Great video Simon. Good advice. Taking it one step further, I recently saw a video from Janine at Pangolin, that by adding highlight tone priority (D+ in my Canon R5-red 2 in menu) can increase highlight ranges in my raw captures. This increases data on left and right side of histogram providing more dynamic range and to also reduce clipping risk issues and noise when exposing to the right (ETTR)
I often use either standard or landscape premade profiles to boost the greens and blues for wmy wildlife photography. But now i know why the sharpness from my LCD is different from my RAW on my computer ;)
As a "raw shooter", I didn't realize the benefit of shooting Raw and Jpeg together since I always process the raw file. The benefit of improving exposure is very valuable. Once again, thanks Simon!
Simon, I watched many videos about picture profiles for years and I never really understood them. You’re the only one who finally made me understand how this thing works. You are a gift to the world!
I watch your videos from India, and learn new things every time. Third World person with very little income, still I am enriched a lot with a Nikon D3300 with a 35/1.8
I shoot JPEG and still tweak it a bit with Lightroom, which is still doable to a certain extent. I get the desired contrast, saturation, shadows, balance, and highlights with a smaller file size.
As others said, I had never really given much thought to how the profile affected the thumbnail display. The discussion about showing "flat" thumbnails to clients reminded me of when I worked in a commercial darkroom years ago. We would print B&W photos destined for magazine publication with less contrast as the magazine printing process tended to increase contrast. It was a continual education process as new customers would pick up their prints and then complain about how flat they looked... I'm off to Iceland to chase Northern Lights this weekend and appreciate your NL video. And as a seemingly rare Pentax user, it was nice to see a mention in this video. Thanks!
So instead of us having to do and worry about all that... How about... Hear me out for a second... How about, maybe, just maybe... How about manufacturers tell their software developers for the cameras TO PUT IN THE OPTION IN THE CAMERA SETTINGS TO TURN ON RAW FILE PREVIEW instead of having to LOOK AT JPEG PREVIEW ON A GOD DAMN $5,000 PROFESSIONAL CAMERA!!!!!!! It's 2024!!! HOW IS RAW FILE PREVIEW NOT A THING YET?!??!?!
@@nogerboher5266 And how should the raw file be previewed exactly? You need to interpret the raw photosite data into an image, and wouldn't you know it you just reinvented picture profiles! raw photo preview is just another profile.
@@nogerboher5266 the raw contains the linear response of which pixels got how much light, but there is some wiggle room in interpreting this radiometrically accurate data into something that matches human perception (photometry) on a display. Marc Levoy has a good lecture on photometry on youtube. Raw data is just a bunch of numbers, and every raw preview is one of many valid ways to preview it..
I think the problem many have is that they do no realise just how many settings and tweaks a digital camera has. These videos are so helpful in that you both show and explain settings that many would never realise existed.
This is a great lesson. I've made both kinds of mistakes respecting camera settings. I've spent a lot of time fiddling with controls that didn't matter because I was shooting raw. Now I understand why adjusting Picture Style DOES matter even if I'm using the raw file. Thanks!
Thank you so much! I was just talking about Picture Styles yesterday with a friend. I'm going to share this with her. For myself, I'm going to do some tweaking in my camera settings. You truly have a gift, Simon. You make everything so easy to understand.
I just want to thank you as a new subscriber for what you do. It’s very tough for me to learn, because people often bloat their videos to the point where they extend them so long that nobody wants to watch an hour video for 15 minutes of content.you get right to the point and you teach in a way that is non-condescending and helpful. Almost like the Bob Ross of photography. It’s much appreciated and a very quick and relaxing way to learn. Thank you.
When I first saw the title I wondered what on earth you could mean. Having watched it twice now, and adjusted my Neutral picture style to have more sharpness, less contrast, and less saturation, I'm amazed at just how few blinkies I get now, and the better 'processable' dynamic range of what I do get when I process my images. Thank you so much fro taking the time to explain this Simon, it is very much appreciated! 👍👍👍
This is why i love your tutorials, even the one about the very basics. It is not about knowing, but about understanding techniques. Like in Maths, everybody knows 3x2=6...not everyone understand the implication that 3x2 means 3+3 or 2+2+2 are the same.
This seems like a natural progression from the "Find your PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE" video, since trying different styles in the camera might help someone find the look they're looking for. I'm setting up my new R8 this evening, so Simon has caused changes to a camera menu that's more than 2000 miles away. This is the internet at its best, facilitating the transfer of knowledge almost anywhere in the world.
Thank you so much for your videos! I have just upgraded from my 15yo Nikon D5000 to the Sony a7iv and to say I’m overwhelmed would be an understatement 😅 your videos are to the point, nicely explained so that anyone can understand and not preachy at all. Greetings from Iowa :)
I still think in terms of film photography and should take advantage of the tools available in my digital cameras. Thank you for exposing me to the various settings available in these far more complex systems!
Thank you for this Simon. Shooting in RAW, I completely ignore picture profiles; I just set to Standard on Canon and forget about it. This video encourages me to reevaluate profiles.
This was such a good video. I binge watch photography videos on RUclips and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this topic covered. Time to take a look at some profiles! Thanks Simon!
Great video. Never played with styles, and almost didn’t watch the video because I didn’t think I’d use them, but now I’m ready to play! Always learn something useful from you Simon!
I have been shooting RAW with a flat profile for a while now. Good to see that method validated by a pro! An addendum for you. If a Nikon user shoots RAW and has NX Studio as their RAW developer they can adjust in-camera settings during post processing. Very handy not only for post processing but teaches the user the effects of in-camera settings for the future.
Simon, this is an excellent video or more accurately the explanations and suggestions you provide are so bang on, definitely a re-watch more than once for me.
Thanks for the advice about working with raw. I hadn't considered that. I alternate or shoot in both JPEG & raw depending on desired end use & setting photo styles is among the first things I tweaked on the camera. Some of the factory presets were fine for me but others I wanted changes. For example I almost always want more saturation for landscapes (something most reviewers of my camera mentioned). I most always use RGB historgrams. Working with video professionally before photography mainly as a hobby I carried over some of my methods. Reference black-white-gray samples are common in video. You have continuously changing light & subjects and as such color correction is a big deal. Having a reference to compare to & using RGB values when performing correction keeps you grounded.
