The purpose and use of USER PROFILES

[MikeMyers]

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Is there a good discussion here about "USER PROFILES", meaning what they are, and more importantly, why someone might want to use them?

 

How many people here are using these? Are they really useful?

 

I did a 'search' here, but couldn't find anything with a simple answer.

[01af]

User profiles are EXTREMELY useful. Even is you can hardly think of several distinctive shooting conditions that you want to pre-set the camera for, every photographer sure has an idea of what a 'normal' camera set-up should be like. If you save this as a user profile, you can always choose it in order to make sure your camera is set up the way you're expecting it.

 

For example, did you ever shoot JPEGs at ISO 2500/35° with Color Saturation set to "Vintage B&W" in bright daylight (rather than DNG or DNG+JPEG at ISO 160/23° and standard or low colour saturation) just because in the evening before you played around with the camera and forgot to re-set back to normal? Create a reasonable profile named "Standard" or "Normal" and force yourself to make a habit out of starting any shooting with selecting that profile.

 

And if you actually had a set of distinctive shooting conditions then you wouldn't ask.

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[djsteb]

Snide comments don't help anyone OLAF

 

David:

[01af]

Snide comments don't help anyone OLAF

Huh?

[norm_snyder]

An example from last evening is a club in which I was shooting, in which the performers are quite well lit, but the surroundings are very dim. Short of a close up or incident reading, which isn't always practical, the meter in the camera just can't read this accurately. Typically, I am shooting in black and white, jpeg + Raw [i use the jpegs for previews, both if I have to chimp, and at home for editing]. I have found that - 2 1/3 EV at e.i. 1250 will give me the detail I need in facial shadows, without blowing out highlights, and allow me reasonable shutter speeds for hand holding. I have saved this all as a user profile. Since I tend to shoot in this place about once per week, it's easy and quick to set, using the menu. Otherwise, I'd have to alter e.i. and EV settings, set the camera to B&W, set to Raw + fine jpeg, etc. If I'm shooting quickly, this is a pain, compared to one quick setting. Also, using profiles, I can quickly reset, so I don't forget that I've set the camera, for instance when I shoot in a lit restaurant, on the street, etc.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers,

[cidereye]

Don't find them useful at all personally but maybe because I always shoot in DNG mode and can alter whatever (inc WB of course) later.

 

Only thing I find handy is the lowest shutter speed & highest ISO settings and just have those altered in Profile 1 & 2 depending on whether shooting indoors or not. But then even that only takes 10 seconds max to adjust manually.

[Yogibear]

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And if you actually had a set of distinctive shooting conditions then you wouldn't ask.

 

I understand why you included this (snide???) remark. Indeed, if one never had the urge to create a profile, it's really not necessary to ask others if they use them and why. The concept is too simple to seriously discuss it at all!

 

But here are my two cents: One of my profiles is for flash photos. I don't use a flash very often but when I do, I hate setting the necessary parameters manually before shooting and I hate to forget resetting them to the standard value after shooting, so that's my other profile.

[wda]

Is there a good discussion here about "USER PROFILES", meaning what they are, and more importantly, why someone might want to use them?

 

How many people here are using these? Are they really useful?

 

I did a 'search' here, but couldn't find anything with a simple answer.

Mike, I use 'User Profiles' constantly. By storing the settings, for two or three typical shooting scenarios, you can be sure to have just the settings you require. I always shoot DNG raw files and often find I am resetting one or other parameter, such as ISO or EV adjustment. It is very easy to forget that settings have been tweaked with unwanted consequential results. While you can retrieve much data when processing raw files, the best results come from using the correct settings during capture.

 

My advice is to experiment and store your most typical settings and then adjust as seasons and circumstances change. For example, I invariably use EV-1/3 in summer, but have less need in winter. It is a personal judgement. There is always pleasure in exploring a camera's hidden features, often to the photographer's benefit.

[dpattinson]

Create a reasonable profile named "Standard" or "Normal" and force yourself to make a habit out of starting any shooting with selecting that profile.

 

Can M8 profiles be given names now? I had thought only the M9 allowed profiles to be named.

[01af]

I understand why you included this (snide???) remark. Indeed, if one never had the urge to create a profile, it's really not necessary to ask others if they use them and why. The concept is too simple to seriously discuss it at all!

Well—there are photographers who often (or sometimes) encounter clearly distinct shooting conditions where the usefulness of user profiles is obvious, and there are others who don't. There is nothing wrong with either.

