Vivid vs Neutral setting test

[Diminished29]

Alright, I'll admit, I was a bit bored so I decided to run a test to see just how much of a difference setting the camera over to the "vivid" setting did instead of using the neutral setting all the time.

I thought it was a pretty big difference as far as color goes and of course its a bit sharper. Perhaps this is the setting if you don't like to do as much in PS?

Question is what do you guys perfer, do you have problems with "jaggies" with the in camera sharpeing on your A-series and S1/2's or have you gotten pretty good results with the "vivid" setting turned on in the manual modes?

This is by no means a professional test in any ways, but you are still able to see the differences made.

Note that these are by no means the original sizes of the images in #1 and #2, as they were 1600x1200, but of course the forum doesn't allow that, I just merely am showing you what the crop was taken from so you have an idea.

Settings used:

ISO200
1/60
f2.8
tungsten wb

#1 - Neutral sharpening/color

#2 - Vivid sharpening/color

#3 - "Neutral" roughly a 400% Crop (500x481)

#4 - "Vivid" roughly a 400% Crop (500x478 )

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e347/Diminished29/Photo%20Test/neutral4.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e347/Diminished29/Photo%20Test/vivid4.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e347/Diminished29/Photo%20Test/neutraltest3.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e347/Diminished29/Photo%20Test/vividtest3.jpg[/URL]
[URL="http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e347/Diminished29/Photo%20Test/neutraltest3.jpg"] (http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e347/Diminished29/Photo%20Test/vividtest3.jpg)

[Stefan A]

I have not experimented with those settings. If I saw either picture without the other, I probably would not have seen a problem. But when I compare, I like the brighter second picture better.

Stefan

[gardengirl13]

For some things I like the neutral setting better, it seems more like film to me. But for that "pop" vivid can be great!!

[Diminished29]

Your right it does favor film a bit, however I'm still surprised at the difference in saturation between the two. Its no comparsion!

[John C]

Interesting experiment - I'm surprised by just how wide the difference is between the two shots.

I've used the two settings a bit - I shot everything in vivid at my niece's birthday party (held at a local "Fun Factory" (essentially a large soft play park - tons of birght primary colours). With the face painting that the kids were having done, and the bright colours around generally, the results were great, and really added to the atmosphere of the shots.

I'd see neutral more as "sombre" - there's a guy on another board who takes great "urban decay" pictures, and this washed out, desaturated look is just the sort of colour pallette he uses.

[John C]

Am I crazy, or does it affect brightness too? I thought it might just be the colours, but the neutral shot looks dimmer as well...

[Diminished29]

No, it does appear that way, but the same settings were used on both the only varying factor again was the sharpness/saturation setting.

I'd be a betting man some in camera processing goes on or something to help clarify the picture more, because it does appear to be a brighter.

[John C]

I think you're right there - it seems as though both saturation and brightness are enhanced by the camera if you have the "Vivid" option selected.

Incidentally, if you're interested, the type of thing I was thinking of talking about the neutral settings is this;
http://www.pbase.com/tinder/image/55156182

Vivid wouldn't really be appropriate there :)