EOS R6 Mark II - In camera Jpg settings for Sharpness and color saturation question

[mglotspeich]

Hi all,

I am still trying to get used to and test my new R6 Mark ii. Not quite sure but it appears that the sharpness might be a little lacking when shooting in Jpg mode. I have 2 questions...do any of the members increase sharpness or color saturation on this camera? I am trying to get a great image out of the camera. However I still post process at times. I am talking about Jpg and not RAW shooting. Lens being used is the 24-105L F.4. Thank you for sharing your experiences in advance!

Mike

St. Louis, MO

[JFG · Accepted solution]

Hi mglotspeich,

When shooting JPEGs on the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, the camera applies in-camera post-processing based on your selected settings. Some key adjustments include:

- Picture Style: Controls contrast, sharpness, saturation, and color tone.
- White Balance: Adjusts color temperature for accurate colors.
- High ISO Noise Reduction: Reduces noise in low-light shots.
- Lens Corrections: Fixes distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration.
- HDR & HEIF Processing: If enabled, the camera processes images for extended dynamic range.-

Auto Lighting Optimizer: Enhances shadows and highlights.
- Clarity & Sharpness: Fine-tunes edge definition.

You can also process RAW files in-camera to create JPEGs with customize settings. If you're looking for precise control, you might prefer shooting RAW and handling post-processing in Lightroom or Photoshop.

Since you're refining your workflow for in-camera JPEG processing on the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, here are optimized settings based on your photography styles:

For Bird Photography

- Picture Style: "Neutral" or "Standard" for natural tones.

- Sharpness: Adjust to +3 for detailed feathers.

- High ISO Noise Reduction: Set to "Standard" for clean images.

- Auto Lighting Optimizer: "Low" to preserve natural lighting.

- White Balance: Use "Daylight" or "Cloudy" based on conditions.

For Macro & Insect Photography

- Picture Style: "Fine Detail" for texture enhancement.

- Sharpness: Increase to +4 for micro-detail.

- Clarity: Set to +2 for additional contrast.

- Lens Corrections: Enable distortion correction for edge clarity.

- White Balance:Use "Custom" for color accuracy.

For Astrophotography

- Picture Style: "Neutral" for minimal processing.

- Sharpness & Clarity: Keep lower (around +1) to avoid exaggerating star artifacts.

- High ISO Noise Reduction: "Off" for better control in post-processing.

- Auto Lighting Optimizer: "Off" to prevent highlight adjustments.

- White Balance: Use "Kelvin" mode (around 3800K) for natural night tones.

Portrait Photography,  recommendations for skin tones and lighting optimization with the  Canon EOS R6 Mark II JPEG settings.

For Soft & Natural Portraits
- Picture Style: "Portrait" (reduces contrast for smooth skin).
- Sharpness: Keep low (+1 or +2) to avoid over-enhancing textures.
- Clarity: Set to -1 or 0 for a softer look.
- Auto Lighting Optimizer: "Standard" to balance shadows.
- White Balance: Use "Custom" or "Daylight" for natural skin tones.

For Dramatic & High-Contrast Portraits
- Picture Style: "Fine Detail" or "Standard."
- Sharpness: Increase (+3 to +4) for edge definition.
- Clarity: Set to +2 or higher for stronger contrast.
- White Balance: Adjust for creative tones—use "Cloudy" for warmth, "Shade" for golden hues.

For Studio Lighting & Flash Photography
- Picture Style: "Neutral" for minimal processing.
- Lens Corrections: Enable distortion correction.
- Auto Lighting Optimizer: "Off" (since lighting is controlled externally).
- White Balance: Match flash temperature manually.

I hope the aforementioned tips help you, let us know. 

[mglotspeich]

Thank you so much for the detailed information! This is one of the best and most informative post that I have received!

Cheers!

Mike

[mglotspeich]

Hello Joe,

I had one more question: Do you adjust the color saturation at all in JPG?

Thanks!

Mike

[JFG]

Hi mglotspeich,

I adjust color saturation in a JPG when I want to enhance vibrancy or tone down overly intense colors.  Here is how to do it effectively.

When to Adjust Saturation

• Boost Saturation when colors appear dull or washed out, especially in landscapes or portraits where rich tones add impact.
• Reduces Saturation when colors look unnaturally or overly intense, such as in skin tones or high-contrast scenes.
• Selective Saturation adjustments help refine specific areas without affecting the entire image.

How to Adjust Saturation

1. Using Editing Software In Lightroom or Photoshop, use the Saturation or Vibrance sliders for global adjustments. For selective edits, use Hue/Saturation Layers or masking tools to target specific colors.
2. In-Camera Settings  If shooting JPG, adjust Picture Style or Color Profile settings in your Canon R6 Mark II camera to fine-tune saturation before capturing the image.
3. Online Tools Websites like Pixelied and PineTools offer quick saturation adjustments without needing software.  

If you're experienced with Lightroom and Photoshop, you might prefer using masking techniques for precise control over saturation in different areas of your image.

I hope the aforementioned are helpful.  Let us know how your pics look after applying adjustments.

[p4pictures]

It is worth shooting a few images in RAW with the camera, then using the RAW processing (RAW/DPRAW) setting in the blue playback menus. Here you can "process" your RAW file, and make the changes to white balance, Picture Style, Clarity, Auto Lighting Optimiser, High ISO speed noise reduction, colourspace, lens corrections and then save the result as a new JPG. 

This can be very effective to see the effect of different settings and to understand how the camera will create a JPG with the range of different settings. 

Personally I typically shoot RAW so it's not that important to me, but I do set the camera to Fine Detail Picture Style, and increase the sharpening amount from the standard 4 to 5. This makes for slightly crisper images on the LCD screen when reviewing but has no impact on how I post process the RAW files in Lightroom. I also sometimes shoot with the camera set to Monochrome picture style if I need to pay attention to contrast instead of colour. 

[mglotspeich]

Thank you so much for the advice! Currently I am trying to get sharper images from in-camera jpg. I DO want to pursue RAW a little down the road. I am confused about the R6 Mark ii sharpness settings. Strength, Threshold and Fineness. And then there Is a Clarity setting. I am confused as to what I need to change these setting to in order to get a improved sharpness image. Thank you so much for responding to my post!

Mike

St. Louis, MO