Holy C&^$ there is a lot to learn-- questions about color space and image quality.

[expat42451]

Thanks Joe....

Glad to see Im not the only one up late tonight . View NX2 would not open it even after I changed the file extension to NEF. UF Raw would but same results you got, posterised. See this is pretty amazing isnt it that results vary so widely. 1 raw data file, several different converters, vastly different results. I think Im going to try to find RAWTherapee somewhere and download that.



Expat

 

[expat42451]

Thanks for the tip on RawTherapee.....pretty awesome converter. Does more than ViewNX2 at first appearances.That having been said open the same RAW file up in Therapee, NX2 and UFRaw and its 3 totally different shots.....luminance and chroma are way different on all three.......By the way which version of RawTherapee are you running? I downloaded 3.0.B1.7 64 bit.

Thanks

 

[clanthar]

I keep Raw Therapee up to date and have the most recent version. I've sent Gabor some money a couple times. He's awesome -- send that man $10.00.

View NX is only going to open NEF files.

The camera I used is a Samsung TL-500. Samsung supplies a RAW converter (version of Silky Pix) with the camera, but I found it inadequate. So I just run the files through Adobe's DNG converter (free download) and go from there.

With my Canon CR2 files I typically use either DPP or ACR. I'm retired, but I still teach part-time and basically I make my living teaching Photoshop so I have this tendency to grab ACR first. I know enough however to keep a suspicious eye on ACR and I've learned that when ACR comes up short Raw Therapee will pick up the slack (and it's free!! -- send that man some money!). Raw Therapee is really excellent overall and I have never found it to fail me, but it's slow by comparison. Phase One's C1 is also top notch but with a price tag. Given my fixed income status I look to the future and keep my copies of Raw Therapee and GIMP up to date. GIMP has only one real serious problem left -- it's 8 bit limited. I'm hoping they'll eventually address that. In the meantime I get to purchase Photoshop at the academic price. TIP: To get Photoshop, sign up for the cheapest (1 credit PE) class at your local community college and then get the student version from the bookstore.

Joe

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Yep, better show Bitter some photos before he gets impatient.

:waiting:

 

[expat42451]

I am so impressed with what RawTherapee will do. Much more powerful than ViewNX2....just unreal!!! Thanks Clanthar

Ahhh Bitter Jewler I have a couple of photo threads posted most recent is Root Beer Retroglide here

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...hoto-gallery/243612-root-beer-retroglide.html

Please feel free to C &C -- I neglected to ask for it in the subject line ---

Expat

 

[clanthar]

Took a look at the bike photos -- lookin' good. I especially like the chain guard shot. The cream sidewalls and the metallic brown paint work really well together -- it's a root-beer float. That's a handsome image.

Joe

 

[expat42451]

"Took a look at the bike photos -- lookin' good. I especially like the chain guard shot. The cream sidewalls and the metallic brown paint work really well together -- it's a root-beer float. That's a handsome image."


Thank you sir!

Had there been more time I would have rotated the crank to get rid of the shadow on the guard.

He is a neighbor and bicycles down to a little neighborhood tavern a few blocks from where I live many afternoons. Guy has a huge collection of old and new bikes. He was on his way for beer, I had just gotten back from downtown, ran in to get the camera and took the shots. He was thirsty so there was no time to change anything.

Expat

 

[JimCoventry]

I insure accuracy by adding to my monitor - software called GAMMA CONTROL. There are other PC versions but they are more obsure (harder to find and make work) sorry about that PC lovers. Gamma Control allows me to "fingerprint" my monitor(s) to any printing device, lab or printing press. I simply get sample print outs of the same image from the target device and use Gamma Control to adjust my screen to match that print out. Then I save the results in a file which can be recalled each time I elect to use that device.

I think I'm reading this correctly; it sounds like you alter the appearance of your display to better match various output devices. It also sounds like you arrive at a specific "fingerprint" setting on your display by using software to alter the display visually. Wow! I'm glad that works for you, but it sounds really difficult and shaky to me.

I would want my display to be an anchor point of standardization. Once I had it there I sure wouldn't want to see my images change in the process of prepping them to various output devices.

What I do and what everybody I've met who understands color management does, is calibrate and profile my display to industry standard conditions. Then when it comes time to print for example, I use an ICC control profile for the printer (output device) that reconciles any unique characteristics for example the paper stock. I use both paper manufacturer supplied profiles as I find them acceptable or make my own custom profiles which I can then edit to fine tune as needed. This way my image on my display once edited is "anchored" as accurate and completed. I do not expect to see it altered thereafter for any reason.

Photoshop is designed to support the method I just described (View/Proof). If I'm concerned that a printer for example won't be able to physically handle the color gamut of my image I can soft-proof that in Photoshop by loading the ICC profile for that printing device. At that point I can if necessary try and modify the image to adjust for the inadequacy of the printer or decide to switch printers. Commercial printers likewise support this methodology as they are typically happy to supply ICC profiles on request.

Joe

Joe,
Each "fingerprint" becomes a record of data saved by name and date. I.E. if I want to have my screen match AI Labs prints, I save the profile I create today with AIL051711 then if I have another profile - say for proofing to my 2200 I'll save it as epson22_051711. I can check my monitor profile each time I make a print or get prints from a lab against the appropriate file and it there is a change, I adjust the monitor for that change. BTW there is seldom much variance with pro labs It is about as solid a system as I've found ever since about 1992 when I started all this research. The reason to use a monitor adjustment is the fact monitors and phosphors get older and change in time - thus the need for minor adjustments. I am really hard to please due to the fact so many of my clients, past and present depend on my accuracy from print proofs to final printed documents (on the commercial side) My portraiture clients don't know the difference unless there is a bad color shift.