I really love your name Simon and the way you say it just rolls off the tongue... everytime I watch one of your brilliant videos I look forward to you introducing yourself.
I just got my first camera it’s a cannon t7 and I got the telephoto lens for it could you give me some tips? I would love it! Also love your videos! Keep it up!
@@simon_dentremont good point I’ve learned so much about photography from your channel you explain stuff sooooo well it’s shocking I will definitely be sticking around to learn!
This is a video many photographers really needed. Hearing "you must always shoot RAW" hype over and over, people seem to forget all of basic editing can be automatically done in camera. Let's face it, not all pictures we take are for high art, they are also memories or just us having fun with our camera. For daily use, 99% of photographs CAN come out great straight from camera or need very minor tweaks that is just easier to do on already processed camera jpeg; all it takes is to configure the picture settings and active-d lighting (on nikon) to your liking. Even if the alternative is as simple as importing RAWs to lightroom, applying a preset profile and exporting, why waste time on this? I do always shoot RAW+jpeg just in case I might want/need to edit something thoroughly but most of the time I just delete the RAWs after I import them and save 50MB per picture. We accept JPEGs from a phone as granted, and phone doesn't even keep us in the loop about its creative decisions.
The advice of shooting raw is not for casual photographers, it is given for people who want to obtain the best image quality the camera can give and the most flexibility when editing. Of course, jpegs have their place, but I think you misunderstand the advice. If jpegs are ok for your needs, great, but there are people who will take their photography to the next level by shooting raw and learning how to postprocess to have their own look. It's not hype or a fade; if someone thinks likewise is because he/she doesn't understand the point of doing it and most certainly don't even need to shoot raw.
You make a good point. I've switched over to shooting RAW+JPEG as well. This way, I can share my images so much quicker. If an image requires further tweaking, I delete the JPEG and re-process from the RAW. Or if I want to create a masterpiece, I spend my time on the RAW. My next step is to delete the RAWs for the images that I'll never touch again. I should do this, but just can't bring myself to yet...
@@ConcealedWeapon I think you also missed my point, but I'll bite.. I DO think "you must always shoot RAW" advice itself is moot, overhyped and smartass advice. Its sole purpose is to sound cool and knowledgable and thats about it. Its just as nonsense as saying "you must always shoot at f/8". RAW is a file format. Its not automatically better or worse, its just another feature in the toolset with a specific purpose. Think of it this way; if it didn't have any single disadvantage, everything with a CMOS sensor (including phones and webcams) would be recording RAWs today. RAW has obvious advantage of recording everything sensor has seen but also has not-so obvious drawbacks like 10x filesize on your SD card (or PC storage), reduced camera's picture buffer in continuous shots, much slower write/delete times, slower previews due to slower reads etc. You can't print RAW directly, you can't even mail RAW directly in most situations. So that advice must come with a purpose reflecting on RAW's advantage to be meaningful, like this: "You must shoot RAW, if you want more flexibility while you are editing your photos". This advice would now be valid, but then I have two questions: 1- Which part comes first, editing ability or shooting raw? Because "Shoot RAW, get inferior-looking results and waste your storage space now, just in case you may want to learn to edit your photos in future, maybe" would be pretty laughable advice... Any photographer who doesn't do extensive post processing doesn't need flexibility in the fileformat he/she saved, RAW is the worst option. Even TIFF is a better advice. At least its readily printable. Anyone just started editing photos will learn what RAW is in his first YT tutorial, come to "understand" the advantages of RAW in theory, but will still struggle even get camera JPG level of image quality from his/her own LR edits, short of applying presets. At this point, he maybe hesitant to switch to RAW, but why on earth would you tell person to shoot raw? He already knows what RAW is, he/she would use it if he/she could. 2- Who will actually benefit from shooting RAW? Someone invested significant time and money in learning advanced editing skills, gained enough experience to truly get practical advantages of RAW file format, maybe also have experience to shoot with editing in mind will benefit from shooting RAW. Are you telling me there are people who can do 5 layers of PS editing of their own photos, use variety of 3rd party tools to combat noise or improve fidelity, and still never ever heard of RAW? You'll tell them "you must always shoot raw" and they'll say "God bless you I never knew RAW existed, you it improved my photography a lot", really? I think only kind of person to accept "always shoot raw" advice is a complete beginner and Suggesting RAW to a beginner a terrible advice. He'll question why his photos look dull and noisy. He's better off NOT shooting RAW and just have his instructor or friend configure camera for some vivid and less noisy picture setting, leaving everything else in auto while he struggles to adjust his aperture just so shutter climbs up to hand-holdable durations...
Awesome information. Changed it right away. Actually the camera was set to contrast +2 for its "Standard Profile". I never cared much about it because raw. Changed it to "Neutral", wich is contrast 0. It works.
I know it's about photography, but picture profiles are extremely important for video! Personally I've adjusted 2 profiles a few days ago after shooting some Bison and deer to increase sharpness to bring out the fur and a bit more warmer colour in these grey times in order to have a ready made shot shooting JPEG+RAW. You see I don't have much time to process photo's, and having the internet wait for our small vacation's pictures to be processed is not appreciated. So now I use Standard + sharp + a slight saturation and contrast bump for wildlife, and natural with decreased sharpness for faces (G85 Lumix).
I also use raw in conjunction with a B&W picture profile when using manual focus with peaking enabled. Having red or blue peaking dots on a monochrome image is good for really quickly seeing what's in focus while preserving all the colour information in the raw file. I'm not sure how they behave in cameras of other brands, and even if you can use them in photo mode, but I use a custom zebra on my Sony bodies instead of a histogram to judge the exposure of my shots. You can see how much of the image is clipping and where in the frame it is.
Kudos for including Pentax! Some people, those with a need for the fasted AF possible and video, should be looking elsewhere, but for many Pentax make excellent cameras that are a joy to use due to their ergonomics. BTW, some recommend to use B&W previews (some cameras can provide them on the back LCD without affecting the chosen JPEG profile) to enable photographers to better evaluates the tonal variations. Might be another reason for some raw shooters to choose a B&W profile.
I have been using the Neutral profile most often, and then when editing I may go through the other profiles in Lightroom to see if I like the changes. Thanks for this terrific video, now I will be going through my camera settings to change the clarity. Thank you again. Cheers. 📸😎👍🏻
3:17 I really appreciate you saying this. Delivering photos straight-out-of-camera is just as valid a choice as tweaking the RAW in post, assuming you get in the adjustments you want to make. At the end of the day you're still exporting JPEG.
