User Defined Picture Styles

[Miaow]

Hi all,

Was looking around at the doing a user defined picture style on the Canon EOS 400D as I always find that half the time I'm adding more contrast etc via PP after I do the shot. Also a couple of people have noticed some softness in some of my pics and I notice I can increase the sharpness in there also.

Anyway I'm just wondering what other people have done - do you just use the standard settings or do you use a user defined style?

If you use a user defined one - what do you find are the best levels for the settings ?

 

[Miaow]

Hmm anyone? Surely someone can help here?

I've now altered the sharpness up a bit but I'm wondering on the contrast & Colour Saturation - Is this maybe something I should leave and PP rather than alter on a photo taking level?

 

[Overkill-F1]

I just started adding one notch to the sharpness, I think my XSI can use this extra bit over the standard setting. I've only had the XSI for a little over a week, so it's too early for me to say.
I can only suggest experimenting, go too far and then back up until it seems right.
...Terry

 

[rjackjames]

I have noticed the same thing for EOS 30D I find myself editing alot like increasing my contrast and sharpness. I rather do it in PS.

 

[JerryPH]

It is easy to do it in PS and a greater range of possibilities as well. It also depends on if you are shooting RAW or JPG (please let's NOT re-start that debate in here, ok? ).

I prefer not to touch camera settings too much for the sake of capturing the most detail possible. On my camera I have contrast, saturation, sharpness, all set to default or 0 as well as WB to auto and adjust in photoshop.

I do it this way becuase I can get better results with these aspects out of camera rather than in camera. As far as time is concerned, since it is pretty much the same additions of contrast, saturation and sharpness from pic to pic, I've created an action in PS that takes me 2-3 seconds to apply all the settings I want in 1 shot.

WB I do manually if it is needed at all.

 

[Miaow]

Thanks for the replies - Yeah i'm starting to think now of just leaving this pretty much as default settings (though may keep that sharpness up one for a bit to see how that works) and then PP if i need to.

 

[Miaow]

This still has me wondering really on how many people actually use a user defined style - the lack of replies has me interested in a way considering how many people here are experienced/professional photographers and I'm sure many would be playing with this aspect of the camera settings

Do some people just not want to admit they actually use one to improve the pics straight from the camera? Or do most people PP?

 

[JerryPH]

The vast majority of people here I would classify as beginner, so...

- They may no understand what you are talking about

- They may know but not care

- They may use the camera in factory default settings and not change it

In the end it just is not that important. Finding what works for you, though, is.

 

[PattiS]

Do some people just not want to admit they actually use one to improve the pics straight from the camera? Or do most people PP?

I've experimented with every picture style, including some user defined, and ultimately I prefer leaving everything neutral. I just like to have that much more control over the final image.

 

[andrew99]

You don't mention if you are shooting RAW or JPEG, but on my camera at least, if you shoot RAW, those in camera settings don't do anything, they only effect JPEGs. This is so you can shoot RAW and get the images before any non-reversible processing is done to them.

When I shoot JPEG, I set the saturation one notch higher than default, but leave the rest alone, but everyone has different taste, and different cameras.

 

[Jim H]

Another vote for leaving settings "as is" when shooting RAW. However, I don't "eyeball" the WB so well in PP so I utilize zebra cards and expodiscs - with the ability to fall back on the presets if needed.

 

[lockwood81]

I don't change the settings in camera because I feel my computer can do a better job if needed than the little processor in the camera.

 

[Miaow]

I should have said I shoot as JPEG - i haven't played with RAW as yet though I intend to.

I spose due to the OLD comp I currently have running I want to try and get the best sharpness/colour/contrast (without overdoing it) I can straight out of the camera without having to spend ages PPing just about everything LOL This is the main reason I was wondering on what others did with the picture styles.