D60 / RAW / ICC / Actions..etc.

[yavor73]

Greetings-
As a new D60 user, I have to say I am daunted by the new process of getting top-quality images from RAW files. There are several good sites out there, but none of them seem to talk about the entire pathway from shooting RAW to ending up with great finished images. New users like me have to piece together the info in little hunks...incomplete tidbits..and tips and hints postings. Does anyone know if there is a source of information on this topic that has a fairly complete discussion of this process/workflow?

Thanks!
BobNagy

[billfranklin]

Try this web site: http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/instant_photoshop.shtml

It should get you started.

Bill F.

[yavor73]

Thanks Bill. I am coming along with this RAW/ICC thing..but am still not complete in my knowledge.
I'll post a few questions today on my last questions.

Bob

[yavor73]

I think that MOST new users of the D60 will be going through this rather pot-hole-ridden journey towards understanding how to use ICC profiles. I'll bet I am typical. Here is my #1 question after a few weeks of reading:
With Photoshop 7, you must select an RGB working space profile. Most people say to use Adobe RGB98.
Of course, the D60 does not use this profile when creating JPG's. What is the best way to integrate the profiles of the D60 and Photoshop? Is using the default sRGB profile a compromise in colour gamut range? From camera-through photoshop- to a saved jpg image (not using linear workflow), what are the optimum color space ICC profiles to use- and where?

Thanks to Roger and Pekka for tremendous help to the Digital Photo community!

Bob

[Roger_Cavanagh]

Bob,

Thanks to Roger and Pekka for tremendous help to the Digital Photo community!

Thank you. :)

I don't have a D60 - lusting after a 1Ds, but will probably have to sell the house first, :) but I'll try to answer some of your questions.

With Photoshop 7, you must select an RGB working space profile. Most people say to use Adobe RGB98.

Specifying a working space does not preclude you from editing an image in another working space, so providing you are careful about colour managment policies (i.e., get warned if there is a missing or mismatched profile), choosing Adobe RGB is recommended by most experts as a safe choice.

Of course, the D60 does not use this profile when creating JPG's. What is the best way to integrate the profiles of the D60 and Photoshop?

From what I have read about the D60, it has a colour space that closely matches sRGB when shooting (converting to) JPG. So if you do not have a custom profile for the D60, then assigning the sRGB space should work well. You can edit images in sRGB, even though your default working space is Adobe RGB. You will not gain anything by converting from sRGB to Adobe RGB.

Is using the default sRGB profile a compromise in colour gamut range?

If you are shooting raw, then converting to JPG and using sRGB will lose some colour gamut. I would guess that assigning a D60 profile, then converting to Adobe RGB would be a good option. Of course, I'm sure the new LS D60 would be even better. :)

If you have edited in Adobe RGB, you may wish to convert to sRGB, if you are going to use the pictures on the web.

The only other time you need to worry about a profile is printing. You can specify the appropriate printer/paper profile in Print with Preview.

Does that make sense?

Regards,

[yavor73]

Thank you Roger!
Alrightie then. This is what I understand then- ffor Jpgs-

The camera has it's internal ICC profile...and cannot be changed (?). That it sRGB in this case. Photoshop allows you to work on any and all color workspaces simultaniously. (several displayed images under different ICC profiles) Opening an image from a JPG produced in the camera will set off the mis-match profile alarm, but you can then just still edit it in Adobe RGB98. You could have also set Photoshop's default workspace to sRGB and not have gotten an alarm menu. Then, working on the sRGB profiled jpg image from the D60 in PSP7 under Adobe RGB98 should not cause a mis-match of display enough to seriously throw your balance off in editing it(?). You can then save it with it's original sRGB profile from the camera- or assign another profile if it is destined for a spicific destination.

For Raws- converting them using BreezeBrowser or Canon Raw converter- you just use the ICC's available on the net to basically gamma and color correct them into the "ballpark"..and then use Photoshop in 16bit linear mode to do final tweeking..and sharpening using LS or other Actions. Finally , you save them into whatever you want..jpgs..or whatever.

Single question - I noticed that if I converted Raw images using the D60 profile in either program, if I then used a linear sharpen action in PSP, it doubled the gamma correction..making it too bright. Should I have just opened the CRW file into Photoshop and let the Action do the profile assignment and gamma correction? Do these actions include D60 profile assignment? What's the workflow so that you get it correct?

Your advice is invaluable to new D60 users. Even with a lifetime of photographic experience, there is no way you can learn this stuff without help from someone who knows!

Thanks-
Bob