Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Hi guys,

Was wondering if there is a way of changing an individual files raw settings so that the new settings aren't automatically applied to all the other raw images. I don't mean the raw refine box, I mean changing the noise or sharpening for example if the defaults that I've set are a bit too much for the occasional image. Hope that makes sense? I'm probably just being dumb but I can't figure it out.

Thanks in advance.

Jamie

Hi Jamie,
There isn't a way to do this as such but it is possible to to adjust individual images independently from the raw refine screen.
In your example of noise reduction and and sharpening, my raw defaults are such that additional noise reduction occasionally required and sharpening is set at a modest level. I then use the editor features to add noise reduction when required and sharpening more often. I like to do the final sharpening in the editor so I can use Tone Targeted Sharpening (TTS) for more selective results.
Terry

Hi Jamie,
If the Raw options setting for Sharpening is set properly, there should be no over sharpening. You should always leave room to add a skinch more sharpening in the Editor screen if needed.
Alternative: Suppose you have 2 or 3 cameras, and camera A takes sharper pictures than Camera B, and B is sharper than C.
Qimage has this covered.
I have a Canon 20 D and a D60. I set up my options for the 20D, and SAVE that in that RAW Options screen. You will be asked to associate it to *that* camera.
Then I set the Raw Options for the D60, and SAVE that one.
I have about 5 or 6 saved for images I get from friends.

When Qimage sees an image from my 20D, it apples the camera profile and the uses the saved settings for that camera. (It works in the background.)

Another alternative: If it's just an odd image here and there (rare occurrence) you could always apply a bit of minus sharpening in the editor screen.
Like Radius 2 and Strength -50.

Screen snaps might help!

Fred

Thanks guys!

Some really neat tricks there! I've only really used q for printing and layout until now but I've got about 200 small images to do all with a date stamp and a border and various edits, was taking far too long so I thought now is a good time to explore some of q's features. On the surface the editing capabilities seem really basic but when you start getting into it it really is a sophisticated bit of kit! Got most of it automated now but there are a few bits I couldn't quite get but, I think we're there now. Associating specific tweaks to the camera is brilliant, many of the images from my old D50 had a small scratch at the top of the frame, not anymore! Just a quick question though about the noise on the edit screen, is it just a simple on or off switch or can I edit that too in a hidden dialogue somewhere? The minus sharpening is an awesome idea, didn't even occur to me that that was possible.

Otherwise, I think that we're good to go. Mostly all hypothetical right now Fred so no screen snaps, I just wanted to get everything set before I really get stuck in, just thinking of all the usual things to expect.

Cheers

Jamie

Sorry, just realised that you added some screen snaps Fred. Thought you were talking about me adding screen snaps. Doh!

When I removed the scratch on the lens and clicked to save the filter q asked me if I wanted to associate that filter with a specific camera, I clicked yes and that was that sorted. But when I try and save the raw setup options to a specific camera I don't get any such dialogue, just a save file in the profile folder, do I need to name the file anything specific so that q makes the camera association?

Sorry about this, last question I promise!

Jamie

Put all of your images that have the same scratch into the queue.
Use the blemish tool in the Editor, and fix one. When Q goes to save the filter, place a dot in the hole that says APPLY to ALL images in the queue.

Same principle applies to noisy images.... D1ISO has 3 settings inside. You also have Shadow Noise, and Hi ISO. Find the one that does the best job, and then APPLY TO ALL images in the queue.

I have to go to supper. Maybe Terry can explain in more detail.

Fred

It's automatic... 

That's great!

Thanks guys, I think we're there. I'm not at my qimage machine so I'll have to test it all out later but I think it all makes sense.

Thanks again.

Jamie

Hmmm, still can't figure out how you'd set up the camera raw settings for different cameras. When you click save it asks you for a file name but not what camera. All it asks is if I want it to be a global setting or not. In fact, changing the settings doesn't seem to do a great deal at all really, I've tried some extreme settings, radius 10 and 1000% to see if any of the settings are being applied but it appears not. The thumbs seem to be a bit all over the place too, when I rebuild them (jpg or raw) some of them don't seem to have any similarity to the full size image at all, really over saturated but the full size is fine. Bit of a head scratcher.

Any ideas?

Jamie

When it asks you whether you want the changes to be a Global Setting, I answer NO, because I want this special setting saved for a single camera.

