Tweaking the EVF of the R5/R6 using Picture Style Editor

[YuengLinger]

Sometimes my R5 EVF (and a little more on the R6) displays with too much contrast in certain situations. It doesn't faithfully represent what the camera captures or what my eye sees. It hasn't been a huge problem, but it does clip shadows and highlights. For example, when composing near golden hour, landscapes with correctly exposed skies and sunlit foliage can have nearly black shadows. And in brighter daylight, shrubs and trees with birds can also have too much contrast.

I was very happy to stumble on a new post over on DPR by Mike Engles. https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4602152#forum-post-65518793

He worked out a method of using Canon's Picture Style Editor to open up shadows and subdue highlights on a computer, and then upload the new Picture Style to the camera body. I never really connected the Picture Style to how the EVF represents what we view, as I always just went with "Fine Detail" and left it at that. But using the Editor really works to lift shadows and make for more of a WYSIWYG experience, while also making it possible to have the EVF behave much more like an OVF.

Searching the Web, I don't really see much mention of using the Picture Style Editor to tweak the EVF--except a couple of Youtube videos discussing its use for video.

I just wanted to share this here for anybody else who sometimes would like to adjust the EVF beyond what in-camera offers.

 

[koenkooi]

The big caveat here is that picture styles get applied by RAW converters as well, DPP4 for sure does. So you'll have an extra step in post to reset the picture style back to normal.

 

[YuengLinger]

The big caveat here is that picture styles get applied by RAW converters as well, DPP4 for sure does. So you'll have an extra step in post to reset the picture style back to normal.

"Big caveat" seems strong. "Footnote"?

First, if the resulting RAW in DPP is pleasing, or a good starting place, fine.

Second, I don't know how many people use DPP as part of their workflow. I use it just to cull and rate images before sending the survivors to LR CC, where, of course, it doesn't matter what the camera's Picture Style happens to be. But if I were to process in DPP, I like what I'm seeing with the updated Picture Styles.

Third, if working in DPP and the Picture Style is not suitable as a good starting point, fine, just a quick "Select All" and choose a different Picture Style.

Not everybody wants their EVF to be more like an OVF, that's fine. But bringing up shadows a bit does help with composition, and it does, for me, come closer to what my final RAW adjustments in LR CC usually end up being.

Coincidentally, since my OP, this popped up:

Canon EOS R3's OVF Simulation: What it is and why it matters

Canon is the first company we've seen to take advantage of the greater dynamic range of OLED viewfinders. The EOS R3's OVF Simulation mode combines linear processing of scene light with the high dynamic range of its OLED EVF to create a more lifelike viewing experience similar to an optical finder.

www.dpreview.com

 

[Frodo]

I was disappointed by the EVF of my R until I altered the picture style in camera. I set the User Def 1 style to set sharpness to the second lowest settings and contrast to the lowest setting. The difference was noticeable and I'm much happier. I don't use DPP, and don't notice any impact on RAW processing in LR.