You are so right, and thank you for saying it so well. Who has time to process 273 event photos when the affair ends at 9:30, and the board of directors want to see your best 150 shots at 10:15!!
They are two completely different images. One is edited by the camera the other by the editor. As for, is one more valid than the other, of course the raw edited image is more valid it's been self edited rather than auto edited. Anyone can take a jpeg, not everyone can edit a raw image.
@@captinktm Everyone can edit a raw file. Some may learn how to do so, at a slower pace than others, but everyone (without a mental handicap of course) can edit a raw file.
I'm getting back into photography after a hiatus for the past few years. It feels like starting over but your videos are bringing a lot of the knowledge and excitement back... also seeing a fellow Bluenoser doing well is definitely inspirational! I'll follow your work closely and hopefully if I see you around HRM you wouldn't mind if I shake your hand.
Being a severe "back-of-the-camera" deleter, but without the deserved analysis of, and attention to, the overall "image acquisition process" now... this is something. I work in RAW most of the time, except for very specific situations (friend's "you are our photographer" weddings?) Admittedly, I NEVER even thought of considering this backgroud digital process for RAW. Thanks Simon. I had NEVER given any attention to this. 🙏
Thanks Coach! I've been practicing all the composition and light control techniques you've been covering. I'm currently at this stage in trying to understand controls on my camera so I've been eagerly awaiting your comments on this topic! I'm learning how to use SLOG and profiles to get more range from my setup. Your videos are all helpful!
On a Canon camera, shooting in "Faithful" picture style and setting your blinkies to go off at about 252 or 254 instead of 255 will give you a good histogram for the raw file.
These are all really good tips! Another thing to watch out for, especially for raw shooters is to turn off your camera's dynamic range optimizer (if it has one). That feature adjusts the tone curve in the raw image when it's enabled, which can create added unnecessary noise to the raw image.
Useful tips indeed... I have shot .raw almost exclusively since the late 2000's, simply because of the greater control over the finished product but never considered how the picture modes might affect the process of shooting the images. Even though I was aware of what the LCD or viewfinder was displaying, I still recall thinking that the picture modes were simply something to be acknowledged then ignored when I first began exploring my E-M1X. I'll be experimenting with this out in the field now to see how it affects my histograms and perhaps my analysis of different shooting conditions. Thanks!
Thank you for exploring and explaining this camera feature! I found some interesting things on my Sony A7riii menu. There are three different menu items dealing with styles. 1. Creative Style 2. Picture Effect 3. Picture Profile. With Creative Style there are 19 different settings from Standard to Black and White +. The Contrast, Saturation, and Sharpness can be tweaked for each style. The Picture Effect has 8 different picture effects including Toy Camera and Retro Photo among others. The only way to use the Picture Effect is to set the image to record JPEG only. The last one Picture Profile is for shooting video and has 10 different settings. I have used the Creative Style now and again, but I often "forget" to change it after a session and don't remember to check it when going to my next session. But now thanks to your video I know it is not effecting my RAW file and only what I am seeing on the monitor.
Is there a specific Creative Look and have you made adjustments to the sharpness, contrast, etc.? I’m currently have Creative Look set to Standard and factory settings.
First, thank you for your videos you are my main inspiration for getting into wildlife photography! Secondly, I assume there are many memorable experiences you have with some of your pictures. Like the background story of how you got the shot or a unique story of what it took to capture the right image etc. I think it would be great if you would do a video narrating some of your most memorable experiences capturing your favorite shots. Again, thank you Simon!
Useful tip about the histogram. Hadn't thought about flattenning the profile for more accuracy. As I tend to expose to the right it will be helpful instead of guessing the DR of the raw file.
This video was extremely helpful. Thanks so much. I worked out that the sharpest setting with the most accurate colours is Canon picture profile faithful but with the Sharpest strength set to 5 and then the fineness to 1 and threshold to 1. Made ALL the difference on our R5 and M6 Mark II.
Another great video! Getting all of the basics mastered will help so much! Getting it right in camera first will make the photography journey better and easier. Thank you again!
Still learning my use of the histogram so these tips are great! (a year ago I had no clue how to use it other than knowing what it was called...) Thanks, Simon! 👍👍
Simon, can you make a video explaining in more details how to set the grid and histogram accurate. I'm still new to this and I really want to make this right in order to be better 😊Thank you.
Your aside about raising the camera to get rid of water vapour's impact on photos - brilliant. You probably could do an entire video about this and similar issues that can be prevented at shoot time (i.e. before "post"). If you shoot long lenses with massive lens hoods then "thermals" are a thing that happens in the hood when the lens/hood is warmer than the environment. Ytoober Morten Hilmer really had me thinking for a bit when he shot the musk oxen in Norway at -20C (-4F) placing the camera with lens on the snow and keeping it outside of his tent - at all times. Prevention of thermals and condensation. You probably have a list of these things to consider as Knaydian with icy cold climate experience. The camera's operating range ... The battery's operating range ... The memory card's operating range ...
Thanks Simon, that is much more info than I knew and I have been using the landscape profile, my main interest, since buying my Canon camera two years ago. Clearly I will be paying much more attention to this so I can get the maximum results from my camera. I have too often wondered why I would get over saturated results trying HDR shots. Great channel.🙏
Simon, I really appreciate your videos. I started to take interest in photography a little under a year ago, and I've found that there can be a lot of gatekeeping in this hobby. You make me want to go out and shoot more, because I realize that even if I don't have top-end equipment or the most interesting subject matter around me, I can still create a compelling photo with a few tricks (that would otherwise be unkown to me if it weren't for your videos). Thank you!
Absolute masterclass in explanation, your channel has helped me massively in growing my skill as a beginner photographer. Your skill and ability to teach is truly admirable, thankyou!
Ya on Fujifilm the Raw has the Jpeg built in depending how you have set up the film simulation. What I really like is that if you want that picture but there is something a little off but it is really easy to make the Tweak and output the Jpeg after the fact. I was doing series of head shots for a local theatre companies up coming production. Out of the chosen shots one person was so striking when I took her portrait and output Jpeg in a colour negative simulation just for her. The Fujifilm camera experience always struck me as different then that of other manufactures. I have an older X-Pro 2 and I find it a dream to use. I have to admit that video doesn't interest me or I would have chosen another platform.
