Q: What’s B&W and Vibrant All Over?

A: JPEGS from the D80.

Not at the same time of course, but the options are there. In camera JPEG processing keeps getting better and better. The D80 - and a lot of the other recent DSLRs - are offering far more options than they used to, or at least more predefined sets. In the case of the D80 you get predifined settings for B&W, Portrait, Vivid and More Vivid (I think that one goes to 11). There’s also a custom setting that allows you to define your own sharpness, saturation, hue, and color mode. Of these, I’m finding the B&W mode to be the most interesting. In B&W mode you can choose sharpening, tone compensation (contrast) and Yellow, Orange, Green or Red filtering. Those filtering options are particularing interesting. When combined with the contrast settings this gives you a lot of control over how a scene is rendered. I’m currently shooting with Green filtering and Medium Low contrast; it’s a lot like Delta 400 or TMY.

Now, you may ask what’s the point of using these JPEG modes. Why not use RAW? It’s a valid question, and at the moment one of the main reason I’m using JPEGS is curiousity. Certainly camera manufacturers wouldn’t include them if they weren’t useful? Right ;-)

Apart from curiousity, I think there’s value in anticipating your post processing - and comitting to it - before you actuate the shutter. I know this is a radical idea in the world of RAW shooting, PhotoShop, highlight recovery etc etc etc, but it’s one that I’m fairly comfortable with. For years I’ve made these choices with film. The limitations have made me a better photographer, and I’ve still got a ways to go. I’m not ready to throw them off yet. Luckily the D80’s JPEGS are pretty much entirely free from artifacts.