C1 Clarity and Structure D800E

[Guy Mancuso]

Well I thought this would be interesting since the new Version 7 is certainly giving me a a lot more detail in my images which is awesome BUT what about people shots which requires a new game plan when processing. Now i shot this in NY last month with a Tammy 24-70 Zoom at ISO 200 1/500 F6.3 at the 56mm mark. Result extremely sharp and maybe too sharp. Now i balanced everything to exactly the same EXCEPT for sharpening I did lower it out of the gate for both at 120, .5, 1 which is down 40 points from a landscape image in comparison. Now when I went after clarity there was a nice small change in the mid level contrast. Something we would do out of the gate for a people image.

So I set that to -10 and I still wanted more playing around it did not give me a smoother looking file. Here comes the slider underneath called Structure and playing around with that it seems it really does smooth down the files to look less digital looking. I brought this down to -25 now that maybe a big setting but we are in a high contrast setting with bright daylight and harsh light it needs to be brought down some. Studio shot for instance maybe a lot less like -8 or something. I need to test that

But anyway if you looking carefully around her ears the hair and under her sunglass area you will see the file smoothing very nicely. Ill show you the full image than the 100 percent crops.

Version 7 has some new tricks compared to Version 6 so I thought I would play around a little and see what tools I could use to create certain looks to my files. Hopefully you can see what i am seeing here on the web

Last minute edit I added a -40 structure as well

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Watch where her hair parts in the middle on her forehead

 

[pophoto]

Sorry Guy, I thought I'd mention that I'm not really seeing it!
Perhaps if you cropped tighter into even smaller squares say 2"x2" squares and put them side by side. Otherwise I think it is hard to distinguish here even at 100%, as opposed to moving the sliders in C1! Perhaps, it's just me!

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Yea it's a little tough you really have to look careful but I could give folks a raw file and try it on there machines. The web does weird things

 

[pophoto]

I believe you, but perhaps my eyes are failing me

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Hey we ate not getting any younger that's for sure. Lol

 

[Jack]

Look at the "curl under her sunglasses -- most of the hairs in it are more naturally defined in the third image.

BUT!!! There is a little bit very high frequency pattern moire showing in certain areas of the hair on all of them -- that is one area where the D800 might do a little better at a more natural rendering, but of course very tough to say for certain without a side-by-side example...

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Yes it's pretty interesting you start seeing the file get smoother looking and yea nailed it bud some Moire or pattern in it as we'll. I can work on that. What I found interesting was the structure slider and what does. Damn files are really picking up detail in version 7. I have been noticing this for awhile now with even the beta. Might have to look at sharpness levels and such more when people are involved

 

[Jack]

Agreed Guy --- with C17 extracting so much additional detail, we need to start paying more attention to maintaining a natural look...

 

[Jack]

PPS: Notice the reduction of fine detail in the weave of the red sweater in the last image... One thing I have noted is how much better C17 is at getting detail in reds. Previously, red fabric was one of those things I expected to see smear more often than not. Not anymore ...

 

[Shashin]

Sorry, but is the last image from a different file? Or did you rotate it for a reason?

 

[Guy Mancuso]

It got rotated slightly by accident. Sorry forgot to mention that. I undid it but apparently did not go exactly back but yes same image.

 

[D&A]

It's a bit easier to detect both the moire and crispiness in the hair (and it's subsiquent reduction), if one looks at areas of where the hair is highlighted and also as you follow the flow and natural curvature of the hair as it runs down along side at ear level and below. It's subtle but then again thats the way you want to do it.

Dave (D&A)