Another amazing video! Thanks for the information! I am shooting in RAW. For that reason, I didn't worry about the film simulation. I see now that it was a mistake ;-)! I sometimes had trouble adjusting my exposure because my histogram seemed adequate, but I had red spots indicating overexposure on my screen! Now I understand why! I'm using a Fuji X-T5. The film simulation was the Provia STD film simulation, but next time I will try the Velvia or Astia (soft) film simulations. Thank you again!
Late comment but I’ve been binging your videos. Photographer for about 15 years now. Couldn’t agree more! I sometimes use vintage glass and have a monochrome style loaded so focus peaking is easier to see and more accurate 🎩
Thank you so much for the tutorials. I really enjoy listening to you in the videos-it's soothing somehow! 😊 You explain things very clearly and in a way that to me is easy to understand. Please don't misconstrue what I'm saying, but it's like listening to my grandfather who was extremely patient and knowledgable about the things that he spoke on. Again thank you.
I wish I knew it earlier, even if I shoot only raw. After switching through the color profiles and watching histogram live I can see it clips to black at standard color profile and stays more to the middle at flat image profile, game changer for me 😮
I wonder what tips you have to cheat the wind, on the fly,in the field with a 200/600 in a crop camera, a6000. I have a quickset and I still get wobbles. I am NOT putting up a tent everywhere I go.😅 But that bazooka hole 🕳️ catches every breeze!!!!
I shoot 850nm on a full spectrum camera. In camera set to Monochrome (greys) otherwise camera shows Reds. When brought in computer to Raw process, the images are Red again, which is expected.
Very interesting and helpful. I only shoot raw but the thought that you might want to adjust what you see in the viewfinder is intriguing. And that you may have room with the blinkies in raw. I will definitely be playing around with this. Thanks for another great tip.
Hot take: There is no must in photography. I use the profile closest to the processing I envision. Using a flat profile is only important if highlight recovery is of concern, otherwise the photo itself is more important than worrying too much about 10% better exposure. Because I am a highlight freak, I usually shoot with -0.5EV exposure compensation and don't review my images all the time, rather focussing on the next one.
I love your vids. One detail you might consider is updating the sample shots you show. I'd love to see your more recent shots of owls, waterfowl, foxes, etc...
I usually set my picture profile to neutral on my Nikon thinking it would give me the most accurate histogram but perhaps I need to think about using these profiles more in the manner you've mentioned here. Great content as always. Thanks.
@@simon_dentremont in the video your neutral is strength 3 and finessness 4, is this your suggested tuning for neutral? i'm new to those tuning and wondering which one could be good for me. Thanks!
Sure if you're shooting raw only then the manufacturers ought to be able to give you some equivalent of clipplies on the jpeg preview based on the raw dynamic range
Simon you should have a look at the Smallrig 4160 L bracket for the R5, I find that the full extension around the battery area more comfortable for a large handed person.
I will add one thing about this: On Fujifilm X-Series cameras, increasing Clarity in the IQ menu can increase processing time. You’ll see “Storing” on the display. I’ve noticed though that shooting in Low or High Speed Burst, it doesn’t do this.
I did not know this about clipping. I have noticed that shots that showed clipping were often salvageable. I’ll lower my jpeg contrast and remember this. I never shoot jpeg but I need to adjust the jpeg settings. Thnx Simon!
Yes! In fact, this can be a nasty trap. Luckily I don't have any problems with my Nikon Zfc. I only use RAW and image control is set to "Standard" and this means that reduced previews are shown to me on the LCD when I check. The histogram of the camera is exactly what LRC or PS also shows me. The sharpness representation is also identical! Either Nikon is doing a very good job here or others are doing a bad one? But yes, a good post. Thank you
What’s your favorite picture profile and why?
Landscape with sharpness 7 and colour tone -1 find it works best for aviation photography
I got a canon M50 and do mostly Landscape photography in RAW, what profile value should I use?
Great video Simon. Good advice. Taking it one step further, I recently saw a video from Janine at Pangolin, that by adding highlight tone priority (D+ in my Canon R5-red 2 in menu) can increase highlight ranges in my raw captures. This increases data on left and right side of histogram providing more dynamic range and to also reduce clipping risk issues and noise when exposing to the right (ETTR)
I often use either standard or landscape premade profiles to boost the greens and blues for wmy wildlife photography.
But now i know why the sharpness from my LCD is different from my RAW on my computer ;)
PP1 is pretty good on Sony.
More of these kinds of videos!
These are things more valued than the repetitive 'how to get sharp photos' videos. Love it.
As a "raw shooter", I didn't realize the benefit of shooting Raw and Jpeg together since I always process the raw file. The benefit of improving exposure is very valuable. Once again, thanks Simon!
The tip about reducing contrast in the picture profile is great. I didn't even realize before that was an option!
I tried changing this setting while watching the video and it made a huge difference. I think I learn more from your videos than I do anywhere else.
Simon, I watched many videos about picture profiles for years and I never really understood them. You’re the only one who finally made me understand how this thing works. You are a gift to the world!
This is the best photography channel on RUclips for sure.
Wow, thanks!
Finally an explanation that makes sense. I no idea that setting effects what I see on my mirror less camera even when shooting raw.
I watch your videos from India, and learn new things every time.
Third World person with very little income, still I am enriched a lot with a Nikon D3300 with a 35/1.8
D3300 is a very good modestly priced camera, capable of making great photos.
Happy for you, brother, keep up your good work
Would you like to share your photos? I'm curious! There must be many unique situations to photograph there
I shoot JPEG and still tweak it a bit with Lightroom, which is still doable to a certain extent. I get the desired contrast, saturation, shadows, balance, and highlights with a smaller file size.
As others said, I had never really given much thought to how the profile affected the thumbnail display. The discussion about showing "flat" thumbnails to clients reminded me of when I worked in a commercial darkroom years ago. We would print B&W photos destined for magazine publication with less contrast as the magazine printing process tended to increase contrast. It was a continual education process as new customers would pick up their prints and then complain about how flat they looked... I'm off to Iceland to chase Northern Lights this weekend and appreciate your NL video. And as a seemingly rare Pentax user, it was nice to see a mention in this video. Thanks!
