Adobe has finally, finally, FINALLY begun to address one of the MONSTER issues surrounding RAW image capture and Adobe workflow applications.

Basically, each camera maker has always used their own in-camera settings, their own RAW processing parameters, and the only way you can get back the in-camera settings that you set is to use their proprietary software. This is a huge reason that JPG shooters shoot JPG, period, but also a huge reason that Nikon RAW shooters use Nikon Capture for their RAW processing. Even though the RAW process with Nikon, Canon, and other camera maker’s software is sluggish and clunky AT BEST, especially compared to the blazing workflow available in Bridge. (And Lightroom)

It really was true- If you shot a RAW image and then processed it in Adobe Photoshop, Bridge, Lightroom, etc, ….you really had to struggle just to get the image to look just as good as it did on the camera LCD, let alone better and ready for presentation. It took me years and tens of thousands of RAW images to get good at whipping through a RAW workflow in Adobe Bridge CS2 and CS3. I did eventually get to the point where I could quickly get great results that beat any other processing application, but a ton of hard work went into that.

Well, Adobe has just taken a step in the right direction; releasing camera color and tone presets that match the in-camera presets found in the latest Nikon and Canon DSLR’s. I can now apply my beloved D2XMODE3 colors and tones to RAW images!

http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/2008/video-camera-profiles-for-lightroom/

As always, to my annoyance, there is almost NO mention that Lightroom’s RAW processing engine is absolutely identical to Bridge, and that these presets work perfectly in Bridge as well, other than one or two screenshots that hint so. But trust me, I downloaded and installed the camera profiles and am thoroughly enjoying them. I bet a LOT of people will give Bridge / Lightroom a second chance now! Yeah, you don’t get your specific custom fine-tunings back, like +2 contrast and +1 saturation etc. etc. but at least you get the root processing profile, which significantly and positively affects the color and tone of images!!!

Take care,

=Matt=

This is not meant as an attack on any of the pros out there. I respect all of their work, and don’t think I’ll ever be as good as them.

However at the top-most end of the business, among the pros who are good enough that the likes of Canon / Nikon / Lexar / Apple etc. etc. are working directly with them, …I strongly dislike the fact that it seems like they’re all wearing blinders… (google it)

Time after time after time, after time, I read about top-end professionals getting their hands on the latest gear directly from Canon and / or Nikon. The problem is, most of these professionals have probably been shooting with that brand of camera / memory card / software for so many years that they are out of touch with what the other companies have been doing. So many times you will read about how much better a new camera is, ONLY compared to it’s previous generation’s incarnation.

If you’re curious, what sparked this epiphany for me was a certain professional’s comment on how fantastic and amazing the 5D mk2′s new LCD screen is, with no mention of the fact that it’s actually just now catching up up to Nikon / Sony’s high-res LCD that has been implemented for over a year in the D300, D700 and D3.

This is why I can only hope that people will take it upon themselves to subscribe to more widely learned blog opinions such as CameraTalk, or more thorough review sites such as DPReview.com… Maybe some day I could make money at giving my opinion. But could that make me one of THEM? I dunno, but for now I’ll just keep giving my opinion in this miniscule little corner of the interwebz…

Now luckily CameraTalk is not very widely read, because this next comment would start something firey: I think tunnel-vision marketing is a little more prevalent in the Canon world than anywhere else, because Canon has such a large concentration of “bandwagon buyers” who only bought into the system because everybody else did… Sure that’s just my opinion, but it’s still got an element of truth to it…

How’s THAT for opinionated?
=Matt=

Canon’s marketing department is brilliant. They get pre-production cameras into the hands of pros in the industry who always seem to rave about the new piece of equipment. So far we have 2-3 “reviews” from some professional photographers around the world:

Metro Photo:

http://www.mymetrophoto.com/2008/10/must-see-metrophotos-review-of-new.html

Steve and Jen Bebb:

http://bebbblog.com/index.php?link=94

Vincent Laforet:

http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/2008/09/20/something-very-interesting-is-comingboth-to-this-blog-and-to-our-industry/#more-1085

I say “review” in quotes because all the pros are definitely saying very clearly “we’re no technical junkies, this is not a technical review, just an initial *reaction* to the camera after shooting with it for ONE shoot…” And if you read the reviews, they are definitely just “reactions”, indeed, consisting of not much more than “we really love this camera, we really can’t wait to buy one!!!”

But anyway, SO FAR:

1.) It is unanimous that the image quality is insanely good and that the high ISO performance is again world-class. I cannot stress a couple points enough: The 100% view, at high ISO’s, is about equal to Nikon’s FX sensor in the D700 and D3. So in reality, the high ISO performance is nothing new. But also, keep in mind that you’re at 21 megapixels, not 12, so with the down-sampling of images from 21 to a comparable 12, or less, you WILL get another bit of edge in the category of low noise. It might give you as much as a 1-stop advantage over the Nikon sensors.

