Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

I shoot raw, and the picture style is
just for the jpeg conversion.

However, the camera histogram is produced
from the embedded jpeg, so I was wondering
if there were any advantage to certain
picture style settings in order to create
a more accurate histogram.

Barring that, is there a setting that will
speed up the jpeg creation and allow more
consecutive shots?

Shooting RAW only, so only an embedded jpeg
is produced...

Thanks,


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.photo.digital.slr-systems...)

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

wrote in message
...

I shoot raw, and the picture style is
just for the jpeg conversion.

However, the camera histogram is produced
from the embedded jpeg, so I was wondering
if there were any advantage to certain
picture style settings in order to create
a more accurate histogram.

Barring that, is there a setting that will
speed up the jpeg creation and allow more
consecutive shots?

Shooting RAW only, so only an embedded jpeg
is produced...

Thanks,


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.photo.digital.slr-systems...)



I have heard of people using picture styles when shooting RAW before, but
can't remember the exact reasons now. I am guessing now, because it was
quite a long time ago, but it was possibly that when lower quality embedded
preview JPEGS where used in the RAW images they applied in-camera sharpening
to give a better idea on the LCD if it was sharp at the focus point. I
doubt this will be a problem with the 5DII because, again from memory the
5DII and the 50D use higher quality embedded preview JPEGs.

I have also heard of some shooters using low contrast settings, so that the
histogram is closer to the actual RAW image (by using low contrast, the
histogram won't peak at the ends of the histogram as easily). Obviously,
you would need to experiment as you run the risk of blowing the highlights
if you get it wrong (especially if you expose to the right), whereas if you
leave it as it was, you know there will be some leeway in post processing
due to RAW headroom.

Also, if the final output is going to be in B&W, then using a monochrome
picture style will mean that you you will be able to view it in B&W.

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

Bob Larter wrote:

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the histogram is made from the
RAW image, not the JPEG.

I've never heard of any camera that shows a histogram from the raw data.
I'd be thrilled to learn that this has changed, however. It's incredibly
stupid to show a JPEG histogram on a DSLR.

In answer to the original question, the main thing that affects the
histogram would be the contrast setting, which is best kept on the
lowest setting so you don't think you've maxed out the exposure when
you still have lots of headroom left.

--
Jeremy Nixon | http://www.defocus.net
Email address in header is valid

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

"Jeremy Nixon" ~$!~( )@( )u.defocus.net wrote in message
...
Bob Larter wrote:

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the histogram is made from the
RAW image, not the JPEG.


It's incredibly
stupid to show a JPEG histogram on a DSLR.

You are going to have to explain that to me.

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

Charles wrote:
"Jeremy Nixon" ~$!~( )@( )u.defocus.net wrote in message
...
Bob Larter wrote:

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the histogram is made from the
RAW image, not the JPEG.

It's incredibly
stupid to show a JPEG histogram on a DSLR.

You are going to have to explain that to me.


For a practical example, using a Nikon with "vivid" (very high
saturation) picture control set in camera to shoot macro of butterflies.
The histogram may often show blown red channels, but in the the raw
file the red channel may be fine, and even if a very high saturation
result is desired, some simple tweaking of the raw file may be able to
achieve this without blowing colour channels. It might be as simple as
a w/b adjustment.
Relying on the histogram from the embedded jpeg in the raw file might
lead you to reduce exposure until the histogram shows no clipping, but
resulting in a significantly underexposed shot.
Better in that case to use a neutral "picture control" when shooting raw
even when a high saturation image is the target.
I'm not sure if Canon work the same way as Nikon on this.
A useful feature of Nikon's picture control is that if Nikon raw
software is used to post-process the raw file, then the embedded jpeg is
modified, so if edited using Capture NX, then the thumbnails displayed
in explorer etc show the edited result, not the original.

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

In article , Jeremy Nixon )@(
wrote:

Bob Larter wrote:

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the histogram is made from the
RAW image, not the JPEG.

I've never heard of any camera that shows a histogram from the raw data.

I have my 5DMII set for raw only - no jpeg at all. I still get a
histogram - must come from somewhere.

--
Jim

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

Jim wrote:

I have my 5DMII set for raw only - no jpeg at all. I still get a
histogram - must come from somewhere.

It's still generating a JPEG. That's what you see on the LCD screen (you
can't very well view a raw file directly), and it's what the histogram is
based on.

--
Jeremy Nixon | http://www.defocus.net
Email address in header is valid

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

Charles wrote:
"Jeremy Nixon" ~$!~( )@( )u.defocus.net wrote in message

It's incredibly stupid to show a JPEG histogram on a DSLR.

You are going to have to explain that to me.

The JPEG clips well before the raw file; depending on the settings it could
be more than a full stop off. The information you're getting from the
histogram is compromised by being based on a rendered image. It might look
like your exposure is right, but you need to do some trial and error to know
what it's really telling you.

--
Jeremy Nixon | http://www.defocus.net
Email address in header is valid

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

In article , Jim
wrote:

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the histogram is made from the
RAW image, not the JPEG.

I've never heard of any camera that shows a histogram from the raw data.

I have my 5DMII set for raw only - no jpeg at all. I still get a
histogram - must come from somewhere.

the only way to *get* a histogram is by demosaicing the raw data into
an image, and once that's done, turning it into a jpeg is easy. and
there is a jpeg embedded within the raw file, so even if you shoot raw
only, it's still going to make a jpeg.

Canon 5DMII Picture Style --- any advantage when shooting raw?
 

Jeremy Nixon wrote:
Bob Larter wrote:

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the histogram is made from the
RAW image, not the JPEG.

I've never heard of any camera that shows a histogram from the raw data.
I'd be thrilled to learn that this has changed, however. It's incredibly
stupid to show a JPEG histogram on a DSLR.

In answer to the original question, the main thing that affects the
histogram would be the contrast setting, which is best kept on the
lowest setting so you don't think you've maxed out the exposure when
you still have lots of headroom left.

Oh my, you are right. I have a Canon 30D, and indeed it shows ...
even if storing only RAW, whatever the JPEG would be if stored. And
just as you say, the best approximation to reality is to set contrast to -4.
I'm setting it to -3 just to have some leeway.

It certainly would be wonderful if it showed reality.

Doug McDonald