12 Things You Didn't Know Your DSLR Could Do

11. Customize images with JPEG profiles.
The Picture Style menu found on the Canon 5D Mark II allows users to customize the look of their JPG images in-camera.

Every camera maker has a different term for them, such as Picture Styles (Canon) or Picture Controls (Nikon), with setting names such as Neutral or Vivid. But we call them JPEG profiles: the specific settings (saturation, sharpness, contrast, etc.) that the camera applies to a JPEG. You can tweak each parameter individually and save them as custom profiles. A few cameras even let you save a profile to a memory card, then transfer it to another camera.

Tip: Shoot only in RAW? The manufacturer’s conversion software bundled with the camera will usually allow you to apply a profile during processing on the computer.

12. Dig out shadow detail with dynamic-range extenders.
Again, camera makers have different names for them (Nikon: D-Lighting; Sony: D-Range optimizer) but the idea is the same: gain up the shadows without boosting the highlights. (This is separate from the HDR function found on some cameras.) As with many other picture adjustments, these shadow-highlight optimizers can also be applied later with the manufacturer’s RAW software.

Tip: Don't overdo it. We’ve found that some dynamic-range boosters,if applied excessively, can also increase noise in the shadows.