Picture style setting

[Kolourl3lind]

Canon any one tell me what is the picture style setting on the T3i. And how do you turn it off?

[jrhoffman75]

Picture Style is a processing that Canon applies to jpegs in camera. The various Picture Styles provide effects, like emphasizing blue and green in Landscape. You can't turn it off (i.e. have no Picture Style) but if you select Neutral the camera applies no adjustment to the images so it is like turning it off.

[Kolourl3lind]

do I want to turn this off? Especially if I am shouting raw? What about white balance?

[jrhoffman75]

As I said, you cannot turn Picture Style off. Check out this video; it will explain things for you and let you decide which PS to choose.

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/videos/tutorials/quick_tips/qt_picturestyle.shtml

Picture Style doesn't mater if you are shooting RAW; it will be ignored by all raw converters except Canon'n Digital Photo Professional (which comes with your camera).

Leaving white balance in AWB works very well.

[ebiggs1]

One of the advantages of RAW is you get to decide what the picture should look like. Not the camera or Canon.

Another nice thing is RAW is non-destructive so if you don't like it, the original is still there.

[Kolourl3lind]

OK I shoot raw any way so I guess it doesn't matter. I will just leave it on default.

[TCampbell]

Picture styles are not applied when you shoot RAW.  They are only applied to JPEG images or to video.  

If you want to shoot JPEG and not have Picture Style adjustments, set the Picture Style to "Neutral".  Although most all cameras DO apply in-camera image processing to JPEG.  Your camera is allowing you to tune and optimze those in-camera adjustments for your needs.  

[amfoto1 · Accepted solution]

Something that Picture Style does effect is the color balance (color temp and tint)... and that's the one thing that is carried over in RAW and into any software used to process your RAW files. It's completely changeable later, of course, but any color balance "tweaks" imposed by the Pic Style will be used unless you override it.

Another thing that Picture Style effects is the display on the camera's LCD monitor. I deliberately use Faithful, with contrast turned down all the way and sharpening turned up all the way. Faithful with minimum contrast looks a lot like an unprocessed RAW file to me. The Pic Style also effects the histogram, which is drawn from the preview JPEG that's embedded in the RAW file. This is the main reason why I prefer Faithful/low contrast, to have as accurate a histogram as possible.

I keep the sharpening turned up in order for image playback to be as useful as possible, checking focus.

All these settings remain completely changeable later, in whatever RAW conversion software is used.

Canon DPP will only use the settings if you allow it to process the images "as shot" or "default".

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
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