Editing

In-Camera Editing (9.25)

The in-camera editing options are pretty sparse. Working with JPEG files you can use Shadow Adjust to brighten the foreground in a heavily backlit image, but there’s no control over the level of processing to be performed. There’s automatic red-eye fix, image rotation and image trimming, though only two landscape and two portrait sizes are supported, making this capability pretty much worthless. Images can also be trimmed to a different aspect ratio but, again, the lack of sizing flexibility is a limitation. Files can be resized to lower resolution versions. As for color adjustments, you can turn a picture black and white or sepia, and saturation can be adjusted to one of 11 levels. Finally there’s e-Portrait processing, a kind of digital spackle that attempts to detect a face in a photo, then smooths out complexion flaws.

Raw files can be processed in the camera, though the system is a bit strange. You change the camera settings — white balance, for example, or film mode — then enter playback mode, find the RAW file and choose RAW Data Edit. The camera then processes the stored RAW file using the camera settings currently in effect, and saves the results as a JPEG. It’s better than nothing, but feels clumsy and doesn’t provide interactive adjustment control.

One interesting benefit of the in-camera RAW file processing, though, involves the Art Filters. Ordinarily Art Filter effects are applied when you shoot an image and that’s that — you don’t have a copy without the odd filter effects if you change your mind or want to experiment further. If you take a shot in RAW mode without using a filter, though, you can later set the camera to an Art Filter mode, pull up RAW file processing and create a separate JPEG with the effect applied. Would have been nice if this tidbit were included in the manual, of course, but it works.

A potentially useful option is adding a sound bite (up to 30 seconds) to an image in playback. This can be handy for noting when and where a shot was taken without reaching for a pen and paper. You can also create audio captions which will play back during a slide show. It would be better, though, if you could add the sound while shooting, instead of having to enter playback mode and then record the audio.

Our favorite image manipulation feature is definitely the multiple exposure capability, which can be used while shooting or during playback. In editing mode, up to three RAW images can be overlaid, with precise control over the density of each. If combining three images leaves you wanting more, you can save the result as a new RAW file, then combine that with additional images.