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Contrast and skintones from Nikon D3S-NEFs

Jochen Kratschmer
In portraits taken with my Nikon D3s lit by studio strobes and exposed properly (to the right) I observed the following (on a calibrated Quato monitor):

1. Basic tone curve "Film standardâ€, contrast to "default": way too contrasty, pale skin, the shadows clip.
2. Basic tone curve "Film standardâ€, contrast to "default", curve to "shadows brighter": a bit better, but still a pretty punchy in the skin higlights.
3. Basic tone curve "linear response". This change surprisingly needed a dramatic shift of the exposure slider (more than +1EV). Why that? Skintone transitions are smoother now, but still generally colder, slightly greenish (the WB was adjusted with a greycard) and a desaturation and brightening of the lighter skin areas, that I could not get rid off by playing with the tone curve or the adjustment sliders.

It appears that the "linear response" curve for D3s-NEFs is already too contrasty compared to the one for CR2s (from a 5D) where "linear response" sometimes lacked the necessary contrast making "film standard" the better choice for most images. With the default ICC profile for the D3s C1 lacks the main strengths it had when working on my Canon CRWs and CR2s: superior color accuarcy particularly in the skintones, almost no further adjustmenst necessary beyond white balance and exposure and changing the tone curves did not result in an exposure shift. As far as I can see, the D3s ICC profile needs work. The D3s-NEFs seem to be a challenge for RAW-conversion profiles. Tests with other converters showed similar problems with excess contrast (Raw Developer) or competent handling (Raw Photo Processor, Aperture).

Did anyone else make similar observations?
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • Ben Huggler
    I've got almost the same problem with my D3 (not S). The shadow cliping is my biggest problem!
    The D2x did not make this problem. I also started to work with "linear response". It helps a bit but doesn't solve the problem.
    Thanks for mentioning that. Hope that Phase will fix that... one day....... 😉 😉 😉
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  • rap_digital
    Its generally thought that the d3 series overexpose the the blue channel so that it can shoot higher iso's. If true this means that skin tones are going to be harder to get right. I find that grey balancing from the second lightest grey patch on the color checker gets me 80% there. Color editor gets me over the line.
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  • Jochen Kratschmer
    Now 5.2 is out and with the new version this problem is gone. Thank you Phase One!

    Just a few questions since there were no release notes: I now have two profiles (Nikon D3s Generic and Nikon D3s Generic V2) and besides "portrait" an additional basic tone curve "Film Standard V2". What are the differences between the two profiles, what is the idea behind this? What is different about the "Film Standard V2" tone curve?
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  • Paul Steunebrink
    [quote="Jochen121" wrote:
    Now 5.2 is out and with the new version this problem is gone. Thank you Phase One!

    Just a few questions since there were no release notes: I now have two profiles (Nikon D3s Generic and Nikon D3s Generic V2) and besides "portrait" an additional basic tone curve "Film Standard V2". What are the differences between the two profiles, what is the idea behind this? What is different about the "Film Standard V2" tone curve?

    I have release notes both downloaded from the same web page as 5.2 as from the installed program (Help menu). It mentioned improved color for several Nikon cameras (Nikon D3s, D3x, D3, D2x, D700, D300, D300s, D90 and D80). Your experience seems to confirm this.

    Camera profile and Film Curve can be considered a matching pair. With the Nikon D3s, among others, re-profiling resulted in a new pair, with a V2 suffix (at least for the profile and the standard curve). When you open a new image, Capture One 5.2 defaults to the new V2 profile/curve. The previous set (V1) was retained for your archive of images and the adjustments you have made. Of course you can apply the new profile/curve pair to older images if you like. Thanks to having both versions this process is entirely user controlled.
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  • Jochen Kratschmer
    Thanks Paul! Obviously I was too excited about the news so I didn't see the download link for the release notes. Your explanations sound most reasonable. However, for me the "portrait" tone curve is the most valuable addendum. I can now achieve roughly the same look with my Nikon as with my Canon DSLRs.
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  • Paul Steunebrink
    [quote="Jochen121" wrote:
    ..
    I can now achieve roughly the same look with my Nikon as with my Canon DSLRs.

    Wow, is a bigger achievement imaginable?

    (just kidding, I am not in for a Nikon / Canon controversy but couldn't let go as well)
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  • Jochen Kratschmer
    "I can now achieve roughly the same look with my Nikon as with my Canon DSLRs."

    Okay, that sounds too much like some Canon fanboy's talk which I am not. What I meant was: I could achieve "MY" look with the canons and wanted to be able to achieve this particular look (that I am known for by my customers) with the Nikon too. Makes more sense that way?
    😉

    Jochen
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  • Paul Steunebrink
    That was basically what you wrote: your look, but I overlooked it while reading.
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  • Pavel19
    [quote="Paul_E" wrote:
    [quote="Jochen121" wrote:
    Now 5.2 is out and with the new version this problem is gone. Thank you Phase One!

    Just a few questions since there were no release notes: I now have two profiles (Nikon D3s Generic and Nikon D3s Generic V2) and besides "portrait" an additional basic tone curve "Film Standard V2". What are the differences between the two profiles, what is the idea behind this? What is different about the "Film Standard V2" tone curve?

    I have release notes both downloaded from the same web page as 5.2 as from the installed program (Help menu). It mentioned improved color for several Nikon cameras (Nikon D3s, D3x, D3, D2x, D700, D300, D300s, D90 and D80). Your experience seems to confirm this.

    Camera profile and Film Curve can be considered a matching pair. With the Nikon D3s, among others, re-profiling resulted in a new pair, with a V2 suffix (at least for the profile and the standard curve). When you open a new image, Capture One 5.2 defaults to the new V2 profile/curve. The previous set (V1) was retained for your archive of images and the adjustments you have made. Of course you can apply the new profile/curve pair to older images if you like. Thanks to having both versions this process is entirely user controlled.


    Hi,
    May I have a question? I upgraded CO from 4.8.3 to 5.2.1 and for me was surprising to use new profile V2 (Nikon D90). Colors are too much saturated (like pictures from some cheap compact camera). Where is the problem? In my eyes or monitor? How can I set up CO to assign profile "Generic" instead of "Generic V2" to every new-opened picture?

    Thanks
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  • Keith Reeder
    Hi Pavel,

    I had a similar problem with the Canon 7D default profile - too much saturation for my tastes too - and the easiest fix I could find was simply to browse to the "Color Profiles" folder, rename the current default profile to something that won't be recognised by Cap One, and then copy/name change a profile I prefer (in my case the Canon 1D Mk III profile) to "CanonEOS7D-Generic.icm".

    Not the most elegant solution perhaps, but it's easy to do, and it works.
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