I’m noticing when Rawtherapee imports a Nikon (D5600) NEF raw file, Rawtherapee image shows some really excellent detail and color compared to the Nikon (D5600) JPEG embedded within the NEF raw file, but almost too much! The Nikon camera processed image or JPEG image is much softer in saturation, and far less sharp, and seems somewhat undesirable. (Almost looks like the Nikon processed image is dreamy or if Nikon is hiding something!)
However, the Rawtherapee processed image seems to have far too much color and/or detail? If I’m not mistaken, I should see a gradual degradation or increase in color from the center of the flower to the outer edge of the flower’s petal. Rawtherapee’s version is very abrupt in this gradient color, while Nikon’s process is OK or too shallow. I seem to be looking for a middle between the default Rawtherapee sharpeness/saturation and Nikon’s softer/duller sharpeness/saturation.
I did play with increasing the Exposure > Lightness setting, but then required to also increase the Exposure > Black setting as well. And then having to readjust the Exposure setting again.
At this point, I seem I’m doing more work than I should, and I’m pretty sure all my Nikon NEF raw files seem to exhibit this same scenario at varying degrees. So far my workflow consists of: If I use a color-checker target, I at least apply white balance; adjust the exposure and ensure no clipping; activate and adjust “Detail > Luminance/Luminance Detail”. Everything else is left at defaults for simplicity. (The only other settings of concern are when using my 70-300mm zoom lens requiring vignette filter or lens correction file, or flat field or dark field images as required.)
I’ll include the original NEF raw image file, alongside my PP3 setting file.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, I’m looking at the orange to yellow color transition from the orange part of the petal near the center of the flower to the yellow outer edge of the petal. I just noticed I should probably boast Noise Reduction Luminescence to maximum, and leave Luminescence Detail at zero. So my main concern is something that looks like saturation contrast.
https://filebin.net/d3qw9tru16ppbux3
Filebin.net URL contains the below images
Black-eyed-Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
dsc_3640.nef
Original Nikon (D5600) NEF raw file.
dsc_3640_nxd.jpg
The Nikon Capture N-XD processed JPEG file. (Similar to the embedded Nikon JPEG.)
dsc_3640-rt.jpg
RawTherapee’s processed JPEG file.
dsc_3640.nef.pp3
https://filebin.net/d3qw9tru16ppbux3/dsc_3640.nef.pp3
RawTherapee PP3 setting file for processing the Nikon NEF raw file. (Processes to above dsc_3640-rt.jpg image.)
NikonD5600-20170711.dcp
https://filebin.net/d3qw9tru16ppbux3/NikonD5600-20170711.dcp
Experimented with creating a custom DCP, but find it’s not really needed as (my) Rawtherapee auto-detected Nikon D5600 color profile was pretty good to begin with. (White Balance seems to be more of a concern then anything else.) Attached the DCP file here so nobody flips out due to it being set within the PP3 file!