Do you change your Picture Control?

[TheBigE]

Hello,

Recently I was watching a video online and they talked about the importance of changing your Picture Control (How Images are processed in camera). In my D7200 there are 7 set Pictures controls (Standard, Neutral, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape, and Flat) and you can modify each to suit your needs. The video indicating that you should considered changing Pictures Modes depending on what you are shooting.

I played around with each mode on my tripod, taking the same photo in all different modes to see how it is processed. I could see the difference in the photo, but also a significant change in my Histogram. This is to be expected as the HIstogram is based on the jpg of file that the camera process, and thus also a function of the Picture Mode.

So I am not sure if I would ever use anything but Standard or Flat (Flat is recommend for photos that will be processed afterwards and gives the widest tonal range). The the later would give me a good representative of the Histogram overall and for the most part, I would not go straight from camera with PP>

Does anyone else changes these modes when out shooting? If so why?

Thanks
Erik

[Black Pearl]

I use them regularly but in a different way. I shoot raw so nothing is baked in but I often set one of the film simulations so I can see them while I shoot then I use and modify then when I import into Lightroom. By default I have Lightroom set to apply Provia/STD as I like the look but I change individual files as I see fit.

[ionian]

If i am shooting raw, which I do 95% of the time, I am shooting to process so the picture control doesn't matter. Depending on my subject, im usually trying to capture the widest dynamic range I can - this may mean exposing to the right, so the image I create in camera is a starting point for processing and not how the image would be if I was trying to capture something faithfully to pull straight out of camera.

However, sometimes I am shooting for fun or to put files up on social media quickly - for this I will shoot jpeg and use the camera processing engine, such as picture styles or filters. My GX7 takes these adjustments further than the Nikon - I can alter the tonal curve as I shoot as an example. Here I am trying to create a picture that is good as I can produce straight out of camera, using a combination of correct exposure, solid framing and the cameras jpg processing engine.

[mknittle]

I do sometimes for black and white. If I shoot in raw/jpeg it gives an idea how the shot will look.

[NorthernFocus]

The simple answer is yes. But rarely.

The vast majority of the time I shoot RAW and process using LR. So the picture controls have no ultimate effect on my images. However, I also use ETTR technique a lot and rely on the histogram (and "blinkies") in the field to ensure that I'm protecting my highlights. Since the histogram is based on the jpeg version of the image, I want the jpeg to be as close to the RAW image as possible. Therefore I shoot with the "neutral" picture control with all settings at zero.

Once in a while I do shoot jpeg. In those situations I typically shoot in "standard" picture control with default settings and do any necessary tweaks in LR.

[rpcrowe]

I really cannot remember the last time that I shot in other than RAW. So, I really don't use the different picture controls at all.

It is easier (for me) to shoot in RAW and safer to have a RAW image that is never touched than it is for me to shoot in JPEG with its lack of post processing control...

[Shadowman]

When I first starting shooting I used vivid only, I just liked the way the colors popped. I later switched to neutral because my reds wouldn't always transfer for prints; too much noise or just out of gamut and then finally started shooting RAW for the majority of my captures.

[IzzieK]

I keep mine simple -- shoot in RAW and picture control to neutral.

[TheBigE]

Frankly I do shoot in RAW, I just never really considered changing my Picture Control to view different on LCD. It was interesting to see the impact on the Histogram with each setting.

[Donald]

Frankly I do shoot in RAW, I just never really considered changing my Picture Control to view different on LCD. It was interesting to see the impact on the Histogram with each setting.

I shoot 100% RAW. I also shoot 99% of the time to make a B&W image. So, I have the picture set to Monochrome on the camera so what I see on the back screen is the camera's attempt at B&W conversion. That is good enough to assist me in making decisions about the final capture.

[george013]

Frankly I do shoot in RAW, I just never really considered changing my Picture Control to view different on LCD. It was interesting to see the impact on the Histogram with each setting.

Unless you use a converter that takes in account the camera settings, it only is seen on the jpg.
If you're using a converter that takes in account the camerasettings, then you will start your conversion with an exact copy of what you should have gotten when you only shoot jpg, so with picture control. I still use CaptureNx, so for me it makes a difference. And I can switch it on and of and change it in CaptureNx.
I've the feeling that the differences between vivid, neutral etc. are more as only saturation.

George

[jprzybyla]

I agree with Dan/Northern Focus, exactly how I have my camera set up. When I look at the histogram I want it as close to what the raw image will show.

