NEF in Bridge

My issue is this ...
I shoot in RAW then open in Adobe Bridge ...
I like this because I can then use the image processor to do ...
all of the tricks ...

but ...what I cannot seem to find is the ACR setting that would allow all of the settings to actually be as they were in camera ...

I know that the simple slution would be to just open them in Nikon Capture then export ...just another tedious step ....

is there a way to have ACR default act as NC ?

Thanx
Bob

Robert E said:

but ...what I cannot seem to find is the ACR setting that would
allow all of the settings to actually be as they were in camera ...

Click to expand...

Because ACR just does not read all the in-camera settings. So, what you are getting is what you will get. Nothing more.

Robert E said:

I know that the simple slution would be to just open them in Nikon
Capture then export ...just another tedious step ....

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, you will have to deal with it if you want to retain the in-camera settings.

Robert E said:

is there a way to have ACR default act as NC ?

Click to expand...

No.

--
Speed is significant and interesting but accuracy is downright fascinating
http://www.pbase.com/pradipta

Robert E said:

I cannot seem to find is the ACR setting that would
allow all of the settings to actually be as they were in camera ...

Click to expand...

Bob,

1) open the image with ACR -> uncheck the auto adjust boxes -> click the options arrow to the right of the 'Settings' box and save this setting as 'Save New Camera Raw Defaults'

2) ACR turns 'off' most sharpening so if you want it to be applied then in the same 'Preferences' menu select 'Apply sharpening to: All images'

3) Understand that ACR's interpretation of the RAW NEF format is the work of the ACR design team and overrides your camera's settings. There's no way you can get ACR to behave the same way as Nikon's proprietary software because of their decision to keep this EXIF info encrypted and denying you full access to what you’ve paid for. Some companied have cracked this encryption by they don't have as $$deep pockets as Adobe who is understandably reluctant to be so brazen. Live with the fact that the results will be different. But as a Pro who needs a full-featured integrated app that plays nice with my other Adobe apps, Bridge is the most productive solution I've found and have yet to be convinced otherwise (I've tried most of what the competition offers). If you have one NEF to process to win an award then I might look elsewhere. But to process a pile of images every day - > asap into a format that gets the job done, then ACR's limitations are not as important as its strengths (imho)

--
Russell Proulx
Montreal, CANADA

This is why my workflow is:

1.)Open and organize in Nikon view (Free from nikon)
2.)Basic edit and convert in NC 4.4 or NX
3.)Tweak and sharpen in PSCS2, and print.

The only thing I use Bridge for is to batch rename the Jpegs from large wedding shoots.

--
Edward
http://www.wildlightgallery.net
http://www.pbase.com/qwntm

solid words ...
thanx to you Russel

and to all

Hi!

Yes good words! however Im in the same position, images to be ready asap to ad-agencies etc, and bridge is certainly perfect for this.

The latest Capture, NX, etc has long superseeded ACR for NEFs conversions, Captures colors etc are way ahead of ACR.

Only the other day I went back to ACR with some D2X and D200 Nefs ( was in a hurry) and well the colors looked dreadful.
Its a shame really since Bridge and ACR, together is a powerful tool.
In Capture however I only touch exposure, WB and perhaps change a color-mode.
Blackpoints, whitepoints and sharpening etc well thats where PSCS2 is brillant.

all the best Fred

frederic fahraeus said:

The latest Capture, NX, etc has long superseeded ACR for NEFs
conversions, Captures colors etc are way ahead of ACR.
Only the other day I went back to ACR with some D2X and D200 Nefs (
was in a hurry) and well the colors looked dreadful.

Click to expand...

Hi Frederic.

I rarley bother to look at what ARC displays by default and alrways set a white balance (eyedropper on appropriate target) for the various lighting environments that I work in. I tend to do a lot of shots under similar lighting so I only need to do this for one that has an appropriate neutral subject value and then paste the same correction on any others that are similar (same cloudy day - same fluorescent lit room). I can process a few hundred images pretty quickly. This sometime makes me a bit lazy about changing the WB in the camera since it'll be redone later anyway.

If I'm real fussy I'll shoot one image with a MacBeth colour chart in it. I do this especially when shooing in studio. That makes setting the colour balance and tint pretty simple. There are also a number of ACR calibration scripts available free on the Web which automate the calibration process detailed by Bruce Fraser in his excellent ACR CS2 book. I use the script that Rags Gardner created. You can pick it up free from his website:

http://www.rags-int-inc.com/PhotoTechStuff/ColorCalibration

This works GREAT for critical colour reproduction work when the colours need to match the original art. I still need to adjust exposure, brightness, contrast, etc.. but the colours are bang on. To go from copying a painting to outputting an inkjet print that's a pretty darn close match 1st time around has gotten a LOT easier using this method.

I've used ACR since its earliest days and get excellent results. I guess the bottom line is 'whatever works for you'.

--
Russell Proulx
Montreal, CANADA