Sealife DC2000 Raw question

Press Correspondent wrote:

Yes indeed the camera does all that (with no excessive sharpening) plus also corrects for substantial vignetting and substantial lens distortions (at least barrel but possibly more). I use Photoshop 12.1. I've tried to match the camera results and got close, but with a lot of effort. I guess I could spend more time to create a camera/lens profile and then use it for all shots as a starting point, but I cannot possibly be the first one shooting Raw with this camera, so I wonder if anyone already has done something like this and could share the optimal settings.

I don't think there are 'optimal settings' that apply to more than a few specific instances.   Learning how to post-process well is a necessary step in underwater photography.   Does the camera come with any software at all?

In looking at some specs on the DC2000, it sounds like it's got perhaps the same sensor Sony puts in one model or another of the RX100.   If so, I'm immediately more interested in it, in general, as I suspect the user interface and menu system is much better suited for diving than any of the RX100's.  (I have the RX100 II).  I;m wondering if you can use Sony software to process the images?

When I post-process raw files (D810, D850), I do find certain characteristics that are similar in the same type of circumstances, meaning light levels, mostly.   If I am shooting ambient, I need at least enough shutter speed to freeze some motion, but as little as possible to make use of the lower light levels.   For me that is 1/160th.  I also know that if I use auto-ISO, I will end up at the highest ISO before flash kicks in, and that causes a host of issues.   If I limit the upper ISO, I frequently end up with underexposed shots, an those shots will have a lack of color, and not enough dynamic range to preserve both highlights and shadows.  (And that is with ISO's even down to 200-320).   So I have certain post-processing settings that are going to be likely, including a high color temp and boosting saturation while reducing highlights and pushing shadows.  It does get easier over time, but it can be tedious.   Perhaps my best advice here is to start with as accurate a white balance and exposure (in post) as you can get before dragging sliders around.