[James G]

I capture in RAW and have picture control set to neutral for the same reason as Dan. I do look at the histogram but I have it set for brightness rather than RGB since I also tend to concentrate on highlight protection mostly .

I used, years ago, to have it set for RGB, but since I have had my Canon 7D/7Dmk2 I have only really used the brightness option.

I don't do studio work and 90%+ of my photography takes place outdoors, and in considering a reply to this thread have realised I have fallen into an untested assumption that the RGB histogram doesn't really help me much compared to the basic luminosity option. I'd be interested to know if anyone else finds it of positive value in the field.

[george013]

I capture in RAW and have picture control set to neutral for the same reason as Dan. I do look at the histogram but I have it set for brightness rather than RGB since I also tend to concentrate on highlight protection mostly .

I used, years ago, to have it set for RGB, but since I have had my Canon 7D/7Dmk2 I have only really used the brightness option.

I don't do studio work and 90%+ of my photography takes place outdoors, and in considering a reply to this thread have realised I have fallen into an untested assumption that the RGB histogram doesn't really help me much compared to the basic luminosity option. I'd be interested to know if anyone else finds it of positive value in the field.

I don't know what you mean. I've 4 histograms: RGB,R,G and B. I assume RGB is brightness. I think I see more blinkies on the lcd screen than when I view them on the PC. I must test that still.

George

[Tringa]

I have never used them - had to pick up my camera from the deak here to see where the in camera controls were to be found.

Dave

[Thlayle]

Ever since going to shooting just Raw, I have never changed the image mode. I have thought of using the various modes just to see what the photo might be made to look in PP but have decided that would be more of a distraction to me than a help.

[george013]

I have never used them - had to pick up my camera from the deak here to see where the in camera controls were to be found.

Dave

You do use them. You've never changed them. That's different.

George

[DanK]

I do the same as the other Dan and Donald. I shoot raw, in almost all cases, my only concern with picture style is to get a histogram that is reasonably close to what I will see when I process the raw file. For that reason, I also use neutral, although if you google, there are some people who tweak the settings more for this purpose. I do shoot occasionally with the intent of creating a B&W image, and in those cases, I switch to monochrome just to have an image on the lcd that gives me some idea of the translation to B&W.

Erik, you wrote:

So I am not sure if I would ever use anything but Standard or Flat (Flat is recommend for photos that will be processed afterwards and gives the widest tonal range).

You noted that you shoot raw. In that case, the picture style has no effect on the tonal range present in the file. Some software will read the picture style from the exif and use that for an initial rendering of the image, but that has no effect on the data present in the file. I use Lightroom and use the Adobe Standard rendering as my starting point, so the picture style doesn't even affect the initial rendering.

If you are shooting jpeg, then the choice of picture style can alter the tonal range in the file, and it would be logical that flat/neutral/faithful would leave more of it intact in most cases than anything else, although I have never really checked this

[Donald]

You do use them. You've never changed them. That's different.

George

No it's not. 'Using them' means you make some reference to them/engage with the function for the purposes of capturing a photograph and/or assessing an image. Dave made it quite clear that using the camera controls play no part in his image-capturing process.

The fact that a camera control may be set, does not mean that you 'use it'.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Erik, et al,

I shoot RAW - always (unless I just don't care).
I have always processed in ACR, not Nikon's software.

I have my Picture Control set to Standard and leave it there.

As many have said, although it may affect the RGB histogram via the embedded jpg, after a number of years, I have grown used to the headroom RAW gives me over what the histogram and blinkies show me, so if I started chopping and changing just so the jpg "looks more like it will after PP" - well, I just don't see that as helpful, quite the contrary in fact.

I'll admit to dabbling with changing it depending what I was shooting soon after transitioning from shooting jpg only to RAW, but soon gave it up in favour of the consistency with regard to my starting point for RAW workflow in ACR (same would apply if I used LR or some other non-Nikon application).

In hindsight, perhaps I should be using Flat, but not sure it is worth changing my ways now, doing so would just throw another 'variable' in to the shooting mix, unwise when I'm exploring new things simultaneously.

That's my un-unique tuppence worth, Dave

PS EDIT - I just checked a recent shot in View-NX and seem to have my Picture Control offset:
Sharpness to +4 and Contrast to -3;
Brightness, Saturation and Hue are all zero.

Can't remember when I set those, I imagine the only relevant thing for histogram would be the Contrast.