DPP question about sharpening

[alex]

Hi everyone,


I find myself mostly using DPP for my standard editing now, and I've really like the results it gives me. My question is about the sharpening. When I am editing a RAW image, I can adjust the sharpness on the RAW edit tab. But I can also adjust it on the RGB tab. What does each do? Does the RAW sharpening apply immediately to the RAW image you are editing, and the RGB sharpening only apply if you convert it from RAW to something else, like TIFF or JPEG?

[HiFiGuy1]

Thank you for asking this question. I just started using DPP, noticed this, anddidn't know either.

[alex]

yeah, it's really been bugging me. I usually sharpen on the RAW tab between 3 and 5, and sometimes I've been also sharpening on the RGB tab to somewhere around 100, but I don't notice much when I sharpen on the RGB tab after I do on the RAW tab. I'm worried that I'm sharpening too much and not realizing it.

[Steve Eisenberg]

The RGB tab is the only option when you don't shoot RAW. As you've seen, you get all three tabs wuth RAW editing. I've found ways to juggle with settings between both. I've found the Tone Curve Assist button mighty handy when I can't seem to get things right in the RAW tab. For afternoon shots, I might pull down the Blue curve a bit, etc.


As far as the sharpness goes, I can get to 7 in the RAW tab before I overdo it. How can you tell if you overdo it? Look at the edges of things, they will look too thick, or bright or dark. In prints, thin lines look a choppy/stairstepped. There are times you can get away with more sharpening though. If you start using the Noise Reduction,you'll notice the image looking softer overall. That's where you can get away with cranking up the sharpness. If not enough in the RAW use the RGB tab.


I should note that you get finer adjustments on the RGB tab, and that could be really beneficial compared to the large steps between the RAW tab settings.


***ALSO***


The changes you make in the three tabs occur as you make the adjustments. When you exit or switch folders, you have the option of saving your changes. The Stamp tool shows the changes when you process the image or get back into that screen.

[David Selby]

i use a sharpness of 2/ 3 with DPP raw sharpening. the other sharpening is i believe an unsharp mask and works on the jpegs when you dont have a raw file to work with...





anything over 3/ i find is getting artficacts

[Colin]

I use the raw sharpening tosharpen the image to the extent that you don't see the pixel structure emphasized. It seems to be a fairly fine (i.e., high spatial frequency, as Daniel would like to say) device that can actually compensate for the lack of sharpness of a lens, or compensate for softening caused by anti-noise filtering, which is also fairly fine filtering. I tend to RAW sharpen with a 100% view of the sharpest area of the picture until I notice sharp transitions in the pixels, then back off. I then apply any noise filtering as judiciously as I can, and then perhaps go back to the raw sharpening if need be. It usually ends up between 1-5, (lower usually with lower ISO) but I've gone higher, particularly when I've got aggressive noise filtering.


The RGB sharpening seems quite different to me. It seems to enhance contrast in broader areas along edges, to make a picture look subjectively sharper, regardless of if you're looking at it at 100% or not, while the Raw sharpening tool is pretty much unnoticeable if you're looking at it in a 'fit to window' type view. If you overdo the RAW sharpening, things look too pixel crunchy. If you overdo the sharpening the the RGB tab, things just look ridiculous.