So instead of us having to do and worry about all that... How about... Hear me out for a second... How about, maybe, just maybe... How about manufacturers tell their software developers for the cameras TO PUT IN THE OPTION IN THE CAMERA SETTINGS TO TURN ON RAW FILE PREVIEW instead of having to LOOK AT JPEG PREVIEW ON A GOD DAMN $5,000 PROFESSIONAL CAMERA!!!!!!! It's 2024!!! HOW IS RAW FILE PREVIEW NOT A THING YET?!??!?!
@@nogerboher5266 And how should the raw file be previewed exactly? You need to interpret the raw photosite data into an image, and wouldn't you know it you just reinvented picture profiles! raw photo preview is just another profile.
@@veloxsouth No? You get to see the unaltered, unedited RAW FILE DATA on the back of your screen, not the edited, altered JPEG.
@@nogerboher5266 the raw contains the linear response of which pixels got how much light, but there is some wiggle room in interpreting this radiometrically accurate data into something that matches human perception (photometry) on a display. Marc Levoy has a good lecture on photometry on youtube. Raw data is just a bunch of numbers, and every raw preview is one of many valid ways to preview it..
I think the problem many have is that they do no realise just how many settings and tweaks a digital camera has. These videos are so helpful in that you both show and explain settings that many would never realise existed.
This is a great lesson. I've made both kinds of mistakes respecting camera settings. I've spent a lot of time fiddling with controls that didn't matter because I was shooting raw. Now I understand why adjusting Picture Style DOES matter even if I'm using the raw file. Thanks!
It really doesn't. I bet you loved the Squarespace adverts though.
Thank you so much! I was just talking about Picture Styles yesterday with a friend. I'm going to share this with her. For myself, I'm going to do some tweaking in my camera settings. You truly have a gift, Simon. You make everything so easy to understand.
You are so welcome!
I just want to thank you as a new subscriber for what you do. It’s very tough for me to learn, because people often bloat their videos to the point where they extend them so long that nobody wants to watch an hour video for 15 minutes of content.you get right to the point and you teach in a way that is non-condescending and helpful. Almost like the Bob Ross of photography. It’s much appreciated and a very quick and relaxing way to learn. Thank you.
You are so welcome
It’s such a pleasure watching your videos.
Thanks very much!
When I first saw the title I wondered what on earth you could mean. Having watched it twice now, and adjusted my Neutral picture style to have more sharpness, less contrast, and less saturation, I'm amazed at just how few blinkies I get now, and the better 'processable' dynamic range of what I do get when I process my images. Thank you so much fro taking the time to explain this Simon, it is very much appreciated!
👍👍👍
This is why i love your tutorials, even the one about the very basics. It is not about knowing, but about understanding techniques.
Like in Maths, everybody knows 3x2=6...not everyone understand the implication that 3x2 means 3+3 or 2+2+2 are the same.
This seems like a natural progression from the "Find your PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE" video, since trying different styles in the camera might help someone find the look they're looking for.
I'm setting up my new R8 this evening, so Simon has caused changes to a camera menu that's more than 2000 miles away. This is the internet at its best, facilitating the transfer of knowledge almost anywhere in the world.
I get the “picture” about profiles, Simon. Thanks again for your crystal clear explanations.
Very welcome
Thank you so much for your videos! I have just upgraded from my 15yo Nikon D5000 to the Sony a7iv and to say I’m overwhelmed would be an understatement 😅 your videos are to the point, nicely explained so that anyone can understand and not preachy at all. Greetings from Iowa :)
I still think in terms of film photography and should take advantage of the tools available in my digital cameras. Thank you for exposing me to the various settings available in these far more complex systems!
Go for it!
Thank you for this Simon. Shooting in RAW, I completely ignore picture profiles; I just set to Standard on Canon and forget about it. This video encourages me to reevaluate profiles.
This was such a good video. I binge watch photography videos on RUclips and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this topic covered. Time to take a look at some profiles! Thanks Simon!
Great video. Never played with styles, and almost didn’t watch the video because I didn’t think I’d use them, but now I’m ready to play! Always learn something useful from you Simon!
Glad it was helpful!
Great insight once again, I'll be checking my profiles for sure.
I have been shooting RAW with a flat profile for a while now. Good to see that method validated by a pro!
An addendum for you.
If a Nikon user shoots RAW and has NX Studio as their RAW developer they can adjust in-camera settings during post processing. Very handy not only for post processing but teaches the user the effects of in-camera settings for the future.
Thanks for sharing!
It’s great that you show the name of the setting for each brand in your videos, thanks !
No problem!
Great tip about raising the camera up off the water a foot or so. Explains issues I've had in the past.
Glad it was helpful!
Simon, this is an excellent video or more accurately the explanations and suggestions you provide are so bang on, definitely a re-watch more than once for me.
Thanks for the advice about working with raw. I hadn't considered that. I alternate or shoot in both JPEG & raw depending on desired end use & setting photo styles is among the first things I tweaked on the camera. Some of the factory presets were fine for me but others I wanted changes. For example I almost always want more saturation for landscapes (something most reviewers of my camera mentioned).
I most always use RGB historgrams. Working with video professionally before photography mainly as a hobby I carried over some of my methods. Reference black-white-gray samples are common in video. You have continuously changing light & subjects and as such color correction is a big deal. Having a reference to compare to & using RGB values when performing correction keeps you grounded.
I really love your name Simon and the way you say it just rolls off the tongue... everytime I watch one of your brilliant videos I look forward to you introducing yourself.
Glad you enjoy it!
Since I always process raw, I thought none of those picture profiles mattered. You had me pegged there. Thanks for the lesson.
I just got my first camera it’s a cannon t7 and I got the telephoto lens for it could you give me some tips? I would love it! Also love your videos! Keep it up!
My channel is full of them!
@@simon_dentremont good point I’ve learned so much about photography from your channel you explain stuff sooooo well it’s shocking I will definitely be sticking around to learn!
