Canon 5D Question (Settings)

Just got a 5D and 17-40mm this week, and my question points to the Picture Style settings. I'm trying to decipher if the incredible image quality that guys like Marc Adamus get with the 5D starts with special Picture Style settings (later touched up in PS), or if it's best to shoot at the default Picture Style and then do Contrast/Saturation/Curves/Sharpening/etc in post process (am I asking for the secret family cheesecake recipe here??).

An example of that incredible IQ I'm referring to can be seen here:

http://www.photoportfolios.net/portfolio/pf.cgi?a=vp&pr=24288&b=up&st=1&la=40&ph=34&sid=31602&pi=WILDPHOTO&u=31602

Thanks!

Paul, congrats on your 5D--ive had mine a couple months now and love it, though it is a big dust magnet! Im no expert, but from what ive heard/seen from Marc and others, id say most of that is pp--Marc downplays his PS skills but its pretty obvious from those shots that he is a pp whiz! I havent really toyed with the 'special' picture settings since it doesnt seem to buy me anything i cant do in RAW, so ive just used default, but would be interested to hear what the 5D vets have to say.

I would go in another direction and say that the image quality that Marc and guys like him are able to get from the 5D comes from hard work and dedication in the field and just enough photoshop know how to communicate that dedication.

No doubt, Matt... Marc and Zack and guys like them are super pros who've mastered their craft. My approach is, taking away all those factors, that they must start with the camera settings on SOMETHING, and it'd be nice to have that first step on the right foot. Right now I barely have my sock on...

BTW, I just viewed your portfolio... WOW.

Matt, just to clarify, i assumed Paul was talking about the clarity and sharpness of the image, not how "good" they are. If you took a look at the RAW version of those shots, i can gaurantee you will see that some very careful, professional, and artistic work went into getting maximum quality in the finished product. Beyond choice of lens, exposure, and basic technique, i believe pp is the key to the presentation.

I agree with you both..I was just stating that just so it was said! I guess maybe i'm a little too used to defending what photographs do with their minds rather than their tools.

Stan you are dead on that without very careful and artistic work on post work you are just going to end up with a photo that hasn't reached it's full potential.

Paul..I have shot with a 5D for the past few months and have never moved anything from the default setting. I try to make some of my artistic decisions in post because then I always have the ability to change something that i wasn't happy with.

Paul,,,,,,,I assume that you are shooting RAW (I know Marc does), so just remember that RAW is just that. The picture styles only mean something if you are shooting jpeg or are converting using the canon DPP software which can read them (and I think maybe Breezebrowser can, too). Other RAW converters do not take picture styles into account. I'm no expert on converters, so someone please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Regards,,,,,David

In choosing a picture style, I'd say experiment and see whaty looks good to you. Shooting in RAW, you can change the picture style after the fact. I'm not using a 5D, but I assume that the picture styles are similar in across the cameras. I usually shoot in Landscape with the default settings. To me, of the various picture styles, it most resembles Velvia.

So I would say, shoot in RAW, toggle among the various picture styles, and see what appeals most to you.

I have shot in landscape & standard styles, and have kept the setting on the former. I don't think it makes any difference really. Contrast, saturation and sharpening are what you would adjust post-capture anyway.

OK, now I REALLY feel like a dork... I only use the RAW file, in PS CS2. So, Picture Styles don't affect RAW + PS CS2. I've only had the camera a few days, but I guess if I read the MANUAL I would have known that! So for me, the Picture Styles aren't an issue.

Guys, thanks all of you for sharing your thoughts (Matt, well-taken and understood!). For the record, I'm learning to capture the light as accurately as possible, with the aid of a couple of Singh-Ray grads and maybe a CPL as needed, then the RAW heads to PS. I understand some Photoshop, and now with this mega-camera I'll have a REALLY nice pallet to work and learn with.

I also posted this on Photo.net, guess I'd better Copy & Paste...

Thanks again!

The more I practice the luckier I get.