Canon picture style

[truephotoga]

I was wondering which picture style setting those of you with Canon dslrs use most? I read that nuetral was best for images that you will post process and therefore should really stay in that setting. Thanks.

 

[Destin]

Almost everyone on here who knows enough to answer this question shoots in the RAW file format.

Here's the thing about RAW files: They don't apply the picture style settings to the photos, they simply take the raw data from the camera and put it into an uncompressed file. The white balance isn't even set on them until after you do so in post. RAW files have MANY, MANY advantages, with the only disadvantage being that they take up more card space. But with the low cost of memory today, even that isn't really a weakness.

The best format to shoot in if you intend to edit the photos is RAW. Picture modes don't really matter that much.

Now if you're shooting in .jpg, it should be because you don't intend to edit the images at all (famliy event, quick shots for facebook, etc) and therefore you should just pick the picture mode that gives the look you want for the situation.

 

[jaomul]

To OP. It is correct to say that any picture style you choose will be effective on your jpeg files, but though you can post process your raw files from a picture style setting, it can be changed later.
Basically if you choose standard on your camera your jpegs will be standard and your raw files will open in DPP with standard setting, you can then tweak these and even reset them to faithful, landscape or nuetral as you desire and process from there.

I think in answer to your actual question though, I use a customised picture style for most of my shots (one of the number picture style options). It is based on standard picture style with a colour saturation of +1. I find this suitable for most things, and usually do end up sharpening and maybe tweaking wb after

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, I shoot RAW and haven't given picture styles a 2nd look.

 

[analog.universe]

I shoot RAW as well, and I use "faithful" as a picture style. The reason I use a picture style at all is because in order generate histograms for the image preview, the camera must do a raw to jpg conversion first. If I use faithful, then I know none of those levels have been tweaked before I see the histogram, and it will be as accurate as possible. (even though histogram accuracy is still ultimately dependant on the conversion algorithm)

 

[gonzoblasco]

I shoot RAW as well, and I use "faithful" as a picture style. The reason I use a picture style at all is because in order generate histograms for the image preview, the camera must do a raw to jpg conversion first. If I use faithful, then I know none of those levels have been tweaked before I see the histogram, and it will be as accurate as possible. (even though histogram accuracy is still ultimately dependant on the conversion algorithm)

Good tip... I like this one...

 

[AlphaValues]

@gonzoblasco I haven't really done any kind of formal analysis, but what is your experience with the interpretation of "faithful" versus "neutral"? I use the Neutral setting because I am under the impression it provides accurate histogram data, and because it writes out the files just a little faster. I could be wrong on the first point, and the second point is so small it really doesn't make any difference for the type of shooting I do.

 

[Derrel]

I like "Faithful". I tried all the others, but I keep coming back to Faithful. Also, as a "canned" (ie, pre-set, basically unmodified) conversion from RAW to JPEG, the Faithful setting in DPP gives images that look pleasing, and which are easy to review and edit in to the Selects, Also-Rans, and Rejects. If you're using DPP as your converter, you really ought to give Faithful a try...it looks far better, to me, than Natural.

 

[Destin]

I like "Faithful". I tried all the others, but I keep coming back to Faithful. Also, as a "canned" (ie, pre-set, basically unmodified) conversion from RAW to JPEG, the Faithful setting in DPP gives images that look pleasing, and which are easy to review and edit in to the Selects, Also-Rans, and Rejects. If you're using DPP as your converter, you really ought to give Faithful a try...it looks far better, to me, than Natural.

Derrel, is there a Nikon equivalent to faithful? What do you do on your nikon cameras?

 

[Derrel]

I like "Faithful". I tried all the others, but I keep coming back to Faithful. Also, as a "canned" (ie, pre-set, basically unmodified) conversion from RAW to JPEG, the Faithful setting in DPP gives images that look pleasing, and which are easy to review and edit in to the Selects, Also-Rans, and Rejects. If you're using DPP as your converter, you really ought to give Faithful a try...it looks far better, to me, than Natural.

Derrel, is there a Nikon equivalent to faithful? What do you do on your nikon cameras?

Destin,
I do not know if there's a faithful equivalent.

I most often use a custom tone curve for the D2x. It's something I have loaded into the camera as Custom 2. It has to be loaded into Nikon Capture, and then transferred to the camera. It applies a custom-created tone curve to JPEG images, and is used in conjunction with a Minus 1.3 to Minus 1.7 stop exposure compensation dialed into the camera's metering system. I don't use it all the time, only sometimes. I adjust the Nikons to custom parameter sets, based on conditions.

Not sure what your D7000 has in terms of color modes.


For the D70, there are the Fotogenetic custom curves. see this page for more info and an idea of what I mean. http://fotogenetic.dearingfilm.com/custom_tone_curves.html

 

[TBar]

Faithful , in RAW!

 

[RDTague_Studios]

Even if a person shoots in RAW, the camera still converts the RAW image to jpeg to be reviewed, in camera. Therefore, I tether new cameras to a calibrated monitor, then using a test image, I adjust from there making a custom setting. Some of the "in camera" pre-sets can give you false highlights, as they bump up the contrast and saturation.


RT
RDTague Studios - Central Illinois Premier studio and on location photographer

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