This is a video many photographers really needed. Hearing "you must always shoot RAW" hype over and over, people seem to forget all of basic editing can be automatically done in camera. Let's face it, not all pictures we take are for high art, they are also memories or just us having fun with our camera. For daily use, 99% of photographs CAN come out great straight from camera or need very minor tweaks that is just easier to do on already processed camera jpeg; all it takes is to configure the picture settings and active-d lighting (on nikon) to your liking. Even if the alternative is as simple as importing RAWs to lightroom, applying a preset profile and exporting, why waste time on this? I do always shoot RAW+jpeg just in case I might want/need to edit something thoroughly but most of the time I just delete the RAWs after I import them and save 50MB per picture. We accept JPEGs from a phone as granted, and phone doesn't even keep us in the loop about its creative decisions.
The advice of shooting raw is not for casual photographers, it is given for people who want to obtain the best image quality the camera can give and the most flexibility when editing. Of course, jpegs have their place, but I think you misunderstand the advice. If jpegs are ok for your needs, great, but there are people who will take their photography to the next level by shooting raw and learning how to postprocess to have their own look. It's not hype or a fade; if someone thinks likewise is because he/she doesn't understand the point of doing it and most certainly don't even need to shoot raw.
You make a good point. I've switched over to shooting RAW+JPEG as well. This way, I can share my images so much quicker. If an image requires further tweaking, I delete the JPEG and re-process from the RAW. Or if I want to create a masterpiece, I spend my time on the RAW. My next step is to delete the RAWs for the images that I'll never touch again. I should do this, but just can't bring myself to yet...
@@ConcealedWeapon I think you also missed my point, but I'll bite.. I DO think "you must always shoot RAW" advice itself is moot, overhyped and smartass advice. Its sole purpose is to sound cool and knowledgable and thats about it. Its just as nonsense as saying "you must always shoot at f/8". RAW is a file format. Its not automatically better or worse, its just another feature in the toolset with a specific purpose. Think of it this way; if it didn't have any single disadvantage, everything with a CMOS sensor (including phones and webcams) would be recording RAWs today. RAW has obvious advantage of recording everything sensor has seen but also has not-so obvious drawbacks like 10x filesize on your SD card (or PC storage), reduced camera's picture buffer in continuous shots, much slower write/delete times, slower previews due to slower reads etc. You can't print RAW directly, you can't even mail RAW directly in most situations. So that advice must come with a purpose reflecting on RAW's advantage to be meaningful, like this: "You must shoot RAW, if you want more flexibility while you are editing your photos". This advice would now be valid, but then I have two questions:
1- Which part comes first, editing ability or shooting raw? Because "Shoot RAW, get inferior-looking results and waste your storage space now, just in case you may want to learn to edit your photos in future, maybe" would be pretty laughable advice... Any photographer who doesn't do extensive post processing doesn't need flexibility in the fileformat he/she saved, RAW is the worst option. Even TIFF is a better advice. At least its readily printable.
Anyone just started editing photos will learn what RAW is in his first YT tutorial, come to "understand" the advantages of RAW in theory, but will still struggle even get camera JPG level of image quality from his/her own LR edits, short of applying presets. At this point, he maybe hesitant to switch to RAW, but why on earth would you tell person to shoot raw? He already knows what RAW is, he/she would use it if he/she could.
2- Who will actually benefit from shooting RAW? Someone invested significant time and money in learning advanced editing skills, gained enough experience to truly get practical advantages of RAW file format, maybe also have experience to shoot with editing in mind will benefit from shooting RAW. Are you telling me there are people who can do 5 layers of PS editing of their own photos, use variety of 3rd party tools to combat noise or improve fidelity, and still never ever heard of RAW? You'll tell them "you must always shoot raw" and they'll say "God bless you I never knew RAW existed, you it improved my photography a lot", really?
I think only kind of person to accept "always shoot raw" advice is a complete beginner and Suggesting RAW to a beginner a terrible advice. He'll question why his photos look dull and noisy. He's better off NOT shooting RAW and just have his instructor or friend configure camera for some vivid and less noisy picture setting, leaving everything else in auto while he struggles to adjust his aperture just so shutter climbs up to hand-holdable durations...
I never paid attention to picture profiles since i use only RAW. Thank you for this!!! I learned a lot
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome information. Changed it right away. Actually the camera was set to contrast +2 for its "Standard Profile". I never cared much about it because raw. Changed it to "Neutral", wich is contrast 0. It works.
Nice!
I know it's about photography, but picture profiles are extremely important for video!
Personally I've adjusted 2 profiles a few days ago after shooting some Bison and deer to increase sharpness to bring out the fur and a bit more warmer colour in these grey times in order to have a ready made shot shooting JPEG+RAW. You see I don't have much time to process photo's, and having the internet wait for our small vacation's pictures to be processed is not appreciated. So now I use Standard + sharp + a slight saturation and contrast bump for wildlife, and natural with decreased sharpness for faces (G85 Lumix).
I also use raw in conjunction with a B&W picture profile when using manual focus with peaking enabled. Having red or blue peaking dots on a monochrome image is good for really quickly seeing what's in focus while preserving all the colour information in the raw file.
I'm not sure how they behave in cameras of other brands, and even if you can use them in photo mode, but I use a custom zebra on my Sony bodies instead of a histogram to judge the exposure of my shots. You can see how much of the image is clipping and where in the frame it is.
Manufacturers are slow to adopt zebras for photography, although widespread in video.
Kudos for including Pentax! Some people, those with a need for the fasted AF possible and video, should be looking elsewhere, but for many Pentax make excellent cameras that are a joy to use due to their ergonomics. BTW, some recommend to use B&W previews (some cameras can provide them on the back LCD without affecting the chosen JPEG profile) to enable photographers to better evaluates the tonal variations. Might be another reason for some raw shooters to choose a B&W profile.
I have been using the Neutral profile most often, and then when editing I may go through the other profiles in Lightroom to see if I like the changes.
Thanks for this terrific video, now I will be going through my camera settings to change the clarity. Thank you again. Cheers.
📸😎👍🏻
Happy to help!
I have been doing the same thing.
Same used neutral so WYSIWYG
3:17 I really appreciate you saying this. Delivering photos straight-out-of-camera is just as valid a choice as tweaking the RAW in post, assuming you get in the adjustments you want to make. At the end of the day you're still exporting JPEG.
I shoot raw but I’m not a raw snob. Whatever works for you is what the best choice is!
You are so right, and thank you for saying it so well. Who has time to process 273 event photos when the affair ends at 9:30, and the board of directors want to see your best 150 shots at 10:15!!
