The only way to swap among these on the old Nikon D300 and Nikon D3 is to save these preferred Picture Control settings in the Manage Picture Controls menu, and select one or the other through the menu system. It takes too many clicks for fast photography. You could try using a different picture Control (landscape or vivid) and, if these still don't satisfy you, you can change their settings in picture control adjustments. The A setting is used to have a priority on aperture when you take the pictures, the picture controls are used to flavor the raw file converted by the camera. Nikon's Picture Control system—found under the Set Picture Control setting on the Shooting Menu—lets you control how your image appears in several ways. Each control has a specific affect on the image’s appearance. If you ever shot film, you know that there are distinct looks to each film type. No two films produce color that looks the same.

Nikon Picture Control Editor

Comments

Nikon Picture Control Download

• When shooting raw these settings will reflect the look of the embedded JPG seen on the back of the camera. You will still have to adjust in post.
• edited November 2014

  
  Dennis,
  As Bob said, it only reflects on the embedded RAW jpeg and has no bearing on the RAW itself, which is governed by your WB and you need to adjust in post, however, have you read this article I posted about the Camera Profiles I use (only for Nikon) which to me gives a much better result from the get-go once you are in your RAW converter.
  Cheers,
  Trev
  
• If you happen to use the Nikon raw converters (Nikon View NX2, Capture NX-D, or the now discontinued Capture NX-2), that software will detect the picture control you selected in camera for the NEF and use it as a default for the image. The software refers to it as 'recorded value' for the picture control setting. Since you shot it as NEF, you can change it if you want to something else.
  If you don't use the Nikon converters (eg. Lightroom, Photoshop, DXO, Capture One, etc.), the choice in camera has no bearing whatsoever, and the software won't even know the existence of a Nikon proprietary picture control.
  I find it helpful to select a picture control in camera that is typically close to how you might edit it, just so that the image displayed on the camera's LCD is somewhat close. I generally use a modified standard picture control, set for a little more sharpening than default, and I also bump up the saturation and contrast one notch each.
  
• Thanks all for your advice.

  Did a lot of researching and found a ton of valuable info. Going to try importing into LR using Vivid for now to see what I get.

  Thanks again
• 
  Dennis,
  I think you will be happy using the Camera Vivid on your Nikon files but read that link I gave above and change the contrast from Medium (default) to Linear as that profile will give darker contrast.
  
• Trev, am I correct to understand that when I import into LR using Nikon Camera Vivid that when I view in 'Develop' none of the sliders would have moved? The image woiuld just come in more fully vivid ready for additional processing? Can I also apply Camera Vivid by adjusting the first pic and then synchronizing the balance or does that affect the image differently than doing it during import? Thanks in advance for your assistance. It is much appreciated!
• David,
  Yep, using Vivid (for Nikon files only as it's not available under the Camera Profile for Canon, etc.) will give you that extra boost colour and contrast.
  You can absolutely do it both ways, sometimes when I start an import I may have forgotten to apply the preset, so I just wait until all imported, and on the first image apply the preset, then select all, and sync those settings so all the files you now have are the same as the preset. Just make sure you do not do any changes to exposure, WB as that will then be applied across the board.
  It makes no difference if applied during or after import, it's the same preset.
  Have fun.