...This thread has me really curious about some things. I have a Sony a200 dslr that came bundled with it's own software: Sony Image Data Converter. I shoot pretty much exclusively in Raw format. When I upload my images from the camera, this is the program that's used to open them.
... To start with, in Raw format, I can shoot in any of the color or 'creative styles', as it's termed in camera, that the camera has to offer: Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Night View, Sunset, B&W, or Adobe RGB. And for each of these settings, there is Contrast, Saturation and Sharpness settings. In addition to these, there are White Balance controls, D RangeOptimizer settings, Color Temperature and Color Filter settings, and Noise Reduction controls. All of these can be set in camera, in Raw mode.
... When I upload images to the computer, and open them in the Image Data Converter, all of the above settings are available to me, in addition to a few more (Tone Curves, cropping, etc). I can change the camera settings in the program, which I assume is using the sensor data, to alter the images as if those settings were used when the image was taken.
... As an example for this particular discussion, I can shoot an image in color, in Raw, upload it, and convert to b&w. I can also take an image in b&w, upload it, and convert it to color. Again, I'm assuming since it's in Raw, it's using the sensor data to do this. I have done comparison shots and see no difference in the images.
... After discovering this capability, I keep the little detail settings on either 'auto' or at zero value. I then do the tweaking when uploaded. I couldn't imagine having to play around with all of those settings in camera while out shooting different subjects, in changing conditions. If I'm purposely shooting for b&w images, I will put the camera in that mode. It's more of a mental thing, seeing them in b&w on the LCD, getting the feel for what I'm accomplishing. Knowing, at least it seems so, that the sensor is still capturing all of the data it can.
... So I guess the curious part is, do Nikons, Canons, etc...have these capabilties or is this a 'Sony thing'? Do they come bundled with Raw software like this? It's something I haven't really heard mentioned, and there's been so much discussion regarding shooting in Raw vs. Jpeg, where there's been the certain opinions that 'Raw' is a pain, too much work, etc., etc., etc., that it makes me scratch my head sometimes. After uploading my images to the computer, I can do all of these tweaks while still in Raw, and then save as Raw, or either Tiff 8 or 16 bit, or 4 different levels of Jpeg quality and compression.
... I have rambled on enough, but as I said, was very curious if the other brands have these capabilities.
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