Picture controls
Camera manufacturers create proprietary software and picture controls to offer the best possible experience to their users. Picture controls allow manufacturers to give their images a distinctive look, helping to differentiate their brand from others. They provide users with easy access to professional-quality settings, reducing the need for extensive post-processing and fiddling with camera picture settings.
Using camera manufactures proprietary ensures all the features and functions of a camera are fully supported, The software is designed specifically to work with your camera’s hardware, ensuring optimal performance and full utilisation of all camera features.
By creating an ecosystem of products and software, manufacturers can build brand loyalty, encouraging users to stick with their products.
Benefits of using your cameras proprietary software
There are many advantages to using proprietary software such as;
Optimised Performance: The software is designed specifically to work with your camera’s hardware, ensuring optimal performance and full utilisation of all features.
Consistent Quality: Picture controls are tailored to your camera’s sensor and processing engine, providing consistent and high-quality results with minimal effort.
Ease of Use: Built-in profiles make it easy to achieve specific looks without needing extensive knowledge of post-processing techniques.
Efficient Workflow: Proprietary software often integrates seamlessly with the camera, streamlining your workflow from capture to editing.
Customisability: Many proprietary software packages allow you to create and save your own custom picture styles and save them as picture controls, giving you more creative options for your images.
Brand-Specific Features: Manufacturers sometimes include unique features or tools in their software that are not available in third-party applications.
Shooting RAW the secret sauce
If you are only shooting JPEG or have heard that picture controls only work with JPEG images, then that is wrong. Picture controls are designed for RAW files and post-processing
I shoot Nikon, Nikon’s proprietary software is called NX Studio, and it takes full advantage of picture controls when post processing, allowing me to refine my camera settings when post processing my images. With NX Studio I can, adjust the camera settings for colour, contrast, saturation, sharpness and more to achieve specific looks, note, this is not the same as doing it with 3rd party software such as Lightroom or On1 RAW for example. NX Studio has been engineered to replicate the exact settings and colours used in Nikon cameras. That means any adjustments made can be exported and then imported into the camera as a custom Picture control. Common profiles include Standard, Landscape, Portrait, and Monochrome, with more creative options like Dramatic and Melancholic on newer models.
Why do photographers ignore the proprietary software
Photographers might choose to ignore camera manufacturers’ proprietary software for several reasons:
Preference for Familiar Tools: Many photographers have already invested time in learning popular third-party editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. These tools are industry standards and offer robust features that they are comfortable with.
Advanced Features: Third-party software often provides more advanced or specialised features that might not be available in the camera manufacturers’ software.
Workflow Integration: Some photographers have workflows that seamlessly integrate with third-party software, making it more convenient to use than switching to the proprietary options.
Customisation and Plugins: Software like Lightroom and Photoshop support various plugins and customisations, allowing photographers to tailor their editing process to their specific needs.
Cross-Brand Use: Photographers who use multiple brands of cameras might prefer a universal software solution rather than learning different proprietary software for each brand.
Marketing: Strong marketing from 3rd party vendors and social media has a big influence on photographers meaning that they may not realise the potential of using proprietary camera software which is often free to install and use.
Benefits of of shooting RAW and using Picture controls
Using picture controls with RAW files is important because it provides a starting point for your post-processing. Here are a few key benefits:
Visual Reference: When you apply a picture profile to a RAW file, it gives you a visual reference of what the final image could look like, helping guide your editing decisions.
Efficiency in Workflow: Starting with a picture profile can speed up your editing process, as it applies a base look that you can further refine, rather than starting from scratch.
Consistency: Applying a specific picture profile helps maintain consistency across a series of photos, which is especially useful in professional settings like weddings or events.
Creative Inspiration: Different profiles can inspire creative editing by showing you new ways to interpret your images, sparking ideas you might not have considered otherwise.
Easy Comparison: With picture profiles, you can easily compare different styles and choose the one that best fits your vision, all while retaining the original RAW file’s flexibility.
These benefits make using picture profiles with RAW files a practical and creative choice for photographers at any level.
Unlocking the Potential of Proprietary Camera Software
What Photographers Are Missing: In today’s fast-paced digital world, the power of marketing from third-party vendors and social media influence can’t be underestimated. Photographers, caught up in this whirlwind, often overlook the incredible potential of proprietary camera software. Many don’t realise that this software, often free to install and use, can significantly enhance their photography experience.
Resources & Links
3rd Party picture control editor
Nikon School Picture controls
NX Studio for Nikon RAW files
Start the discussion