So to simplify- combination of *equal* noise performance at *greater* resolution can be translated to *greater* noise performance at *equal* resolution. But we’re already talking about clean ISO 6400, and seriously, I lost count when ISO 3200 got clean on my D300!

2.) No mention of the autofocus points, or any issues with autofocus. One can only hope that no news is good news, and that most pros will be able to shoot the 5D mk2 without any focusing frustrations. (Oh wait, there WAS that other link I posted with sample images, where the guy had to defend a couple blurry shots… But the Bebb review also had some super-shallow DOF shots, and their images were all pretty accurately focused, (and some subjects were off-center!) …so like I said, one can only hope! T’would be folly to think the 5D mk2 can catch the D700 for speed and accuracy, but I’m just hoping that the 5D mk2 will make a fine tool for those who need 21 megapixels…

Either way I’m done posting my opinion on this for a while. We’ve got a month or two before the 5D mk2 hits the shelves. And I’ve got a LOT of work to catch up on, and new events to shoot. (And the D700 is begging to be rented!)

So unless there are any other major announcements between now and christmas…. peace OUT Napoleon!

=Matt=

Something was pointed out on the fanboy forums that has always been lurking in the back of my mind- What about venues that have previously NOT allowed video recording but have said OK to still images? (Baseball games, I hear?)

DSLR’s may soon be on the list(s) of UN-allowed recording devices at venues. My biggest fear is that it would be a blanket rule that doesn’t allow ANY DSLR in, period, because it will be impossible for the average security guard to discern which camera can record video and which cannot…

BUMMER, BUMMER, BUMMER!!!!

=Matt=

More Canon 5D mk2 samples, both still images and video clips, are surfacing online. Copy and paste the links to a new window if you seriously wanna see ‘em, otherwise save the hosts some bandwidth as 100+ terabytes have already been consumed probably:

Some full 1080p video samples, and Vincent Laforet’s “Reverie”…

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0810/08101002canon5d_markii_videos.asp

http://vincentlaforet.smugmug.com/Laforet%20Videos

Some full-resolution still image samples, taken at all ISO’s, including stills from during Reverie:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092001canoneos5dmarkiigallery.asp

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2128

http://www.prophotonut.com/2008/09/20/canon-5d-mk2-high-iso-pictures/

(Ironically, you know I can’t help but mention- in the last link above you can see the photographer having to defend the 5D mk2 image samples because some (many) of them are out of focus, assuming due to AF performance at super shallow DOF’s… Ouch…)

There is no question- When capture conditions are optimal, the sensor’s image quality is yet again revolutionary. Just like the 5D sensor was way ahead of IT’S time…

What remains to be seen is how the 5D mk2 performs in the real world, in the hands of every day professionals. Will it fail? Will it perform flawlessly? Apparently the ship date is some time in November, so we’ll find out soon enough! We can at least hope that the AI-Servo AF performance is noticeably improved at the center AF point thanks to the new Digic IV processor, even if the hardware is the same…

=Matt=

[EDIT] Found another sample gallery:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/104363848

Truly a revolutionary sensor. Now ISO 800 is fully deliverable for even the most important, critical, big-print jobs. At 21 megapixels! That probably means you can totally deliver a 1600 ISO image at ~12 megapixels and print it huge. And 6400 is quite deliverable too, still. Not really much incredible-ness beyond that, though, looks to be about the same as the Nikon 12 megapixel sensor at ISO 12800 and 25600. Un-deliverable at full-resolution, only good for small size prints directly to clients. But still, to have a D700 or 5D mk2 and be able to shoot freely at ISO 12800 in say, children’s theater, (or in a super-dim church) and deliver gorgeous 4×6, 5×7 and maybe 8×10 prints, that’s awesome…

Will surely be adding a Nikon D700 to my bag within the next two years. Don’t ever think I’ll part with the DX system because of it’s inherent advantages, but the D700′s low-light performance alone makes it worth the $2000-$2250 that I’ll hopefully pay for one used in the next couple years. I’m sure the price will fall through the floor on used D700′s when a HD video capable D800 arrives…

=Matt=

Just got to JFK airport from Seville, Spain, for those who don’t follow my main blog. I have to say, Nikon yet again PWNED the competition, among tourists. So it’s not just a Disneyland / Sea World etc. local So-Cal thing.

Also noted: Professionals from all around the world still shoot with the Canon 5D. In the workshop of 15-20 people, it must have been mostly ALL 5D’s, a few 40D’s etc, and just TWO Nikon shooters.

But as counter-intuitive as this may seem coming from a pro who doesn’t shoot Canon, here’s my thinking: Nikon’s marketing tactic is brilliant: get tons of users to buy in at the bottom end, and then they will upgrade and go deeper into the Nikon system.

I’m so surprised that buzz on the D700 is gone and the 5D Mk2 is now “IT”. I guess the megapixel race isn’t over for the masses. As I’ve blogged so many times before, I’m EXTREMELY happy that Nikon stuck with 12 megapixels for all three of their current pro camera bodies. BEST. CALL. EVER!

=Matt=