 

My point is: Even those who don't also will take advantage from creating at least one profile—basically for resetting the camera back to 'normal' in a quick, convenient, and reliable manner after having changed some (or many) settings to unusual values.

 

 

Can M8 profiles be given names now?

Umm ... no. Sorry. I have an M9 and no M8 so I am not always aware of the finer differences between the two.

[pgk]

Even those who don't also will take advantage from creating at least one profile—basically for resetting the camera back to 'normal' in a quick, convenient, and reliable manner after having changed some (or many) settings to unusual values.

That's how I use them (it?). Works fine for me.

[ptarmigan]

Personally, I use them and have two standard setups, one at base ISO and the other at ISO 650. I set things like RAW & JPEG settings, ISO, WB, lens detection etc. Also I mostly shoot with a bit of exp compensation when in auto though in truth I mostly shoot in manual. just means after I've tweaked and tweaked settings 'on location' I have a quick and easy way to reset to my defaults rather than Leica's.

[appleman]

I have no need for those profiles as I use DNG and photoshop where u can tweak exposures and colour balance without any loss of quality. Why have a user profile with -2\3 where photoshop can compensate. Also, why shoot in B/W when you can change to B/W in photoshop.

[menos I M6]

Don't use them (not with the M8, not with the Nikon, not with the GRD).

 

I almost entirely shoot BW these days and do all post processing in Lightroom, after shooting RAW.

The only things, I change, depending on shooting conditions are:

 

ISO,

shutter speed,

aperture,

lens,

focus

 

I find the user profiles an unnecessary hassle, do deal with.

[norm_snyder]

Welcome, Appleman---

 

My reason for setting the camera to black and white is that the jpegs will give B&W previews if I have to chimp. I can check to overall tonal range, exposure, and satisfy myself that I've not blown out the highlights. This has become, in effect, my real exposure metering process. Since more than 90% of my work is shot in B&W, the preview is nice, and using Adobe Bridge, it speeds editing [i can do a rough edit before I do raw conversion]. I only use DNGs for post-processing to print [or the web, for that matter], and I still have all the color information if I need it/want it. This allows me to do my conversions with precision, as they are not processed in camera. I get a quick preview, and the final result that suits me.

 

As for doing preview this way, one of my User profiles is for the rare time that I want to get color final results, and in that case I save DNG only, with no jpeg. In camera processing is much faster this way.

[ptarmigan]

I have no need for those profiles as I use DNG and photoshop where u can tweak exposures and colour balance without any loss of quality. Why have a user profile with -2\3 where photoshop can compensate. Also, why shoot in B/W when you can change to B/W in photoshop.

 

Just MHO but with respect you should be trying to get WB and especially exposure pretty much correct 'in camera' rather than just relying of PP to sort it all out (especially exposure) or you risk clipping one or more channels, more shadow noise, lost of saturation etc.

 

All User profiles do is allow the user to set/group standard setting they commonly use. They are not needed but I find they do they do save me time. I tend to reset my 'User' at the end of a shoot and then I know what all the camera settings are ready for next time whatever settings I have changed.

[epand56]

I have three User Profiles set, one for the 160 Iso, one for 320 and one for 640.

I use them just to switch between the Iso when needed.

Lately, I'm starting to think this is a silly way to use them...

[Big T]

Love Profiles:

 

0. - Original Leica profile and never use it.

 

1. - 70% used. My standard profile for DNG with my personal preferences.

 

2. - 15% used. My B&W JPG profile with my personal preferences.

 

3. - 15% used. My HDR DNG profile set up for specifically shooting HDR images.

 

I find it so easy to "tweak" any of these setting and re-save them as required. Then I don't have to remember what I did last time.

 

And I keep an up to date copy of each profile in a spreadsheet so I see in a glance what my current / past settings are / were.

[john_newell]

I have not found a use for them, but the only setting I change with any regularity is ISO. If my habits were otherwise, I could envision uses for profiles.

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[efix]

I find user profiles extremely helpful if you want to regularly change a batch of settings. For example, I have two profiles set, one four colour shots with auto ISO 160-1250, min. shutter speed 1/30 sec., the other for b&w shooting with auto ISO 160-2500, min. shutter speed 1/60 sec and higher contrast. If I had to change all three values manually each time I want to change to b&w (or back to colour), I wouldn't get to shoot much. So I simply press "set", scroll down, select the profile and am done.

 

I wish my E-P1 had more that 2 profile slots, I really love profiles!