Color Temperature Correction in NEF Files

Under incandescent lighting, I shot the scene with eight different white balance settings. Then, using Adobe Camera Raw, and Nikon Capture, the white balance was adjusted to give a true gray for the directly illuminated part of the test card, in the lower left corner of the test shot.

As you can see from the results below, both programs performed identically:

Shot with different settings: (Kelvins; hue adjust.)
incandescent +3 2550; -12	incandescent 2800; -11	fluorescent 3900; +28	direct sun 4800; -5	cloudy 5500; +2	flash 5800; -4	shade 7600; +12	shade -3 7650; +16
Processed by Adobe Camera Raw
incandescent +3		fluorescent		flash		shade -3
Processed by Nikon Capture
incandescent +3		fluorescent		flash		shade -3

This result is reasonable. White balance adjustment is imposed on the image by the camera, for the lighting did not change in the top sequence. It stands to reason that a program could undoo what the camera added in a uniform manner, as they did.

So any comparison of the two programs must be done based on the controls and other interface items. There is quite a bit of difference there.

Nikon Capture mimics the camera controls in its handleing of white balance. You are given named options like incandescent or flash. Sub menus and a slider let you alter this setting within a range. Adobe Camera Raw on the other hand, gives you a slider that acesses the entire range from 2000K to 50000K, and a second slider that adjusts the camera's 'hue adjustment' setting, but calls it tint. An optional menu sets both sliders to the named settings (fluorescent, shade, etc.)

Nikon Capture provides an additional option: you can set the white balance by choosing a 'gray point'. This makes it very easy to set the white balance for particular studio or location lighting by including a gray card (like the one under the objects in the test picture) in a scene, then just clicking on it.

To adjust the hue (tint) with Nikon Capture, use the hue slider in the 'Advanced Raw' control box. The option to adjust the color balance (RGB plus brightness and contrast) is available in another control box. Since Adobe Camera Raw is used prior to editing in Photoshop, those functions are found within Photoshop (along with many, many more.)

I find the approach in Adobe Camera Raw to be more accurate, with better repeatability, and easier manipulaion. It has a much greater range in both the warm and cool ends. You could balance any light from a candle to a welding arc with it.