Help with PS CS and RAW images

[OviV]

I have an issue with PS CS and dealing with RAW images. Images that I process with CS seem dull and lifeless as compared to images processed with Zoom Browser. Has anyone else experienced this?

Here is an example. I took the images and did absolutely no processing in either zb or cs. I simply exported the images to TIFF files which I then resized and saved as jpgs for this demonstration. Notice the difference betweend the two. Any suggestions?

http://www.shareapicture.com/vsalbum/getpic.aspx?fld=\OviV\Misc&pic=imgcomp.jpg&OV=0

The difference is more noticeable in the full size image. I know I can play with curves and fix it but I rather not do that if I do not need to.

Ovi

[PacAce]

What setting did you use for the PSCS raw converter? "Selected Image" or something else?

How about for FVU? "As Shot"?

[iwatkins]

Well, I'll tell you the same thing I try and tell everyone else:

Camera RAW in PS CS has "default" settings for each camera it supports. These settings are default only, i.e. you are supposed to change them to reflect what you want to get out of them. Taking the default values usually leads to a usable image but nothing special. Spending time in Camera RAW changing the settings to suit will produce images that in most cases will need no further work in PS CS itself short of cropping etc.

First thing I did was bump saturation up to +12 and saved that as my new "default" settings. I still change it, but I have that as my default, i.e. initial setting for saturation.

For the image above, saturdation and contrast are two settings that will need to be changed in Camera RAW to get something similar to the FVU output.

Cheers

Ian

[OviV]

Thanks iwatkins,

You were absolutely correct.

Ovi

[yb98]

just change the default value of the contrast and it will be OK

[OviV]

I did and it is. What I did is I opened the image in FVU and CS at the same time and adjusted the CS settings until they matched the FVU settings. I am much happier now. I knew it was something stupid like that.

Thanks again,
Ovi