Profiling Questions

[All4Heels]

I generally have processed pictures using batch processing with the auto profile option. While my results have been satisfactory, I recently decided to build a profile for my device when I processed a batch of pictures I took using the same camera settings. I chose one photo from the batch and built a profile using the auto profile and auto fine tune options. I then saved this profile and specified NI to use this profile when processing the rest of the pictures in the batch. My questions are as follows:

Did I use the correct procedure in building this profile and using it to process the rest of the batch?

If so, what is the advantage of using the saved profile to process the rest of the batch as opposed to just letting NI auto profile each individual picture? The only advantage I can see is if the batch contained photos that did not have a large enough uniform area for NI to profile.

When is it advantageous to create a profile using the calibration target instead of choosing one photo from the batch of photos taken using similar settings?

Finally, when batch processing is it better to use auto profile or use a profile created and saved from the rest of the photos in the batch? Also, if auto profile is chosen when batch processing, what happens if a photo in the batch does not have a big enough uniform area for NI to create a high quality profile?

Thanks in advance for answers to these questions!

Ron

[NITeam]

using the auto profile and auto fine tune

Auto profile automatically invokes auto fine-tuning, so there is no need to manually repeat it.

Did I use the correct procedure in building this profile and using it to process the rest of the batch?

It looks correct to me. Repeating auto fine-tuning doesn't hurt the profile, but takes more time. Using such a profile for the whole batch is also correct as long as all images in the batch have the same noise (usually this is the case if they are produced in the same device mode).

If so, what is the advantage of using the saved profile to process the rest of the batch as opposed to just letting NI auto profile each individual picture?

Time saved on auto profiling. With one pre-built profile you can process the batch faster than with auto profiling each image.

The only advantage I can see is if the batch contained photos that did not have a large enough uniform area for NI to profile.

Yes, this is another advantage.

When is it advantageous to create a profile using the calibration target instead of choosing one photo from the batch of photos taken using similar settings?

Usually regular photos do not contain many flat featureless areas of different color and brightness that are automatically found and analyzed by Auto Profile to build an accurate profile. The Calibration Target includes many such areas to let NI accurately measure noise properties, so you can build a higher-quality profile with the Target.

Finally, when batch processing is it better to use auto profile or use a profile created and saved from the rest of the photos in the batch?

This depends on images you process. If all images have the same noise then one profile (probably complemented by auto fine-tuning during batch processing) is usually sufficient to process all of them with good quality. If noise is different then you have to either use Auto Profile or divide images into groups with similar noise (for example, by ISO rate) and process each group with a different profile.

Also, if auto profile is chosen when batch processing, what happens if a photo in the batch does not have a big enough uniform area for NI to create a high quality profile?

Then the profile quality will be low and you will see that in the Filtration Queue (there is an indicator of profile quality) as well in filtration results. After checking these you can reprocess such images using a profile built for example with the Calibration Target to achieve better filtration quality.

Hope this helps.
Vlad

[All4Heels]

Thanks very much for the quick and complete responses. This is a big help!

Ron