POLL: What picture styles do you use?

[Marsu42]

Even when shooting raw, the picstyle determines the preview result. Even if postprocessing from raw you have to set some camera calibration which includes camera emulation styles (at least with Adobe - though "Adobe Standard" is the default).

What picture style(s) do you use? Anyone out there actually using Landscape for landscape and Portrait for Portrait?

Fyi: You can download several custom styles from http://www.canon.co.jp/imaging/picturestyle/

 

[DominoDude]

I went for the "select (nearly) all" option.
Even if I have them tweaked a little from the defaults - those that came with the camera. I also have a buckload of other Picture styles that I have tried from time to time.
For example here is Technicolor CineStyle -> http://www.technicolor.com/en/solutions-services/cinestyle
And here I found a zip with enough styles to last a while -> https://docs.google.com/file/d/1mCeS0x9_YGWfE2V_99e2uWuiYmQhJPOllF-ZI4kaoxhNsxyT9wgzd2cPsc4Q/edit?pli=1 (according to the file name it contains 154 styles)

 

[Coldhands]

Even when shooting raw, the picstyle determines the preview result...

I never realised this. Do you know if this have an impact on the highlight warning and histogram? If so then I imagine one should use neutral to get the most accurate preview of exposure since the other styles presumably apply a tone curve which could alter the clipping.

I've always just left it in standard as I shoot RAW exclusively.

 

[candc]

I use auto with +6 sharpening and +1 saturation. I like landscape but it can over do it sometimes and I forget to switch. Its not good for people shots

 

[Sabaki]

Bryan Carnathan notes in his review/preview of the 7Dii that he shoots in Neutral for a purer histogram then will convert in post before undertaking the serious post processing.

I personally use a custom setting as loaded by the head tech guy from Canon SA but I only use it as I was advised to.

I need to deep dive to understand these things better.

 

[Besisika]

I use neutral at all times. I am a post freak. I like retouching every single photo that I decide to keep.

 

[meywd]

I use neutral at all times. I am a post freak. I like retouching every single photo that I decide to keep.

I didn't know that makes one a freak....

 

[tgara]

Even when shooting raw, the picstyle determines the preview result...

I never realised this. Do you know if this have an impact on the highlight warning and histogram? If so then I imagine one should use neutral to get the most accurate preview of exposure since the other styles presumably apply a tone curve which could alter the clipping.

I've always just left it in standard as I shoot RAW exclusively.

Yes, the choice of Picture Style will have an impact on the histogram because it affects contrast, etc. If you are shooting RAW, the image you see on the LCD screen is actually a JPG with the picture style applied. In order to "see" the most accurate representation of the RAW image on the LCD screen, select Faithful or Neutral for your picture style.

Mine is a custom setting starting with Standard, then increasing sharpening to +6 and saturation to +1. This makes RAW files look really nice. Also, keep in mind, if you use DPP for processing, it's easy to change or remove Picture Styles with a click on both RAW and JPG images.

 

[Marsu42]

I never realised this. Do you know if this have an impact on the highlight warning and histogram?

There even is a tweaked picstyle that gives you the max histogram range, though it looks a bit stange. I don't know its name since I use Magic Lantern's full raw histogram, but Dr. Neuro mentioned it.

Btw shooting in Adobe RGB (_IMGabcd.cr2) also widens the histogram range as it's always only based on the jpeg file.

I use auto with +6 sharpening and +1 saturation.

Personally, I don't like +sharpen that much as I feel it gives me a false sense of sharpness - you can post-process sharpen every image, but it's decisive what data it's based on.

 

[AmselAdans]

I ever wondered: What information is encoded in Picture Styles?

- Sharpness setting
- Saturation setting
- Contrast setting
- Constrast curve
- Tone curve
Did I miss something?

In one review, Bryan Carnathan wrote that he prefers "Neutral" because it gives him a low-constrast histogram.
Does he want this, because this is a good start point for post processing?

 

[Marsu42]

Does he want this, because this is a good start point for post processing?

I don't know why he uses neutral, but for me it indeed seems like a good postprocessing basis. Btw "faithful" looks very similar, but a bit warmer - but I don't use it as I don't quite understand what it does vs neutral (anyone?)

You need to do more work on these though, or you'll end up with a flat look many viewers might find too dull vs. the good ol' postcard style.

 

[DominoDude]

Does he want this, because this is a good start point for post processing?

I don't know why he uses neutral, but for me it indeed seems like a good postprocessing basis. Btw "faithful" looks very similar, but a bit warmer - but I don't use it as I don't quite understand what it does vs neutral (anyone?)

You need to do more work on these though, or you'll end up with a flat look many viewers might find too dull vs. the good ol' postcard style.

Faithful is best suited for shooting under a colour temperature of 5200K.
Neutral is about the same, but (if I remember correctly) slightly less colour saturation.
Neither of them has any sharpening applied.

 

[Harv]

Neutral, and as I shoot only RAW, I change it in post if needed.

 

[Gosfraba]

I shoot mainly jpg.
Using a little tweaked standard setting:
+1 saturatoon.
-1 contrast.
4 sharpenning.

Alo off.

 

[AmselAdans]

Another question just pops up in my mind:

Assume you shoot RAW+jpeg.
You use, let's say, Standard Picture style, but modify it in order to have a sharpness+6.
Does this change in sharpness only affect the JPEG?
When I open the RAW in ACR, and "Standard" Picture Style is chosen, where is the increased sharpness reflected? Is it omitted? Is it applied to the RAW? Does the additional sharpening vanish, when I change the picture style?

 

[DominoDude]

Another question just pops up in my mind:

Assume you shoot RAW+jpeg.
You use, let's say, Standard Picture style, but modify it in order to have a sharpness+6.
Does this change in sharpness only affect the JPEG?
When I open the RAW in ACR, and "Standard" Picture Style is chosen, where is the increased sharpness reflected? Is it omitted? Is it applied to the RAW? Does the additional sharpening vanish, when I change the picture style?

I don't know what happens in ACR, but if you modify the PictureStyle, then all jpg's will reflect that change. That includes the different thumbnails embedded inside the RAW (those that you see for example on the back LCD and that's used to show the histograms).

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I leave my camera set to neutral, since I use RAW almost exclusively. Sometimes that results in a flatter jpeg than I'd like, I use jpeg so seldom.

Actually, I think lightroom ignores the setting when developing raw images, so maybe I should change it.

 

[Marsu42]

Actually, I think lightroom ignores the setting when developing raw images, so maybe I should change it.

Yes, LR ignores it - but you can select camera emulation profiles so that the start of your raw postprocessing looks like the in-camera preview. If you don't select anything, it selects the strangely yellow-ish "Adobe Standard".

 

[Joe M]

I was always tempted to use Faithful but long ago decided upon Neutral. In camera I use Neutral with a little bit of sharpening just so if I need to chimp for focus, I can get an idea of it. In ACR, I default to Neutral and go from there. I rarely change it to any other setting but if I do it's usually Canon Standard.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Actually, I think lightroom ignores the setting when developing raw images, so maybe I should change it.

Yes, LR ignores it - but you can select camera emulation profiles so that the start of your raw postprocessing looks like the in-camera preview. If you don't select anything, it selects the strangely yellow-ish "Adobe Standard".

Yes, I set it to import images as neutral with my own adjustments in addition. I don't like any of the presets.