Why are some of my tone and presence sliders adjusted upon import into Lightroom Classic

[minimejdh]

[I am on the most current version of Lightroom Classic.]

When I import my photos taken with a Nikon Z 6III into LrC, some of my sliders are consistently adjusted. An example is an increase in saturation.  I think I want everything to start with all the sliders at zero.  

I have one custom present for lens correction.  

Is it the Profile I am selecting in Develop?  

So, 1) What is causing the automatic adjustments? 2) How do I get rid of them? 3) What Profile should I be using to start in the Develop Module?

Thanks.

[KR Seals]

It sounds like you have a preset (with the sliders positions set) being applied on Import. Make sure the sliders are all zeroed in the Lens Correction preset you mentioned.

A profile will not cause the sliders to move.

A lot of us are having great results with the "Camera Standard Profile" That should pickup the image settings you have set in the camera.

You may also find the Adaptive Color profile very useful.

[drtonyb]

@minimejdh 

The Nikon Z cameras have Camera Raw default settings recorded in their NEF files EXIF metadata.

If you Import your NEF files with Raw Default set to Camera Settings in Preferences > Profiles, LrC reads these settings and applies them as the defaults.

I found this annoying when I purchased a Nikon Z8. My solution was to change the Raw Default setting in Preferences under the Profiles tab to Adobe Default rather than Camera Settings. This applies Adobe Color as the default Profile, but I'm quite happy with that, having switched to this some time ago when using my Nikon D750 DSLR.

Sorry, I can't insert images - nothing happens when I try. My browser is the current version of Firefox. I had to attach the screen shot.

[minimejdh]

To @drtonyb and @KR Seals .  I am a bit confused about the Preset Settings.  There is Global and then a section for the camera.  When you are talking about the default settings to Adobe color or Camera Settings, which section is that applied to?
I did set up Lens Correction so that on import it would apply it to my Nikon Lenses.  Sadly, I can't remember how I did that. 

I created a preset using the Adobe Color space as the Profile in the Develop Module, zero on all the sliders, and lens correction.  I am thinking I could apply this on import and that would take care of whatever is causing some of my sliders to be applied on import.  I will create a preset for Camera Standard. Does this make sense?

@KR Seals suggested my Lens Correction preset might have altered sliders.  I couldn't figure out how to edit a preset to see what was altered.  
I appreciate any clarification you can provide.  I attached a screenshot.  

[KR Seals]

1. In the Preferences -> Preview screen, Global settings, choose Camera Settings. Unless you have different cameras that require different pofiles, leave the Camera section blank.

2. Any preset you created will be listed at top of the Presets panel under User Presets. On any of those, you can right click to "Update with Current Settings". Choose that after you have zeroed every slider in the Basic panel.

3. I think a preset to use the Adobe Color profile may override the Preferences -> Perfomance: Global setting. You should delete that preset.

4. After doing #3 above, you will not have to create a preset with Camera Standard because the Preferences -> Performance: Global setting of Camera Settings will make the Camera Standard profile the default until you change it in the Basic Panel.

[drtonyb · Accepted solution]

@minimejdh 

The Global setting applies a Preset chosen from the select list, which can be either Adobe Default, Camera Settings or any Preset (Develop Preset) that you have installed or created in your LrC. This profile is applied as the Default settings to all RAW photos Imported into LrC, regardless of which camera was used to take the photo.

The checkbox option below the Global setting, Override global setting for specific cameras, allows for a different Preset (Adobe Default, Camera Settings or a Preset) to be used for specific cameras instead of the Global setting. This can be for a camera model, such as Nikon Z 6iii or a camera model with a specific serial number, as you have set.

The settings shown in your screen shot mean that Importing photos taken with the Nikon Z 6 3 with serial number 3011601 will apply Adobe Default as the Default settings on Importing photos taken with that camera. The Global setting means that any photo Imported into LrC that was taken using any other camera will have the Lens Correction preset applied as the Default settings.

"I created a preset using the Adobe Color space as the Profile in the Develop Module, zero on all the sliders, and lens correction. I am thinking I could apply this on import and that would take care of whatever is causing some of my sliders to be applied on import. I will create a preset for Camera Standard. Does this make sense?"

Yes, although Adobe Color is not a color space, it is a profile. LrC works in the ProPhoto RGB color space (actually a minor variant of it).

[drtonyb]

@KR Seals 

"3. I think a preset to use the Adobe Color profile may override the Preferences -> Perfomance: Global setting. You should delete that preset."

No idea what you mean by this. There is no Global setting in Preferences > Performance.

[KR Seals]

Sorry, I meant to say Preferences -> Previews

 

[drtonyb]

@KR Seals 

Still got it wrong. You mean Preferences > Presets.

None of what you wrote helps. The issue is that Camera Settings has default Camera Raw settings written into the NEF file by the Nikon Z cameras.

By default these settings will likely set non-zero Texture, Clarity, and Luminance in Manual Noise Reduction, set a higher value for Luminance Detail and a higher value for the Sharpening Radius. These values change depending on the settings made in the camera, especially the Noise Reduction, which become more agressive with higher ISO.

Using Adobe Default avoids the default CR settings made by the camera, so I use that for my Z8 NEF files and apply Remove Chromatic Aberration when I process/edit a photo.

If @minimejdh wants to apply Remove Chromatic Aberration on Import, start with Importing a photo with Adobe Default, then in Develop change the Profile if other than Adobe Color is desired, set the Remove Chromatic Aberration and Save the settings as a Preset. Set the Global setting in Preferences > Presets to the saved Preset.

[KR Seals]

Ooops, apologies again 🙂  

In my Z8 and Z9, I use the Set Picture Control -> Standard. I find that to be a good starting place for raw files when using the Camera Standard profile in LrC. I see your needs are different.