I read the thread

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tea2085

Senior Member
[h=2]"Do you have to sharpen every picture when taken in RAW??" So I ran a test and shot raw +JPG fine. Some pics were taken with Auto and some with Shutter priority. They all came out as exact duplicates-no difference in sharpness between raw and JPG files. Am I not setting the test up right? I thought there would be a difference, at least in sharpness> Paul[/h]
 
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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
How are you viewing the RAW files that you took?

The camera will embed a JPG preview into the RAW file using the same settings (picture control, WB, etc) that are used to generate the standalone JPG, so unless you open the RAW into a editor you likely won't see the actual RAW image.
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
tea2085 said:
"Do you have to sharpen every picture when taken in RAW??" So I ran a test and shot raw +JPG fine. Some pics were taken with Auto and some with Shutter priority. They all came out as exact duplicates-no difference in sharpness between raw and JPG files. Am I not setting the test up right? I thought there would be a difference, at least in sharpness> Paul
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It is impossible for the RGB LCD display to show raw files. We could say, we can never directly view raw files (we only have RGB displays). Therefore, raw images also have a JPG image embedded in the raw file, and (speaking of in the camera) this JPG is what is viewed on the LCD rear panel. This is also true of the histogram, it comes from the JPG image too.

Another big difference is that JPG files (including the above embedded jpg in raw files) reflect all of the camera settings, like white balance or sharpening or color profile, whatever settings the camera performed.

Raw files are raw (like raw meat) specifically meaning "contain no processing". The raw software will have its choice (and your choice) of some default settings which will be applied, but then they of course are NOT necessarily same as the cameras settings for JPG. You might set Vivid profile in the camera, and you will see it on JPG on the rear LCD, but it won't be seen in the raw file, UNLESS you also set Vivid in the raw editor. Also the entire point of raw is to selectively choose better settings which will improve the image (after we are able to view a RGB copy of it, to see what it actually needs to do it perfectly).

Specifically implying, the raw file does not have to UNDO any wrong processing done by incorrect settings for JPG. The point of raw software is that then we can see it, and can see what it actually needs, and we simply do what we can see is right then.

One common philosophy of using raw is that (other than how it affects the rear LCD) is to simply ignore camera settings like white balance and color profile. Because they don't affect the raw image, and because we're going to do it right later, after we can see what we're doing.

Sharpening... all digital images need a little bit of sharpening. The camera does some by default (on JPG), and the raw software does some by default. We can choose other amounts. Excessive sharpening is a common beginners mistake. It should be enough to help a little, but like most processing, should NOT be obviously noticeable that it has been done.

I am viewing on bridge which has the jpg followed by NEF. Where do I find picture profile?
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In the Abode Camera Raw software (ACR), after opening the raw NEF file(s), the color profile to be applied to the raw image is in the Camera Calibration tab (the 8th tab, third from right end). In Raw, it does not matter what the camera profile or white balance was, the raw software will instead apply your other choices. You can set initial default values for all of these raw settings, and/or you can always change them as needed.

Settings changed in raw can apply to all NEF flles opened (and selected), with the one click, if applicable to all.

Possible exception: The ACR "As Shot" white balance does try to mimic the camera WB choice (from Exif, and only WB), but which WB was unlikely to have ever been very correct in the first place (possibly excepting sunlight, which is more consistent). So the normal primary purpose of raw is to allow providing a correct WB which we can actually see looks just right.
 
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Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
tea2085 said:
I am viewing on bridge which has the jpg followed by NEF. Where do I find picture profile?
Click to expand...
Adjusting the Sharpness setting in the Picture Profiles is in-camera adjustment. This adjustment will only affect your .JPG images (unless you're using Nikon software, and that's another conversation) but it's a significant improvement.

To make the adjustment, do the following:

  • Go into the Shooting Menu (Camera Icon).
  • From there drop down to "Set Picture Control".
  • Click right one time enter the sub-menu.
  • Choose whatever Picture Control you normally use, probably "Normal", and click right again.
  • In the Picture Control sub-menu drop down to the "Sharpness" setting and move the slider from the very low default setting of "2", to +7 instead. Be sure to press "OK" to save this adjustment.
  • If you shoot using the "Landscape" or "Vivid" Picture Control, you'll need to adjust the Sharpness setting there as well; each of the Picture Controls have their own sub-menus and settings.
 
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