They are two completely different images. One is edited by the camera the other by the editor. As for, is one more valid than the other, of course the raw edited image is more valid it's been self edited rather than auto edited. Anyone can take a jpeg, not everyone can edit a raw image.
@@captinktm Everyone can edit a raw file. Some may learn how to do so, at a slower pace than others, but everyone (without a mental handicap of course) can edit a raw file.
@@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism rubbish, there are millions of people who won’t be able to replicate the quality of a jpeg.
I just got a new Z8 and have been busy getting it set up! Your video is timely for me and very helpful! Thanks for taking me along!
Glad I could help!
I'm getting back into photography after a hiatus for the past few years. It feels like starting over but your videos are bringing a lot of the knowledge and excitement back... also seeing a fellow Bluenoser doing well is definitely inspirational! I'll follow your work closely and hopefully if I see you around HRM you wouldn't mind if I shake your hand.
Being a severe "back-of-the-camera" deleter, but without the deserved analysis of, and attention to, the overall "image acquisition process" now... this is something. I work in RAW most of the time, except for very specific situations (friend's "you are our photographer" weddings?) Admittedly, I NEVER even thought of considering this backgroud digital process for RAW. Thanks Simon. I had NEVER given any attention to this. 🙏
And by the way... You are so thorough! Your comment about "if you are showing the client the back LCD..." . Evident! but... thanks for saying it. 😉
Thanks Coach!
I've been practicing all the composition and light control techniques you've been covering.
I'm currently at this stage in trying to understand controls on my camera so I've been eagerly awaiting your comments on this topic! I'm learning how to use SLOG and profiles to get more range from my setup.
Your videos are all helpful!
Fantastic!
On a Canon camera, shooting in "Faithful" picture style and setting your blinkies to go off at about 252 or 254 instead of 255 will give you a good histogram for the raw file.
Great tip!
These are all really good tips! Another thing to watch out for, especially for raw shooters is to turn off your camera's dynamic range optimizer (if it has one). That feature adjusts the tone curve in the raw image when it's enabled, which can create added unnecessary noise to the raw image.
I’ve learned so much from your lectures on this channel 💚 Definitely a go to 📚📷
I'm so glad!
Great video Simon. I didn't know about making the profile adjustments on each profile. I learned something today. Thanks !
Glad it was helpful!
Useful tips indeed... I have shot .raw almost exclusively since the late 2000's, simply because of the greater control over the finished product but never considered how the picture modes might affect the process of shooting the images. Even though I was aware of what the LCD or viewfinder was displaying, I still recall thinking that the picture modes were simply something to be acknowledged then ignored when I first began exploring my E-M1X. I'll be experimenting with this out in the field now to see how it affects my histograms and perhaps my analysis of different shooting conditions. Thanks!
Thanks, Simon, great we'll take a look at my custom camera images and see what settings they are.
Thank you for mentioning Panasonic! I shoot photography with the S5MII!
you are an amazing teacher sir. love your work and tips
So nice of you
Thank you for exploring and explaining this camera feature! I found some interesting things on my Sony A7riii menu. There are three different menu items dealing with styles. 1. Creative Style 2. Picture Effect 3. Picture Profile. With Creative Style there are 19 different settings from Standard to Black and White +. The Contrast, Saturation, and Sharpness can be tweaked for each style. The Picture Effect has 8 different picture effects including Toy Camera and Retro Photo among others. The only way to use the Picture Effect is to set the image to record JPEG only. The last one Picture Profile is for shooting video and has 10 different settings. I have used the Creative Style now and again, but I often "forget" to change it after a session and don't remember to check it when going to my next session. But now thanks to your video I know it is not effecting my RAW file and only what I am seeing on the monitor.
Is there a specific Creative Look and have you made adjustments to the sharpness, contrast, etc.? I’m currently have Creative Look set to Standard and factory settings.
@@joannmoore9374 I just have my camera set to standard. It seems the creative style is only for video.
This video is particularly interesting - as a RAW shooter I have always ignored picture profiles, so have learnt something here.
Nice added touch letting everyone know what their respective manufacture calls this feature! Another helpful video, Simon, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Simon again connecting dots in my head that i knew had connections
First, thank you for your videos you are my main inspiration for getting into wildlife photography! Secondly, I assume there are many memorable experiences you have with some of your pictures. Like the background story of how you got the shot or a unique story of what it took to capture the right image etc. I think it would be great if you would do a video narrating some of your most memorable experiences capturing your favorite shots. Again, thank you Simon!
Useful tip about the histogram. Hadn't thought about flattenning the profile for more accuracy. As I tend to expose to the right it will be helpful instead of guessing the DR of the raw file.
Glad it was helpful!
Thought I knew all this until you got the part about the accuracy of the histogram. Thank you. That is good info.
As usual clear, concise, and yet complete explanations can be found here…as well as awesome wildlife imagery! Ten thumbs up!
Many thanks!
This video was extremely helpful. Thanks so much. I worked out that the sharpest setting with the most accurate colours is Canon picture profile faithful but with the Sharpest strength set to 5 and then the fineness to 1 and threshold to 1. Made ALL the difference on our R5 and M6 Mark II.
Great to hear!
Another great video! Getting all of the basics mastered will help so much! Getting it right in camera first will make the photography journey better and easier. Thank you again!
Absolutely!
Still learning my use of the histogram so these tips are great! (a year ago I had no clue how to use it other than knowing what it was called...) Thanks, Simon! 👍👍
Simon, can you make a video explaining in more details how to set the grid and histogram accurate. I'm still new to this and I really want to make this right in order to be better 😊Thank you.
Very helpful thanks! I really had not considered the usefulness of these settings when shooting in RAW.
Your aside about raising the camera to get rid of water vapour's impact on photos - brilliant. You probably could do an entire video about this and similar issues that can be prevented at shoot time (i.e. before "post"). If you shoot long lenses with massive lens hoods then "thermals" are a thing that happens in the hood when the lens/hood is warmer than the environment. Ytoober Morten Hilmer really had me thinking for a bit when he shot the musk oxen in Norway at -20C (-4F) placing the camera with lens on the snow and keeping it outside of his tent - at all times. Prevention of thermals and condensation. You probably have a list of these things to consider as Knaydian with icy cold climate experience. The camera's operating range ... The battery's operating range ... The memory card's operating range ...
