Sharpening in Capture NX vs. Lightroom 3

[DVC Mike]

I have a Nikon D7000 and I shoot in 14-bit NEF (raw). I’ll develop the photos in both Nikon Capture NX 2.2.6 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.3. After doing any post-processing in NX2 or LR3, I’ll save the photo for use on the web as a downsized JPEG (1024 pixels wide).

I’m consistently getting sharper results in the resulting JPEG files using Nikon Capture NX2 than using Adobe Lightroom 3.

With NX2, I’ll do minor capture sharpening, resize the image to 1024, and then use an UnSharp Mask for output sharpening. I get great results.

With LR3, I’ll use the Details tab to do capture sharpening, and then export to JPEG, which resizes the photo. In the export settings, I have output sharpening turned on for Screen and amount set to either Standard or High. However, the downsized JPEGs generated by LR3 look less sharp and focused.

Is there any way to have more control over the output sharpening in Lightroom 3?

Any suggestions?

[DVC Mike]

This is the same photo taken with a Nikon D7000 using a 16-85mm lens. I processed the 14-bit NEF/raw file with both programs.

The first JPEG was created with Nikon Capture NX.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5314533796_0f51aa6175_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvc_mike/5314533796/)
TrainStationNX2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvc_mike/5314533796/) by DVC Mike (http://www.flickr.com/people/dvc_mike/), on Flickr

The second JPEG was created with Adobe Lightroom 3.


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5314533580_30eff6d7ef_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvc_mike/5314533580/)
TrainStationLR3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvc_mike/5314533580/) by DVC Mike (http://www.flickr.com/people/dvc_mike/), on Flickr

[ukcatfan]

I cannot help with your problem, but from the look of the examples, I prefer the LR one. The NX looks overly sharpened.

[photo_chick]

How much noise reduction are you doing? IN LR3 the noise reduction (especially the luminance) tends to soften an image pretty quickly.

Also the first image looks like it has a little more contrast with better defined midtones than the second. That can make an image appear sharper as well.

[GrillMouster]

Both ukcatfan and photochick are correct.

The NX one looks oversharpened. It's all over, but easiest to see where the sky meets the black railing on the station. It looks like the railing is outlined in white.

Additionally, differences in contrast can give an image the appearance of being sharper than it is. For example, upping clarity (midtone contrast) in LR can have that effect. Also, LR applies some color noise reduction automatically, which can also reduce sharpening. Do you use camera profiles in LR?

[ukcatfan]

Both ukcatfan and photochick are correct.

The NX one looks oversharpened. It's all over, but easiest to see where the sky meets the black railing on the station. It looks like the railing is outlined in white.

Additionally, differences in contrast can give an image the appearance of being sharper than it is. For example, upping clarity (midtone contrast) in LR can have that effect. Also, LR applies some color noise reduction automatically, which can also reduce sharpening. Do you use camera profiles in LR?

That is where I noticed it and also along the shadows on the block wall in the lower part of the image.

[DVC Mike]

The NX one looks oversharpened. It's all over, but easiest to see where the sky meets the black railing on the station. It looks like the railing is outlined in white.

Additionally, differences in contrast can give an image the appearance of being sharper than it is. For example, upping clarity (midtone contrast) in LR can have that effect. Also, LR applies some color noise reduction automatically, which can also reduce sharpening. Do you use camera profiles in LR?

Yes, I do tend to oversharpen (as well as oversaturate) my images a bit. However, the LR3 image still looks (to me) as not sharp enough. Maybe it's just me?

Here's two more samples. For both, I just applied the camera and lens profiles, without doing any additional processing (no WB, tone/contrast, etc.) except for sharpening. I still want the LR3 JPEG to be just a bit sharper. Maybe if I oversharpen before I export to JPEG?

Adobe Lightoom 3 version:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5316213619_283603e34a_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvc_mike/5316213619/)
EpcotLR3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvc_mike/5316213619/) by DVC Mike (http://www.flickr.com/people/dvc_mike/), on Flickr

Nikon Capture NX2 version:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5316213379_58271cb336_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvc_mike/5316213379/)
EpcotNX2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvc_mike/5316213379/) by DVC Mike (http://www.flickr.com/people/dvc_mike/), on Flickr

[KAT4DISNEY]

Did you double check that lightroom isn't applying some default noise reduction?

[DVC Mike]

Did you double check that lightroom isn't applying some default noise reduction?

Luminance NR is set to 0.

Color NR defaults to 25, but moving it to 0 doesn't do much.

[GrillMouster]

I'm not bothered by a lack of sharpness in the LR3 images, but I do see differences in contrast. Try using clarity and see if it gives the appearance of sharpness that you seek. Additionally, for output sharpening in LR sharpening for matte paper or glossy paper tends to give stronger sharpening than sharpening for screen. The reason sharpening for print is stronger is to make up for the loss of sharpness caused by the spread of ink when it's applied to paper. Because ink tends to spread more on matte paper than glossy paper, matte sharpening is usually stronger.

[DVC Mike]

I'm not bothered by a lack of sharpness in the LR3 images, but I do see differences in contrast. Try using clarity and see if it gives the appearance of sharpness that you seek. Additionally, for output sharpening in LR sharpening for matte paper or glossy paper tends to give stronger sharpening than sharpening for screen. The reason sharpening for print is stronger is to make up for the loss of sharpness caused by the spread of ink when it's applied to paper. Because ink tends to spread more on matte paper than glossy paper, matte sharpening is usually stronger.

Thanks for the advice!