Editing photos: on camera or pc?

[tjh]

Workflow question here.

Do you use your photo editing software while
1-photos are on the camera?, or
2-transfer all to PC and work on them there? or
3-some combo?

[rawpaw18]

All my editing is done on the computer. Features on camera, for the most part, can be done in pp, so I think it best to keep the original and work from there.

[dxrocnxj]

i always use pc cause i have photoshop cs3 and everything i ever need can be done there so yeah.

[tjh]

The only downsides I can see to transferring all the pix to the computer are
1-time of transferring (not a biggie)
2-having to delete them from there (in addition to the ones on the camera)
3-perhaps needing to defrag hard drive more often.

With older cameras (pre usb2.0 that were much slower at transferring), it was faster to transfer all to pc (copying&pasting all , and go do something else while they transferred).
The D80 is my 1st USB2.0 camera.

I plan to do all editing through software on the computer. Not even sure what, if any editing can be done on the camera.

[tjh]

All my editing is done on the computer. Features on camera, for the most part, can be done in pp, so I think it best to keep the original and work from there.

What is "pp"? (now no funny stuff....) :)

I think I read somewhere that the Nikon CaptureNX works more seamlessly with NEF files than most other programs. If that is the case, then is there any difference between
1-opening the files from the camera/card within CaptureNX
2-copying/pasting the files to computer hard drive; then opening with CaptureNX

[BionicSniper]

Why wouldn't you do it on the computer. When I get home from a shoot I turn on my computer and plug my camera in, set lightroom to do any batch stuff i need it to do then I usually go get some water. 3 Minutes later it's done and it takes about 12 seconds to delete everything off my camera. Then my battery goes into the charger, I clean my lense and dust my mirror & sensor. Then I go through the 3-4 hundred photos and delete the out of focus or test or ones when the subject is cut, Then i go through and tag the keeps and the tosses. Then I grab the top 25 or so best and fix as needed. After that I ether burn them or see what the person wants printed.

If i'm shooting for my local paper I send the editor a bunch of thumbnails and if I'm shooting for my high school I just come home and burn them all the images because I get lazy if I don't get paid.

[tjh]

Why wouldn't you do it on the computer. When I get home from a shoot I turn on my computer and plug my camera in, set lightroom to do any batch stuff i need it to do then I usually go get some water. 3 Minutes later it's done and it takes about 12 seconds to delete everything off my camera. Then my battery goes into the charger, I clean my lense and dust my mirror & sensor. Then I go through the 3-4 hundred photos and delete the out of focus or test or ones when the subject is cut, Then i go through and tag the keeps and the tosses. Then I grab the top 25 or so best and fix as needed. After that I ether burn them or see what the person wants printed.

If i'm shooting for my local paper I send the editor a bunch of thumbnails and if I'm shooting for my high school I just come home and burn them all the images because I get lazy if I don't get paid.

Just to make sure i understand. you are transferring the files from the camera to your computer through your photo software (Lightroom)?

In the past I've simply copied/pasted using windows. Then later to edit within software (very, very basic in Picasa). This worked well b/c I had kept most pix unedited. However, anticipate in the future keeping only an minority and doing more editing.

I need to figure out:
1-if it's better to (a)transfer the files through the photo software or (b)to copy/paste w/ Windows.
2-if answer to 1 is (a), then will need to learn how; would likely be interested in batch functions

[tjh]

Why wouldn't you do it on the computer. .

Perhaps I should have made the original thread title "delete photos from card or transfer all pix to computer then delete/keep"...

The 2nd question is still if it's better to (a)transfer the files through the photo software or (b)to copy/paste w/ Windows

More ideas?

[TheWengler]

This all seems very silly to me. :confused:

PP = Post Processing

[tjh]

PP = Post Processing

Thanks. I thought it might have been an abbrev for some photo program:)

[David Metsky]

Disk space is cheap. Computers are better for editing then cameras. How can you even look at the image on a camera in any meaningful manner?

[tjh]

Disk space is cheap. Computers are better for editing then cameras. How can you even look at the image on a camera in any meaningful manner?

I simply meant connecting the camera to computer via USB, and deleting files while they still remain on the card (through the computer); thereby transferring only the photos you want to keep to your computer's hard drive. I have never edited (and only occasionally deleted..,.eg bored and no pc available) directly on a camera.

Looks like folks here (so far) transfer all taken photos to computer, then delete/edit etc. In that case, do you use photoediting software to capture the photos, or just copy and paste via Windows (or Mac/Linux/etc) and later edit w/ photo software?

[K1W1]

I simply meant connecting the camera to computer via USB, and deleting files while they still remain on the card (through the computer); thereby transferring only the photos you want to keep to your computer's hard drive. I have never edited (and only occasionally deleted..,.eg bored and no pc available) directly on a camera.

There is no way of getting a really good idea what a photo actually looks like on a 2.5" 230,000 pixel camera screen. Sure you can instantly delete the really obviously bad photos but many that look okay on the screen are very ordinary viewed at a decent resolution and the opposite also applies. You simply cannot do anything other that a very basic cull of bad photos in the camera.


Looks like folks here (so far) transfer all taken photos to computer, then delete/edit etc. In that case, do you use photoediting software to capture the photos, or just copy and paste via Windows (or Mac/Linux/etc) and later edit w/ photo software?

Most editing software will automatically detect when you insert a card into a card reader or for that matter connect a camera via USB and will want to copy the images to the PC. It's seamless and fairly automatic. While I type this Lightroom is copying some photos for me. You do not need to "copy and paste" that's old school stuff.
Once the photos are on the PC and you are sure that they are there simply put the card back in the camera and format it using the camera menu to delete all the images. Formatting is not like formatting a PC drive. It takes about 2 seconds.
I case you are wondering I never connect a camera to a PC I always use a card reader, they are safer and faster in most cases but that will now probably cause another long dicsussion.