Yeah buddy! Nothing like taking it up a level!
Thanks Simon, that is much more info than I knew and I have been using the landscape profile, my main interest, since buying my Canon camera two years ago. Clearly I will be paying much more attention to this so I can get the maximum results from my camera. I have too often wondered why I would get over saturated results trying HDR shots. Great channel.🙏
Very welcome
I think I understand what you're getting at
Another excellent video, thanks. There is nothing like knowing your camera adjustments and using them to get the best from it. Merci
Glad it was helpful!
Simon, I really appreciate your videos. I started to take interest in photography a little under a year ago, and I've found that there can be a lot of gatekeeping in this hobby. You make me want to go out and shoot more, because I realize that even if I don't have top-end equipment or the most interesting subject matter around me, I can still create a compelling photo with a few tricks (that would otherwise be unkown to me if it weren't for your videos). Thank you!
Absolute masterclass in explanation, your channel has helped me massively in growing my skill as a beginner photographer. Your skill and ability to teach is truly admirable, thankyou!
Wow, thanks!
Ya on Fujifilm the Raw has the Jpeg built in depending how you have set up the film simulation. What I really like is that if you want that picture but there is something a little off but it is really easy to make the Tweak and output the Jpeg after the fact. I was doing series of head shots for a local theatre companies up coming production. Out of the chosen shots one person was so striking when I took her portrait and output Jpeg in a colour negative simulation just for her. The Fujifilm camera experience always struck me as different then that of other manufactures. I have an older X-Pro 2 and I find it a dream to use. I have to admit that video doesn't interest me or I would have chosen another platform.
I even shared this video with my brother who loves the photography with his new r6😊
Great advice!. Screwing around with Lightroom for every photo is time consuming.
Another amazing video! Thanks for the information! I am shooting in RAW. For that reason, I didn't worry about the film simulation. I see now that it was a mistake ;-)! I sometimes had trouble adjusting my exposure because my histogram seemed adequate, but I had red spots indicating overexposure on my screen! Now I understand why! I'm using a Fuji X-T5. The film simulation was the Provia STD film simulation, but next time I will try the Velvia or Astia (soft) film simulations. Thank you again!
Late comment but I’ve been binging your videos. Photographer for about 15 years now. Couldn’t agree more! I sometimes use vintage glass and have a monochrome style loaded so focus peaking is easier to see and more accurate 🎩
Very good info! Thanks!
Thank you so much for the tutorials. I really enjoy listening to you in the videos-it's soothing somehow! 😊 You explain things very clearly and in a way that to me is easy to understand. Please don't misconstrue what I'm saying, but it's like listening to my grandfather who was extremely patient and knowledgable about the things that he spoke on. Again thank you.
Simon... testing the profiles... such a simple thing I never considered, mainly because I shoot raw 100%. But I'm on it now :)
Practical, well explained and great info as usual! Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
I wish I knew it earlier, even if I shoot only raw. After switching through the color profiles and watching histogram live I can see it clips to black at standard color profile and stays more to the middle at flat image profile, game changer for me 😮
I wonder what tips you have to cheat the wind, on the fly,in the field with a 200/600 in a crop camera, a6000. I have a quickset and I still get wobbles. I am NOT putting up a tent everywhere I go.😅 But that bazooka hole 🕳️ catches every breeze!!!!
A sturdy tripod, or in high wind, I ditch the parachute…eh, lens hood😅
I shoot 850nm on a full spectrum camera. In camera set to Monochrome (greys) otherwise camera shows Reds. When brought in computer to Raw process, the images are Red again, which is expected.
Very interesting and helpful. I only shoot raw but the thought that you might want to adjust what you see in the viewfinder is intriguing. And that you may have room with the blinkies in raw. I will definitely be playing around with this. Thanks for another great tip.
Hot take: There is no must in photography. I use the profile closest to the processing I envision. Using a flat profile is only important if highlight recovery is of concern, otherwise the photo itself is more important than worrying too much about 10% better exposure. Because I am a highlight freak, I usually shoot with -0.5EV exposure compensation and don't review my images all the time, rather focussing on the next one.
Old saying "If ya gonna chimp, ya need da 'peg." Helpful esp. re histogram. Thanks.
I love your vids. One detail you might consider is updating the sample shots you show. I'd love to see your more recent shots of owls, waterfowl, foxes, etc...
Got some!
This is genius advice right here! I had Standard as Picture Profile, but I'm going to revisit that. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I usually set my picture profile to neutral on my Nikon thinking it would give me the most accurate histogram but perhaps I need to think about using these profiles more in the manner you've mentioned here. Great content as always. Thanks.
Neutral is a good choice
@@simon_dentremont in the video your neutral is strength 3 and finessness 4, is this your suggested tuning for neutral? i'm new to those tuning and wondering which one could be good for me. Thanks!
@@EVILGAB22 No that was just what was in the camera when I was playing with settings.
Holy cow that was useful. I’m new to raw shooting. Thanks
Sure if you're shooting raw only then the manufacturers ought to be able to give you some equivalent of clipplies on the jpeg preview based on the raw dynamic range
I always learn new things from you. You are very knowledgeable and an excellent teacher! Thank you!
You are very welcome
Simon you should have a look at the Smallrig 4160 L bracket for the R5, I find that the full extension around the battery area more comfortable for a large handed person.
Thanks very much!
Excellent topic!
Glad you enjoyed it
I will add one thing about this: On Fujifilm X-Series cameras, increasing Clarity in the IQ menu can increase processing time. You’ll see “Storing” on the display. I’ve noticed though that shooting in Low or High Speed Burst, it doesn’t do this.
I did not know this about clipping. I have noticed that shots that showed clipping were often salvageable. I’ll lower my jpeg contrast and remember this. I never shoot jpeg but I need to adjust the jpeg settings. Thnx Simon!
Yes! In fact, this can be a nasty trap. Luckily I don't have any problems with my Nikon Zfc. I only use RAW and image control is set to "Standard" and this means that reduced previews are shown to me on the LCD when I check. The histogram of the camera is exactly what LRC or PS also shows me. The sharpness representation is also identical! Either Nikon is doing a very good job here or others are doing a bad one? But yes, a good post. Thank you