Nikon Picture Control variables - updated after NX2 edits?

[ramblinwreck]

Hi,

I'm running PM 4.6.2.1 on OSX 10.6.2.

I've been reading through the manual and to my delight I found that there are variables for Nikon Picture Controls (e.g. {pcnm}, {pcsh}, etc). I added some of these to the Info window using [Set Info Text...]. I see that this shows the Picture Control values corresponding to the as-shot/in-camera settings.

I also find that after changing the Picture Control settings in Nikon Capture NX2 (e.g. from "Standard" to "Portrait" or "Landscape", etc, or changing the numerical value for any of the parameters like Sharpness/Brightness/Saturation/Contrast) that the new value is NOT picked up and displayed by PM in the info window. It still shows the as-shot setting, rather than the NX2 updated setting. Is this expected behavior?

It is certainly useful that I can show as-shot Picture Control values in PM, but it would be really nice if it could show the edited values (updated by NX2). I guess this means that NX2 is storing the "edited" P.C. settings in a different place in the NEF file than the "original" P.C. settings (I suppose the original setting must be retained in order for NX2 to provide Revert-To-Original functionality). In any case, is there any way for PM to display the edited P.C. settings, if changes have been made to the NEF file with NX2?

I'm using NEFs from a D90 and Nikon Capture NX2 version 2.2.2, though I suppose this might apply to anyone who uses Capture NX2 with a Picture Control enabled Nikon (D300, D3, D5000, etc).

Happy New Year!
Chris

[Kirk Baker]

Chris,

I've been reading through the manual and to my delight I found that there are variables for Nikon Picture Controls (e.g. {pcnm}, {pcsh}, etc). I added some of these to the Info window using [Set Info Text...]. I see that this shows the Picture Control values corresponding to the as-shot/in-camera settings.

I also find that after changing the Picture Control settings in Nikon Capture NX2 (e.g. from "Standard" to "Portrait" or "Landscape", etc, or changing the numerical value for any of the parameters like Sharpness/Brightness/Saturation/Contrast) that the new value is NOT picked up and displayed by PM in the info window. It still shows the as-shot setting, rather than the NX2 updated setting. Is this expected behavior?

Actually, I don't know if it is expected behavior or not.  I have not investigated what changes NX2 makes to a NEF file when you change some of those settings.  I'd guess that it is storing those changes in some data in the NEF file that we haven't reverse-engineered yet.

It is certainly useful that I can show as-shot Picture Control values in PM, but it would be really nice if it could show the edited values (updated by NX2). I guess this means that NX2 is storing the "edited" P.C. settings in a different place in the NEF file than the "original" P.C. settings (I suppose the original setting must be retained in order for NX2 to provide Revert-To-Original functionality). In any case, is there any way for PM to display the edited P.C. settings, if changes have been made to the NEF file with NX2?

I'm using NEFs from a D90 and Nikon Capture NX2 version 2.2.2, though I suppose this might apply to anyone who uses Capture NX2 with a Picture Control enabled Nikon (D300, D3, D5000, etc).

We'd have to investigate this and get back to you.

-Kirk

[ramblinwreck]

Thanks for the quick and clear reply Kirk, let me know if you need any test files.

Happy New Year to you and the Camera Bits staff.

Chris

[Kirk Baker]

Chris,

Thanks for the quick and clear reply Kirk, let me know if you need any test files.

If you'd like to send us a before and after version of a file and tell us what specifically you changed, then that would be most helpful.  Please click on my name to the left of this message, then click on the 'personal message' link.  I will respond with upload instructions.

-Kirk

[ramblinwreck]

Hi Kirk,

I uploaded 3 files:

1. 20090911_09-55-10.NEF. Original NEF file with no NX2 edits. Nikon Picture Control set (in-camera) to 'Standard', with parameter Sharpness==3, Brightness==0, Contrast==0, Saturation==0.

2. 20090911_09-55-10_nx2_landscape.NEF. Same as #1 except changed the Picture Control to 'Landscape' in NX2.

3. 20090911_09-55-10_nx2_contrast_1.NEF. Same as #1 except changed the Contrast parameter to 1 in NX2.

PM shows the same values for the following variables for all three images:

{pcnm} -> Standard
{pcsh} -> 3
{pcbr} -> 0
{pccn} -> 0
{pcsa} -> 0

These values correspond to the as-shot settings (file #1), but do not appear to reflect changes made by NX2 (file #2 and #3).

I can demonstrate a similar effect by changing White Balance in NX2 (e.g. Auto-> Cloudy, or Incandenscent -> Sunny, etc), so I suppose this isn't a Picture Control specific issue, but rather an issue for any "camera setting" that can be changed by NX2 after-the-fact using Raw images. I guess NX2 doesn't overwrite the original camera setting data, but rather writes it to another part of the NEF file along with all the other NX2 NEF/edit 'instructions'.

Thanks
Chris