[jcon]

Before you delete the pictures off the memory card, I strongly suggest to back them up to a re-writable CD, so that if something happens to your PC, you will have them backed up.

Always, always, always back up, sometimes even back up your back ups!

[tjh]

Most editing software will automatically detect when you insert a card into a card reader or for that matter connect a camera via USB and will want to copy the images to the PC. It's seamless and fairly automatic.

I keep getting an error message that "application has generated an exception that could not be handled".

Then I used Tweak UI to remove the autohandler, and try to create a new one. That was unsuccessful. Any suggestions?

Am using the trial version of CaptureNX. Was downloaded from net. Have cd also to install. Should I uninstall and reinstall from the cd?

Not seamless so far.

WinXP sp2

[Rooz]

my workflow:

I use Nikon transfer to download all the files directly from the camera. you can set this up to do it automatically as soon as you plug in your camera. i also have it set up so that it automatically deletes all files off my memory card after the transfer is complete. then you can set it up so that once the transfer is complete, it automaticlly opens them all in Nikon View NX for viewing.

i use view NX in full screen mode with a histogram overlay and scroll thru the photos normally at 50% to check for accurate photos then i do a 3 passes at them.

pass 1:
tag the photos in 3 ways. tag 1 for keepers, 2 for maybes, and 9 for trash.

pass 2:
start back from photos tageed as 2 and have a better look to see if any are salvagable. if they are, then i tag them with 1, if not i tag them 9

pass 3:
select all the "9" photos and delete them.

i then select the pics i want and open them with Capture NX for editing.

if you dont have capture nx, you can ask viewnx to open the shots in whatever photo editing software you use.

[tjh]

my workflow:

I use Nikon transfer to download all the files directly from the camera. you can set this up to do it automatically as soon as you plug in your camera. i also have it set up so that it automatically deletes all files off my memory card after the transfer is complete. then you can set it up so that once the transfer is complete, it automaticlly opens them all in Nikon View NX for viewing.

i use view NX in full screen mode with a histogram overlay and scroll thru the photos normally at 50% to check for accurate photos then i do a 3 passes at them.

pass 1:
tag the photos in 3 ways. tag 1 for keepers, 2 for maybes, and 9 for trash.

pass 2:
start back from photos tageed as 2 and have a better look to see if any are salvagable. if they are, then i tag them with 1, if not i tag them 9

pass 3:
select all the "9" photos and delete them.

i then select the pics i want and open them with Capture NX for editing.

if you dont have capture nx, you can ask viewnx to open the shots in whatever photo editing software you use.

Thanks, where did you find Nikon Transfer? Hope that fixes my problem.

[XaiLo]

I think it's part of Nikon View, I believe your original question was one pertaining to workflow I'm almost positive everyone does it some what the same but different. With me it depends on how important the data is I have four SD cards so If I have images which are important they may stay on the card until I'm through with the project. I transfer all images from the camera the only time images are deleted from the camera is during the shoot when it's an obvious no go. Sometimes I let software download the images other times I'll just create a folder and copy them over just depends on what I'm doing with the images. There's no one best practice besides always backing up your images.

OK it's not part of Nikon View you can download it here Nikon Transfer 1. something (http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=14372)

[K1W1]

i also have it set up so that it automatically deletes all files off my memory card after the transfer is complete.

That scares me I've been in IT too long to trust that. :(

[XaiLo]

That scares me I've been in IT too long to trust that. :(

No :eek: kidding can't say I'd go with that proposition Rooz. Danger Wil Robinson Danger. lol K1W1 what type of IT work do you do?

[tjh]

I think it's part of Nikon View, I believe your original question was one pertaining to workflow I'm almost positive everyone does it some what the same but different. With me it depends on how important the data is I have four SD cards so If I have images which are important they may stay on the card until I'm through with the project. I transfer all images from the camera the only time images are deleted from the camera is during the shoot when it's an obvious no go. Sometimes I let software download the images other times I'll just create a folder and copy them over just depends on what I'm doing with the images. There's no one best practice besides always backing up your images.

OK it's not part of Nikon View you can download it here Nikon Transfer 1. something (http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=14372)

Is Nikon Transfer necessary to copy photos from an sd card to pc? If so, then perhaps that's why I keep getting an error when selecting Nikon CaptureNX to perform that function when prompted by windows.

[tjh]

Is Nikon Transfer necessary to copy photos from an sd card to pc? If so, then perhaps that's why I keep getting an error when selecting Nikon CaptureNX to perform that function when prompted by windows.

Transfer did the trick! Looks good to go.

I never saw anything in the Nikon Capture documentation regarding the availability of, or need for these other programs.

Any chance Nikon is looking at this forum?

I'd suggest a sticky for new Nikon D-SLR users who are interested in Nikon Software. Without you all, I'd be totally lost!

Thanks a bunch. Just in time for Christmas morning:):)

What's the best/easiest way you all have found to manually delete photos from sd card? I don't have the guts to automatically delete as previous poster does. Just pull up the card in windows and delete there?

[K1W1]

What's the best/easiest way you all have found to manually delete photos from sd card?

You apparently didn't read my previous reply.


Once the photos are on the PC and you are sure that they are there simply put the card back in the camera and format it using the camera menu to delete all the images. Formatting is not like formatting a PC drive. It takes about 2 seconds.

[tjh]

You apparently didn't read my previous reply.

I did read that, but forgot:eek:
Sorry. Lots going on here today. I need some sleep :(

Will do exactly as instructed!