NC and custom curve application

[Alex]

Hi all,

A question about custom curves application to RAW in NC.

I use a custom curve loaded in my camera. The curve is applied automatically for jpegs. When I shoot NEFs I would have to apply the curve in NC. How do I go about it. When I load the NEF concerned into NC, is curve already applied and all I have to do is leave the Tone Comp. setting in Advanced RAW as "Unchanged" or do I choose "User Defined Custom Curve"? Thanks
Alex

[MCWB]

Alex, after uploading the curve, choose "Custom" under "Optimise image" in the Camera menu. If you do this then the curve is automatically applied (it'll have an asterisk next to it in the drop-down box). If you went with one of the inbuilt curves, you can switch to the curve you loaded into the camera by selecting it from the drop-down box.

[Onyx]

It should default to unchanged. You should also notice no difference switching between the unchanged tone setting and user custom curve.

Also, what MCWB suggested - to ensure your JPEGs do have the uploaded custom curve applied. Be sure to select "done" in the optimise image menu too.

[Alex]

Thank you. It's much clearer now. Unchanhed and the asteriked are the same. Indeed when I exchange between them nothing changes.

Now, next question (sorry): The files I use to apply the curves in camera have extension .ntv but NC asks for ncv files when I try to load a curve. Are these files different. I heard that one is on log scale the other is linear or something like that and they cannot be changed equally. That is ntv for in-camera curve and ncv for in-NC processing. Is this correct? Also, when I apply a curve within NC, will my curve that was applied in-CAMERA be replaced with the one I loaded within NC?
Interestingly, the in-camera curve does not show in the curve window (only a straight light (blue) from origin shows), but when I apply an curve in NC it actually shows a curve. Confusing!

Now, as for exposure compensation: Suppose my shooting data show: exp.comp. +0.7, if I now was to use the slider and move it to +0.3, will my total exp.comp. be +1.0, i.e. +0.7 when shot and +0.3 extra adjusted in NC? (Funnily, the hue of -3 loaded in camera is automatically registered).


Sorry for the long post but I want to clear this up.
Thanks again in advance.

Alex