D7K + lightroom imports

Does anyone know why when I look at a picture on my LCD screen it looks perfectly exposed; however when I import into lightroom they look quite badly underexposed. Like i have to use around 70% fill light to bump it out of the shadows so i can see the details.

I do know that when I'm in manual i do underexpose because it just looks right in the lcd but cant explain why it would look fine in camera but not the same on my laptop ;s

J22-- said:

Does anyone know why when I look at a picture on my LCD screen it looks perfectly exposed; however when I import into lightroom they look quite badly underexposed. Like i have to use around 70% fill light to bump it out of the shadows so i can see the details.

I do know that when I'm in manual i do underexpose because it just looks right in the lcd but cant explain why it would look fine in camera but not the same on my laptop ;s

Click to expand...

LCD screen = The camera's interpretation of the raw data (it's a JPEG embedded in the NEF).
Lightroom = Lightroom's interpretation of the raw data.

It's a bit like wondering why this Bolognese you just made doesn't taste like the one you got in the restaurant last week. Having said that, you should try to make sure your camera's LCD brightness is set correctly, and don't forget to use histograms to judge exposure. The histogram on the rear LCD won't exactly match the histogram in Lightroom (again, because it interprets the raw data differently) but it's still a very useful guide. You should also make sure your computer's screen is calibrated, or at least have the brightness/contrast set correctly.

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The default preset for Lightroom uses Adobe's default camera preset, which is light years removed from anything a Nikon NEF needs. Make yourself a preset with your preferred camera profile (a.k.a. Picture Control in Nikon speak) and WB, and use that preset for your imports. I use Portrait, with WB=5200 K tint=+7 for mine, then adjust (in Develop) from there.

Eventually, I'm going to use my Colorchecker to generate better camera profiles, but I haven't had time yet.

Also, in Preferences, make sure the "Apply auto tone adjustments" feature is not checked.

See this thread for additional info (on the D700, but still applies):

http://forums.adobe.com/message/1387876#1387876

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Seeking the heart and spirit in each image



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Yes, different RAW interpreters produce different results, but you have to learn to tell them how to interpret. LR is no different, as its default interpretation settings are way off for what one would want out of a Nikon. See my other response.
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Seeking the heart and spirit in each image



Gallery and blog: http://imagesbyeduardo.com
Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22061657@N03

You might want to double check your camera to see if you have Active D Lighting enabled. ADL underexposes and then lifts the shadows in camera to give a nice exposure.

If you are processing in Lightroom, you get the (ADL) underexposure without that lift of the shadows.

Worth a check.

oo thanks for replies, i checked my settings and found LCD brightness was on +3, such a ****** lol i do wonder how long its been like that, but i turned ADL off as well so will check later when i take some pictures and import them

Thanks again

I do not have ADL on and my LCD brightness is set at 0 (or -1 as it may be when i feel the need to turn it down). That said, my images always look darker in LR3 as well. I find I boost exposure or fill light on almost every photo i process. That said, thanks for the explanations here that LR is just an interpretation of the RAW file. I was starting to feel like I can't hit the proper exposure when I take a picture (even though it looks like the right exposure on my camera's rear screen and histogram as well).
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Before you start a battery of tests in the software/camera settings, make sure you've properly calibrated your monitor. Nothing will cause a considerable amount of head-scratching like a monitor with a bad color profile.
...just my $.02

J22-- said:

oo thanks for replies, i checked my settings and found LCD brightness was on +3,

Click to expand...

In camera, always judge exposure by the histogram, not the LCD. That of course, with the understanding that the histogram portrays the RAW-to-JPG conversion based on your current camera settings (Picture Control, etc.).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seeking the heart and spirit in each image



Gallery and blog: http://imagesbyeduardo.com
Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22061657@N03

+1

tdblanchard said:

Before you start a battery of tests in the software/camera settings, make sure you've properly calibrated your monitor. Nothing will cause a considerable amount of head-scratching like a monitor with a bad color profile.
...just my $.02

Click to expand...

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Push the button more--that's a start.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crankerchick/