Image is degraded when I load it into Photoshop CC

[robertb33865973]

I have the latest version of Photoshop CC. When I load a NEF image into Photoshop CC it is less sharp than the image is when I view it on my computer with Michrsoft Photos. And when I save a photo with Photoshop without doing anything to it, it is lees sharp that it was before I loaded it into Photoshop. Is there something I need to do to set up photoshop so this won't happen?

[Akash Sharma]

Hi robertb,

Sorry to hear that images in Photoshop are opening with less sharpness. Could you please let us know the color profile being used in Photoshop vs the image viewer you're viewing your images in? Refer this discussion Photoshop diplays all images with desaturated colors (Images look fine when opened in other apps) and let us know if that helps.

Thanks,

Akash

[Per Berntsen · Accepted solution]

To evaluate image sharpness (and noise) you have to view the image at 100%, where one image pixel is represented by one screen pixel. Any other magnification will be inaccurate and misleading, because of image scaling.

Also bear in mind that different applications use different algorithms for scaling, so at the same magnification, two applications can display the same image with different apparent sharpness. The exception is of course 100% view, where all applications should display identically.

The Photos app cannot read raw files, so it displays the embedded jpg preview, which has probably been sharpened in the camera. The raw file has not received this sharpening, and can therefore be less sharp. Apply sharpening in Camera Raw, and make sure to do this at 100% view.

And BTW, this has nothing to do with color profiles.