Struggling to understand Picture Controls

[chopperaddict]

I used to be a software designer/Author in my earlier life, so I was always providing exactly such (multiple) configuration options so my users could always have my software run in exactly the way they had configured it, and usually, they could indeed select from more than one configuration, so I guess I am biased by having been a really helpful program designer

So my first thought was that this PC option would save ALL my settings, eg Shutter, Aperture, bracketing options etc, but I have now come to the conclusion that I am totally wrong in this assumption. It appears that ONLY the options provided in the PC save menu options, such as Sharpness, Brightness, etc are in any way different to the settings I may have been using before I switched to a different PC. ?

Can someone please confirm that my assumption is correct, as I have spent hours trying to save different Shutter and Aperture modes into my PC's, but without any success. I wish it did indeed reset everything I may have set in the menus and Info screen, but I guess that is just wishful thinking on my part, based on my own history ?

 

[Fred Kingston]

I'm hazy on what you're trying to do... What do you mean by "PC option" to save settings??? Nikon uses "Picture Controls"... to save exposure and various settings... and external software "reads" those settings... Don't forget, you're dealing with a RAW data sensor... The camera captures RAW data... External programs can read that data, and then apply various interpretations/settings to that RAW data file... Nikon embeds those "Picture Control" settings in the RAW file... Most folks use other software to "adjust" those settings individually...

There are a few places in that camera that save individually selected settings... I don't use that camera but certainly that is explained in the user manuals, and Google is your Friend for finding video tutorials on "saving Camera settings" specific for that camera...

 

[chopperaddict]

Just lazy typing on my part Fred, I used PC in my question to represent "Picture Controls"...

I am indeed working with raw files, and you say above that the Exposure and Aperture settings ARE saved by the PC system ?. However, if I save two different PC's. one with 1/250 at F8 for faster shots with decent depth of field, and a second at 1/80 at F3.5 for portrait and similar pictures, when I select one or other, neither the Lv or info views change to match those settings, hence my question and lack of understanding?

Finally, can you point me to the most used external software you are referring to to create these PC's as I would really like to be able to have multiple "full presets" available to me?

 

[Needa]

It appears that ONLY the options provided in the PC save menu options, such as Sharpness, Brightness, etc are in any way different to the settings I may have been using before I switched to a different PC. ?

I believe the only option that will be saved in Picture Control are Sharpening, Clarity, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation, Hue, Filter effects and Toning. The first four being available for all images the next two for non-monochrome and the final two for monochrome only.

 

[Fred Kingston]

I don't think Picture Control is what you think it is. Let's backup a bit and explain a few terms and concepts. RAW files are exactly that, RAW DATA... You cannot "see" a RAW image. It is tpure data. When you take a picture, the camera saves the RAW data to the memory, and as a Preview of that image, it displays a JPEG image. It uses the selected PC as a recipe to interpret the RAW data and display the JPEG. It does the same when you have the camera set produce JPEG images... You cannot save Shutter speed and/or aperture settings to a PC.

What you are looking for are Scenes in the Automatic setting, but then, those are automatic... And some Nikon cameras have what are called User Settings, but those are typically limited to only a couple of Dial Settings, and those also do not Save the Shutter speed or aperture settings.

 

[BF Hammer]

Chopperaddict, Nikon has a web page to help explain Picture Controls.
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-a...techniques/picture-controls-step-by-step.html

I am over-simplifying things by saying it is a way to select different color profiles that are applied to the photos. It also applies a few other items like a sharpness adjust. But that is how I wrap my mind around it. What it does not do is make a profile of your exposure controls settings. That is something you can do if your camera body supports custom profiles, but it only saves on camera for quick recall.

So if you are regularly doing an adjustment of something with color in the same way in your post-processing workflow, it may be advantageous to you to make that adjustment as a custom Picture Control with the Picture Control Utility and upload it to your camera. Can't say it would make things better for sure without a lot of trial and readjustments.

 

[Dawg Pics]

As far as I know, the D5600 doesn't have the capability to save shutter speed or aperture. It does have an AE-L button you can use to lock the aperture while you are using the camera.