been wrong had they been added, i.e incorrect white balance etc), ready for you to tweak and apply your own settings. This means you can change things like white balance and exposure easily, recover some of the details that may be lost by incorrect exposure etc etc. With a RAW file, it still contains the settings the camera would of used if it had made you a Jpeg but they haven't been applied yet, thus allowing you to tweak them first and make any needed corrections, so in effect you can go in and adjust things yourself before developing.

If you export to Tiff instead of Jpeg, it's lossless too in respect to not being irreversibly compressed (data loss) like a Jpeg is each time it is saved or re-saved.

Hope that helps.

Would always be happy to advise you if your just starting off with Raws editing.

 

[paul_b]

ps. the main things you'd have check when developing a RAW file (that you wouldn't have to do if you shot in Jpeg) is noise reduction, sharpening, lens distortion correction, vignetting, contrast (my minds gone blank but i think those are the main ones that you shouldn't skip in the beginning).

 

[aroy]

In my opinion lens distortion of Nikon lenses is best in Nikon Software. I did try DXO optics, but could not find a reason for purchasing it, though it has quite a few exotic functions like correcting geometric distortions due to perspective and good noise reduction.

 

[aroy]

Thanks for the screenshots, i still cant see any sliders for sharpening though

Look at the unsharp mask box.

Instead of traditional slider graphic, this software has a line with numbers on it. There is a small pointer which slides across the line.

 

[aroy]

Just so I'm understanding (sorry for the newbie question), all of the scene modes on the camera ... they only affect the JPG generated by the camera and not the data stored in the RAW file? Is the same true with the picture control settings?

I just downloaded the NX-D Beta for Mac, so will be trying it out.

RAW file is supposed to reflect what the sensor saw. As you will be processing this file to suit your requirements there is no need for the camera to process the file. In contrast the jpeg is a "finished product", with very little lee way for adjustments, so all the controls are applied before the jpeg is generated. The reason for switching off all the extra controls - noise, geometric and scene modes is to save the CPU processing time, which the camera will carry out, but not apply to the RAW.

In the D3300 the effects mode will switch the image to jpeg.

 

[paul_b]

Look at the unsharp mask box.

Instead of traditional slider graphic, this software has a line with numbers on it. There is a small pointer which slides across the line.

I see it. So to shapen your image you use the unsharp mask tool then?

 

[paul_b]

In my opinion lens distortion of Nikon lenses is best in Nikon Software. I did try DXO optics, but could not find a reason for purchasing it, though it has quite a few exotic functions like correcting geometric distortions due to perspective and good noise reduction.

Um, i'm not too impressed with distortion correction for my D3100 with kit lens, by either the camera or Nikon software, and to be honest Lightroom's is a bit dodgy too (unless of course i was given a bit of a dodgy lens, lol).

DxO seems to get it spot on, and there's quite a difference.

That's why I'm experimenting with developing the RAW file now with Capture NX-D (except distortion correction), and correcting the distortion with DxO instead. I don't want to develop everything in DxO instead of Capture NX-D as i don't think the RAW engine is all that (at least for my camera anyway). I don't think DxO or Lightroom get anywhere near getting the Nikon picture control stuff accurate either, and neither can do Active D-Lighting either. That's what draws me back to Capture NX-D.

I just need to figure out how to work Capture NX-D now. I've discovered here that it does do vignetting (but ViewNX 2 doesn't (although DxO could)). I wasn't too sure about how to do sharpening with the new Capture NX-D, but it seems like (after reading this thread) that it's done with the unsharp mask, which is something I've never really heard of (up until now).

 

[DraganDL]

"I cant find anything in-camera that turns vignetting on or off (i have d3100)"

There is NO WAY to turn vignetting on or off - it is only during post processing possible to compensate for it (artificially to lighten the darkened corners of the image). Best software for it is Photoshop (jpgs being correctable too). http://goo.gl/aJl3I9