If you have the camera set to take only RAW pictures, do the scene modes have any effect. If RAW means only capturing exactly what comes throught the lens with no internal processing, how can the scene modes work?

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

They work if you process the RAW images using either ViewNX or CaptureNX. Both of these Nikon software apps will recognize the settings.

Marc
There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.-Ansel Adams

http://500px.com/WhatISaw
http://kuzzy.smugmug.com

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

The modifications to the various in camera settings for picture controls are recorded in the EXIF MakerNote section in both the Jpeg and NEF files. The Jpeg has been processed with these setting within the camera, so the presence of these values within the EXIF is for documentation purposes only. The NEF does not have these settings applied to the applied to the recorded sensor data. The Nikon software reads the information within the MakerNote section and modifies the displayed image by these values. 3rd party editors in most cases doe not read the MakerNote values. The only apparent exception is the White Balance, but the common EXIF standard has one or more White Balance fields that can be used to establish the WB setting of the the camera, Nikon not only records this data, but also includes many more fields about the WB that Nikon software applies to the the NEF image in their software.

George
My Nikonian Galleries

Anything that effects lens aperture, shutter speed, ISO and flash settings will directly impact the RAW image. I've not used scene modes, but assume they have some influence on these settings. You of course control the composition and focus. All others are just part of the post-processing recipe. (unless I've missed something)

Paul
My Nikonians Gallery

>If RAW means only capturing exactly what comes through the lens with no internal
>processing, how can the scene modes work?
There are 2 stages to a Nikon RAW file.
The first stage is to write the information in camera.
The second stage is to apply any camera settings chosen by the photographer; such as white balance, sharpening, contrast, saturation, D-lighting - and in the latest cameras scene mode options.
In NX2 all the chosen settings are applied to the viewed image. The settings can be changed in NX2 if you do not like the original setting, or want to experiment.
Other software does not always recognise all camera settings applied to Nikon RAW files.
Digressing scene mode is a quick way to a modified end result without spending time post processing.
In this sense scene mode is like matrix metering, AF, or AWB. Often it comes up with a good result and sometimes the result is not as expected.

Photography is a bit like archery. A technically better camera, lens or arrow may not hit the target as often as it could if the photographer or archer does not practice enough.

Len Shepherd

What you're thinking is true as regards to how the various scene modes adjust the Picture Controls, which does not make a *fundamental* change in the image data in the RAW file. But, everything that has been said about how Nikon processing software will "dial in" those picture settings when the RAW file is opened with that software is also true. (Always important to note that these settings are fully editable in the software if they are not to your liking)

But, just as important is the fact that the scene modes will take over or bias some camera controls and lock you out of others (as Paul pointed out). It takes over white balance, picture controls, enables active d-lighting, biases towards higher or lower shutter speeds, biases towards larger or smaller aperture, locks you out of center-weighted and spot metering, makes some focus settings, and so on. To the extent that some of these *do* affect the essential image, even RAW-only shooters should be aware of that fact.

There is a complete chart that shows which settings are available or affected in all exposure modes starting on page 292 of the manual.

Kent