Changing picture style in raw

[Kitsap Guy]

My Canon XTi has options for different picture styles (Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, & Faithful), but I've read that it doesn't make any difference which one is selected if you shoot in raw. The reason given is that when the raw image is processed, you can choose your own picture style.

When in comes to picture styles, the camera's manual mentions these aspects that are created/affected depending on which picture style is used: skin tones; vivid or subdued colors; natural colors; sharp, crisp or dull images.

In PSE 4.0 raw processing , I don't see anything that directly addresses the different picture styles, but I can see how tweaking contrast, saturation, sharpness and white balance can affect the aspects I've mentioned above. But - these aspects can also be affected by tweaking in the normal Standard Edit mode, so if it's true that the picture style doesn't matter if shooting in raw, I'm not quite getting why.

Anyway, at this point, all I'm really trying to find out is: Does the picture style selected make any difference if you're shooting in raw? Beyond that, if I can understand the reason why - one way or the other - I'll consider that a bonus. Thanks,

Lon

[Hankw]

Lon:

The reason is, When shooting RAW none of those settings have any effect. What you will get from Raw is just like using a film camera and developing the negative. RAW records a lot more information in your photos and tweaking them in the RAW editor give you a lot more control over your images. Just as film gives control in the darkroom.

Last month I bought Lightroom 2 and RAW is about the only thing i use now. However I still use and enjoy PSE for somethings. I found using Raw makes me put more thought into the shoot. getting my Aperture, shutter, and exposure right is a little more important now than it was before.

[Chuck S.]

Hank is right about RAW - the color variations introduced with picture styles aren't captured in the RAW images.

There's a way to have your cake and eat it too: use the RAW + JPEG capture feature of the XTi. I started experimenting with the Monochrome picture style in RAW + JPEG, and it allows me to shoot - and review - a photo in black & white, while also capturing the RAW image in color (RAW always has the colors). If I like the monochrome JPEG, I can retain that and touch it up in PSE as needed; if I want color or a different B&W effect, I can open the RAW image in Lightroom or ACR and go in that direction. Lots of flexibility! Chews up memory card space, of course, but fortunately that's become pretty inexpensive.

[Not4wood]

The computer in your camera is preset to enhance your images in certain ways depending on the way you set your functions.

In Raw, your letting your sensor loose with no other influences and it will see the image without any presets. This Raw will let the sensor see the image in all its glory and actually at this point it still amazes me that this sensor can see things in both the hot or blown out areas and also the extremely dark areas as well or even better then the human eye can see.

What Chuck added about shooting in both Raw + JPG does have a way of giving you both. You can see how the camera influences the images in any of the Presets and at the same time you will get the highest quality details you can image. You can use this JPG as an influence in the way you edit your Raw but its not really necesary.

Due to the fact of the price increases on the faster available memory cards, the slower cards have come down in prices by a lot. Still, buy the fastest largest memory cards your wallet and your camera will allow. This way, if there is another price change your ahead of the deal.

[Codebreaker]

As the other folks have already said, RAW files coming out of your camera are not processed in anyway, so any 'processing settings' you set on your camera are ignored in Photoshop at least. Some of the proprietary RAW processors such as Canon's DPP, I believe, can pick up the tags in the image data that concern the Picture Styles and render the image according to how the engineers determine what the outcome should look like.

Within Photshop - Lightroom and Elements ACR - you can also choose a Camera Profile that matches the Picture Styles of you camera. This will give you a default rendering close to that determined by your camera settings.

With RAW, something external to the camera has to do the processing. You can either accept the default processing - including an interpretation of the Camera Style - or you can set your own processing parameters.

Personally I prefer to process my own.

Colin

[fletch]

One of the few downsides of using PSE + ACR to process your RAW files is that it doesn't hold those camera pre sets such as landscape or portrait. Lighroom 2 and CS4 + ACR do contain camera profiles though. If we want to create the look in PSE + ACR we would need to do it manually with the sliders.

[Codebreaker]

Fletch...

The version of Elements ACR that I have - 4.5 - has the Portrait and Landscape profiles.

Colin

[fletch]

Fletch...

The version of Elements ACR that I have - 4.5 - has the Portrait and Landscape profiles.

Colin

Where are they. I have the most recent version 5.2 and I have never found them.

[Codebreaker]

In the ACR window click on the right most tab - the one with the Camera Icon. Then select the Camera Profile from the drop down box.

Colin

Edit: I think when you download the latest ACR you need to run the CameraProfiles.EXE which comes with it.

Colin

[fletch]

Edit: I think when you download the latest ACR you need to run the CameraProfiles.EXE which comes with it.


That will be why i can't see them (although i'm sure they wern't there before I went to 5.2, we will never know). Where do i find this file?

[Kitsap Guy]

Hank is right about RAW - the color variations introduced with picture styles aren't captured in the RAW images. However, to the extent those styles might influence exposure settings (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) the RAW image would be based on those settings.

Thanks, Chuck. Here, do you mean exposure settings that you decide on and set yourself (based on the picture style you've set the camera on), or those that might be automatically selected (e.g., shutter speed when shooting aperture priority, or aperture when shooting shutter speed priority, etc.)?

Since ISO is never selected automatically when shooting RAW, I'm guessing you mean the former - but I could easily be missing something. Thanks again,

Lon

[Chuck S.]

Lon, I'm just guessing that picture styles affect what the camera 'sees' as the correct exposure and may slightly over- or under-expose based on the style. That could be a bad assumption, though.

I don't believe the XTi has an Auto ISO feature, so what I said about ISO changing with Picture Style is incorrect.

Actually, I think I should just delete my other post....:o

[Codebreaker]

Lon....

There's some information here that might help....

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/picturestyle/index.html


Colin

[Codebreaker]

Fletch....

The exe file is part of the ACR download zip file.

Colin

[fletch]

I've run the EXE file but still don't have any profiles relevenat to my camera. All I can see is profiles called ACR 4.2, ACR 4.4 and Adobe Standard.

Maybe its something to do with my Camera, an Olympus E510

[Codebreaker]

Fletch....

I guess that's possible. Why not see if you can get a sample RAW from another camera and see if that opens up the options?

Colin

[Kitsap Guy]

Actually, I think I should just delete my other post....:o

Not ... Chuck! Otherwise, no conversation gets started and learning stops in it's tracks. Thanks much...now I just need to get time to go out and take more test shots. Cheers,

Lon