I have not figured out custom curves in the D300 yet. I am a little worried about putting some of my old D200 profiles in it though..

Ken has posted an article including a link to a picture control file: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d300/picture-control.htm. Pretty wild colors.

Thanks Raymond...

This is interesting. Can anyone share some images to this post.

Chefdaniel wrote:
This is interesting. Can anyone share some images to this post.

Practice what you preach... so i'll play. i'm using my custom picture controls...

Carlos seems to like it
135mm F3.5 1/1600 ISO200

Great images Raymond. Didn't have a chance to try to upload curves to NX for my d300 yet but I do hope that I can finally get it install.

Cheers,
sithbk

hkgharry wrote:
NightOwl Cat wrote:
Thanks Raymond for sharing, it looks like at least I'll be able to use it with Capture NX, if not with any of my cameras

Hello NightOwl Cat,

Just wanted to say thanks for mentioning using the modes with other cameras. Just now I put Raymond's two modes onto my D200 then imported into Capture NX to use with my non D3/D300 files. I like the look.

Hello Raymond,

In the picture control utility I can see the changes you made to the default D2X picture controls, but I'm not able to see how the D2Xmode 1, 2 and 3 settings differ from each other. Is there a way to see the setting differences? I'd just like to see what kind of tuning Nikon (or Nik) does between the modes.

Just noticed your question hidden in those reactions. To be honest i have no idea, but i also would like to know how they do this. The picture controls from nikon are larger too. I guess they have an "advanced picture control tool" . Maybe it's still in development and maybe we get this tool, either separately or included in capture NX like the utility now.

Any insight on this?

Thanks Raymond.

FYI I found some more example curves called Agfa Optima, Fuji Astia and Fuji Velvia. See http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikon_d300_users/discuss/72157604263679013/#comment72157604276458077.

Here the link for nikon D2x Mode Picture Control option for D300. you can tweak it after you have it loaded to a Nikon file and expand the zip file and copy Nikon file to a CD and you will be able to see the D2X Modes.

http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=14459&p_created=1196449158&p_sid=-**klS_i&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjIyLDIyMiZwX3Byb2RzPTAmcF9jYXRzPTAmcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWQyeA**&p_li=&p_topview=1

The 3 files (Astia, Velvia, Optima) can be found at:

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/photography/NIKON/CUSTOMPC/

just click the files one at a time and save to your computer.

1.download these files to your computer
2.format your CF card in the camera
3.go to: SHOOTING MENU , Manage Picture Control, Load/Save, Copy to Card, OK
This step creates the correct folders for the other files. You are just copying a current picture control to the card.

4.Turn camera off, Take card out of camera and put into computer card reader
5.navigate to Nikon, CUSTOMPC
6.copy the the files in step 1 to the card (copy/paste - overwrite=yes)
7.Put the card back into the camera
8.SHOOTING MENU, Manage Picture Control, Load/Save, Copy to camera
9.OK to each file one at a time.
10. Happy Shooting

Crazy question from a non-pro point of view. From Raymond's samples, if the images were better than default setting, why doesn't Nikon just apply these type of setting into the camera and allow the user to select the options? I know that it is a very subjective matters but seeing what the curves setting does to image I would be spending less time at post and more time shooting.

sithbk wrote:
Crazy question from a non-pro point of view. From Raymond's samples, if the images were better than default setting, why doesn't Nikon just apply these type of setting into the camera and allow the user to select the options? I know that it is a very subjective matters but seeing what the curves setting does to image I would be spending less time at post and more time shooting.

hmmm... When they do that i think i deserve their total line-up delivered at my doorstep

But they don't... And that has a reason. I'm happy with my custom settings, but i'm still tweaking with that curve. one thing i noticed that i have to be carefull with the contrast. It might look fine on a lot of images, but it is also prone to posterize. I've seen it a few time: loss of detail in the shadows and posterization. Not something Nikon should install on their camera's by default i guess. Depending on the lighting situation i need another curve. The default nikon picture controls will do fine in almost every situation. It's up to you if you want to use those 'average' settings pre installed. I just like to tweak my camera's. and once in a while i have things good enough to share, like those custom picture controls.

Best,

Raymond

I'm also of the opinion that there's no SINGLE preset setting that will be best for every type of shooting. I'm a big fan of the D2X presets that you can download, and I use two of them regularly, but tweak them to my type of shooting on that day. Sometimes you want more saturation (like when you're shooting quick shutters at high ISO's) and sometimes you want more accurate color. It's great that you can save your settings too though, so everybody can save time in post as you suggest.

Thanks Raymond, I really like your custom setting. Right now, I like what I see on my screen. I will try them this weekend for a snocross event.

Great stuff Raymond,

I have been playing with your settings for awhile now, and I have to say I really like what I have seen so far. Good work!

Hi guys, I just uploaded Raymond's custom file, At first I got the same problem as Roland, no matter how I tried to do it, ray's custom file won't recognize on my camera but can be seen if you want to delete it. I was at my wit's end. Then I download the nikon d2x mode from nikon site, upload it on the same cf card which still have ray's common file, I upload the d2x mode to my d300 and voila, ray's file are shown up, able to be upload it. I guess you need to upload d2x mode first unto your d300 before it able to read ray's custom file.

Btw Ray, I have one quick question, you were uploading 2 custom files, what kind of shooting will you use for these 2 files? Which one do you use mostly for potrait? Which one do you use mostly for landscape?

edit: I also can't find the camera adjustment on capturenx, I found Light & color adjustment, Detail adjustment, lens adjustment. I used jpeg though, is camera adjustment only available for raw file?

try these step...

chickpiper wrote:
The 3 files (Astia, Velvia, Optima) can be found at:

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/photography/NIKON/CUSTOMPC/

just click the files one at a time and save to your computer.

1.download these files to your computer
2.format your CF card in the camera
3.go to: SHOOTING MENU , Manage Picture Control, Load/Save, Copy to Card, OK
This step creates the correct folders for the other files. You are just copying a current picture control to the card.

4.Turn camera off, Take card out of camera and put into computer card reader
5.navigate to Nikon, CUSTOMPC
6.copy the the files in step 1 to the card (copy/paste - overwrite=yes)
7.Put the card back into the camera
8.SHOOTING MENU, Manage Picture Control, Load/Save, Copy to camera
9.OK to each file one at a time.
10. Happy Shooting

I managed to install the pic controls to my D300. I will try the velvia. My friends in indonesia have been sharing FUJI SUPERIA color tone for D300. The color is superb, this is the color tone that I use most from portrait to landcape.

Hey I really like your Mode I Francois. Keep us updated!

9Benua wrote:

edit: I also can't find the camera adjustment on capturenx, I found Light & color adjustment, Detail adjustment, lens adjustment. I used jpeg though, is camera adjustment only available for raw file?

It does appear that it's only available for NEF, not JPEG.

Load a NEF then: