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RAW images opened with Affinity Photo show differently than on camera


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Here are the steps I took, but before that, the image looked like the one showing on the Right in Capture NX-D while still on my SD card and inside my Nikon D60.

  1. Removed images from SD & placed within a folder
  2. Directly from the folder, right-clicked this image
  3. clicked "Open with" and picked Affinity Photo
  4. The image came up on Affinity Photo as shown
    1. I've gone into View > Assistant Manager > turned it off > quit Affinity > reopened > same experience
    2. I've made sure that all "filters" that could be automatically applied are de-selected (Basic, Lens, Details, Tones, Overlays)

Please let me know what I'm doing wrong or if there is something going on with Affinity Photo. Unfortunately, this automatic change was not for the better.

Thank you,

CJ

jpg exports of the RAW left Affinity right Capture NX-D.png

RAW left Affinity right Capture NX-D.png

DSC_7774.NEF

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The image shown in the camera is an embedded jpeg, not the RAW image that AP's working with.  I don't know whether Capture NX-D is also displaying the jpeg, but since it's Nikon software I'm not surprised that it produces the same results.  Many (most?) RAW processing programs start by applying some basic corrections, but these can be and and often are turned off in AP - the image itself is fine, you've just started a bit further upstream in the development work flow.  

AP, AD & APub user, running Win10

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Real RAW converters applies a custom camera specific color profile to RAW images. Some offer several. As do cameras. Affinity Photo only makes a generic boring rendering of the image (and details BTW).

Stick to Capture NX. It has all color profiles from your camera (landscape, portrait, etc) and the best rendering of the RAW data. Try DxO Photolab as well.

RAW to JPG is not like converting Euro to Dollars. It is an interpretation of RAW data. Most camera sensors deliver roughly similar RAW images but the JPGs from Fuji, Olympus, Nikon, Sony, Canon and Phase One all have their own style. I prefer organic renderings fx. Not ‘digital neutral’.

That is why it is a good idea to stick to the RAW converter from your camera vendor if you cannot find or afford a RAW converter that is as good or better.

Affinity Photo for Windows is neither.

  • "The user interface is supposed to work for me - I am not supposed to work for the user interface."
  • Computer-, operating system- and software agnostic; I am a result oriented professional. Look for a fanboy somewhere else.
  • “When a wise man points at the moon the imbecile examines the finger.” ― Confucius
  • Not an Affinity user og forum user anymore. The software continued to disappoint and not deliver.
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The Nikon software initially also identifies and also can make use of certain Nikon cam specific settings (Active D-Lighting, Picture-Control-System, WB, sharpening, contrast etc.) which other RAW converter software doesn't have any direct clues about. So presets and initial applied settings for the NEF RAW files are different handled here and of course (no need to ask) Nikon knows their cams best and how to interpret their cam specific settings via EXIF makernotes.

Thus in order to get some similar looking results with APhoto one have to apply and alter certain settings here, right out of the box APhoto only shows instead a very neutral image, without the same degree of contrast, sharpening, and color handling etc.

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Thank you, everyone, for your responses! I greatly appreciate the help here, I thought I was going crazy when I SWORE the images looked better when taking them lol.

I made sure yesterday that I'm able to use the Nikon software to convert & then pull the converted jpg into AP for any further editing and such. So though my workflow is now changing, it sounds like this will give me the desired look.

Cheers!
~CJ

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1 hour ago, CJones said:

Thank you, everyone, for your responses! I greatly appreciate the help here, I thought I was going crazy when I SWORE the images looked better when taking them lol.

I made sure yesterday that I'm able to use the Nikon software to convert & then pull the converted jpg into AP for any further editing and such. So though my workflow is now changing, it sounds like this will give me the desired look.

Cheers!
~CJ

It is a perfectly normal workflow: pair your favorite RAW converter with your favorite photo editor. I pair Capture One Pro with Photoshop - I like Capture One better as a RAW converter. Adobe Camera Raw makes.. ho hum conversions.

I could possibly replace Photoshop with Photo if my needs were a little different but I would never replace Capture One for RAW.

And it is correct: Capture NX knows all about Nikon lenses and works with the same type of settings as your camera. Using it you will understand the settings better so you can get them right in camera BEFORE taking the pictures.

I tried Capture NX recently. It finally got U point technology back. Check it out, local editing the easy way.

I think you can also batch convert all images (when it makes sense).

Happy editing :)

  • "The user interface is supposed to work for me - I am not supposed to work for the user interface."
  • Computer-, operating system- and software agnostic; I am a result oriented professional. Look for a fanboy somewhere else.
  • “When a wise man points at the moon the imbecile examines the finger.” ― Confucius
  • Not an Affinity user og forum user anymore. The software continued to disappoint and not deliver.
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