A couple of PSE 9 questions

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brman

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Name
Toby
Edit My Images
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Up to now I've been using a combination of faststone, PSE6 and capture NX or PS trials for my editing. I thought I should come up to date so got a copy of Elements 9.

All looks ok but I have a couple of simple issues that I would like some advice on.

1) When loading a nef (raw) file it doesn't appear to pick up the camera picture settings. My camera (nikon D300) is set to "standard" but it came up as default as an adobe setting (something like adobe 4.3?). I can change the default to "camera standard" but that will not change if I then change the setting in camera.
Have I got this right? Does it not pick up the camera setting?

2) Cropping: The crop tool has various preset crop ratios. 6x4, 10x8 etc. But it doesn't have A4, A5, A6 etc. Is there any way of adding to these presets? I use A4 for printing a lot and it is a right pain having to type in the dimensions each time!

btw. is it just me or is the help system in PSE absolute rubbish?

Toby
 
The picture control settings will not apply to RAW captures. RAW is exactly what it says - raw. The image data from the sensor goes straight to the memory card (and thence to your PC) unprocessed. Once on your PC you can use PSE to apply the picture editing (Contrast, brightness, sharpening etc. etc.) as you see fit.
The standard picture control setting you refer to will only be applied to JPEG & TIFF's when you opt to use those files.

The PSE help system is OK, but not the best. Google will find you loads of tutorials and there are many books.
 
Re the cropping. If I want to crop something that I know will be printed on A4 I crop and set the preset to "Use Photo ratio". This preserves the aspect ratio of the picture. When I print to A4 size it comes out spot on. If I use one of the custom or other presets the pic gets distorted on printing.

Alternatively you could re-size the image to 29.7x21cm which is A4 size, but this too runs the risk of distortion.
 
arclight, I am not sure I follow you. raw = raw data PLUS control info (WB, picture control etc etc). I agree that the picture setting does not change the raw image data but it is a camera setting that is stored in the RAW and should be used by the editor. Capture NX will always pick it up and use it as the default conversion setting.
Also in the PSE raw conversion dialog if I change the setting manually (for example from neutral to standard to vivid) then I get big differences in the converted file, just as I would if I used the same setting and took the jpeg direct from the camera.
I realise I can make the same changes manually at the conversion stage but I don't see why I should have to if the info is already in the raw file to use.
Does PSE also ignore other camera settings such as sharpening, noise filtering etc? It does at least appear to use the camera WB setting.....
To be honest, I can see advantages to the raw converter ignoring all the camera settings. I could then use my own conversion defaults during processing to match the image type rather than the settings (possibly incorrect) in the camera at the time the picture was taken. However I really need to know what adobe does by default or I am going to get confused. (not difficult!)

mickledore: I'll have to check that at home tonight but I thought "use photo ratio" just constrains the crop box to the same ratio as the original photo. So a standard D300 image is approx 3:2 (or 1.5:1) so that is what it will maintain. An A4 sheet is 1.414:1 so you cannot print a full image on A4 without either overprinting, leaving white bands or resizing to the new aspect ratio which causes distortion.
To get a full A4 print (without white bands etc) I set the crop tool to 29.7x21cm and then just drag to frame the portion of the picture I want. Printed (borderless) it looks 100% correct. I don't understand why you say this would give distortion.
The problem is, 29.7x21 is not a preset size so and, after a few prints last night, I was getting really fed up with typing it into the crop toolbar each time!!

Toby
 
Toby, Don't know anything about nikon, so I may be wrong. I use Canon cameras and PS9. If I crop the image using the Photo ratio option, then go to my canon printer and select the A4 size, the cropped area prints out in full and with the correct proportions. As I understand it the Photo Ratio option preserves the aspect ratio. Doesn't cause me any problems at all.

I do get problems if I crop using any other option, then there can be distortion in the printing. maybe that's a Canon thing????
 
Strange, as far as I know Canon use the same aspect ratio as Nikon as it is the same ratio as 35mm film. So I don't think there should be any difference between the two. I must be confused somewhere as I cannot see how cropping at that ratio will give you something that fits exactly on an A4 sheet.
I'll have another play tonight.

Toby
 
Using the photo ratio crop preset only gives you marginal control over the cropped area. The dimensions are always in proportion to one another, so all you can do is choose overall size and position. If there's a bit extra that you want to include/exclude that's just tough I'm afraid.
 
which is why I don't use it ;)
I either crop unrestrained - in which case I accept white borders or trimming the print to fit afterwards, or I crop to the size of the paper, generally A4/5/6 in my case. The trouble is that PSE doesn't have presets for those sizes and don't appear to accept custom defined presets :(

Toby
 
Thanks Andrew, I didn't think of that. A bit embarrassing as that is how I get the paper size correct when I crop freehand and want white borders. I never thought to extend the image to crop to the canvas though...

I am not sure it really saves me much but it is a good alternative.

Toby
 
brman said:
arclight, I am not sure I follow you. raw = raw data PLUS control info (WB, picture control etc etc). I agree that the picture setting does not change the raw image data but it is a camera setting that is stored in the RAW and should be used by the editor. Capture NX will always pick it up and use it as the default conversion setting.
Also in the PSE raw conversion dialog if I change the setting manually (for example from neutral to standard to vivid) then I get big differences in the converted file, just as I would if I used the same setting and took the jpeg direct from the camera.

Toby
Click to expand...

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong....I'm sure.

I assume from what you say that you are using Windows 7 64 bit.

To get NEF (RAW) files to perform correctly in PSE9 a Nikon codec for Windows 7 x 64 is required....
Guess what.......Nikon don't do one, nor are they likely to from what I gather.

I upgraded from Windows XP SP2 to Windows 7 x 64 and PSE9 behaves differently......Ho-Hum.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=322358

D in W
 
Dave, you are absolutely right, I am on w7 64 bit. I do have the fastpictureviewer 64 bit codec but it sounds from what you are saying that that doesn't work 100% in translating the raw settings.
It is curious that if I take a raw, convert it using default settings using capture NX, fastsstone and PSE9 I get three different looking images. Not surprisingly capture NX is the one that looks most like I expected but unfortunately my trial version of that has run out :(
I guess capture NX is the only one using all the camera settings correctly.

Toby
 
Toby

Adobe is an American company whereas A4 etc paper sizes are a European standard and largely unknown in America.
 
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