It will also remind you that due to the changes you made, you need to rebuild thumbs and cache in order to see the change applied.
Oh yes, it does work. It works for USM and Noise reduction.
After you have changed the settings, you want to save!
When you click SAVE, you get that box...asking you for a filename..
My cameras are Canons, so I want to type EOS to match the camera name. That name, by typing just the first letter "E" brings up a list of camera designations that start with E.
I have a list of EOS and some Olympus E-1 etc.
When I save, the saved file associates itself with the designated camera.
See screen snaps!
Then it asks, do you want to rebuild all of your thumbs and cache files, or just this
folder? I say just this folder.

Easy Peasy!  Terry taught me that one, I think.

Quote
The thumbs seem to be a bit all over the place too, when I rebuild them (jpg or raw) some of them don't seem to have any similarity to the full size image at all, really over saturated but the full size is fine. Bit of a head scratcher.

The thumbs reflect the monitor profile.... do you have the correct one selected?  Does the thumb image match the preview panel image?
When you did a Thumbs Rebuild (not refresh), was the same monitor profile in use as when you currently look at (Hover/spacebar) full size image?

folder? I say just this folder.

Fred

Ok, thanks Fred, I'll have a look at that. As for the thumbnails being a bit all over the place, I haven't changed anything settings wise with the monitor profile but I'll take a look. It is only one or two thumbnails that seem to have been missed out when the thumbs were rebuilt although rebuilding again doesn't change things. They are are odd jpgs that are showing as really over saturated in the thumbs but the full size preview is normal. Very strange. Anyway, will go and have a look now. Cheers.

Send me one....
wathree.ssz@verizon.net

Fred

So, when I click save on the raw settings it takes me to the profiles folder. So I presume that I can only make an association with a camera if it has its own icc profile, so I have to give it the same name as the icc profile for that camera? Is that right? The extreme sharpening effect (10 radius and 100%) I've added to see if it is is working still isn't being applied regardless of whether I make it global settings or try and associate it with a specific camera so I can't verify that auto fill or anything else is working either. I'll send you an image to show you what I mean with the thumbs, unless it is fine on yours ofcourse. Thanks.

Actually the thumbs are all matching the full size preview now, oversaturated thumb and preview, must have been the last rebuild. What is interesting though is that these over saturated images don't have any camera information BUT the Nikon D90 profile has been applied to it, and the other images which have the camera info embeded (the Nikon D90) have the adobergb profile applied. The opposite of what I've been trying to do. hmmm

So that's obviously why they look so awful, just need to find out why it's doing that.

Set the % to zero, not 100

Send me one that is acting up.

Send me one from the Nikon that is not picking up the profile.   It is RAW?  Not JPG, right?


It will name itself when it finds the matching profile.  You can add to the name to designate one profile for lens  X which is very sharp, and a second SAVE with more sharpening for Lens Y which is softer.
Fred

Okay, so I've figured out what I did to mess it up. It's working as it should be now. I'd managed to overwrite the colour management setting for 'unknown device' (which was the oversaturated web image) with the profile for the d90, set it back to sRGB.icc and it's fine now. As for the Raw settings, it's working as it should be now, had to delete some files from the profiles folder and start again. So I've now got a default raw setup and a different one for the D90 raw which I need to play around with. All working really well now though so that's the main thing! I've been comparing the same images in ACR to Q and I have to say ACR doesn't come close! I've yet to get a nice sharp image in ACR, does some really horrible things to the image. Q's images look great straight away with the minimal of tweaks without artifacts, I don't know why I didn't start using it before.

By the way, is the image inspector in Q set at 100% zoom, couldn't see a mention anywhere?

Thanks again. J

PS My extreme test settings were 10 radius and 1000% not 100 as I'd written. Not sure if it goes that high but it didn't complain. Either way when I got it working it did look absolutely disgusting as hoped so the test worked.

I was referring to the slider being adjusted to zero if you really want to see a change.

On the Image examiner, roll your center mouse wheel to change magnification.
Got to go out for a while.
Be back at 1:00 EDT
Fred

Ah, of course! The slider... I'll have a go with the magnification now then, it looks like 100% at default but I guess that'd change depending on resolution. Anyway, Thanks a lot Fred, managed to figure out loads over the last 24 hours, half the time it just helps enough to know that certain functions exist. Right, time to pick up the missus!

Thanks again.

Jamie