Ok this is kinda weird

Any RAW files opened into Adobe Camera Raw look like crap, I mean really bad. Strange blotchy colors (skin tones usually), and lots of color noise. The slider adjustments almost seem to make the image look worse. If I open the same RAW image in another converter, Digital photo Pro, etc, They look great.

Anyone have any idea what could be causing this? It's a 30D and I'm using CS2. These are my first RAW shots with the 30D.
Thanks!

Turn the auto correct off in PS CS2.
The default auto correct settings in PS CS2 are some of the worst settings seen by man or beast.
If my other computer were up or I wasn't tired and about to go to bed I would tell you how to fix that permanently, but for now just use the check boxes. Should improve dramtically.

Also check to make sure that you have the raw convert browser set to 16-bit, to whatever you have your camera set for between Adobe RGB and sRGB, and I think there is one more box to check, but I am tired so may be remembering wrong.

If it doesn't help it then there is probably some other problem.

Look at the color profile your monitor is using. I had a similar experience using (unknowingly) the default profile installed with a dell 2407. Changed to adobe RGB (or others) and all was good. Of course being a newbee this opened my eyes to whole issue of monitor profiling.

-b

It may sound bogus, but do you have the latest camera raw update for PSCS2 version 3.4 which supports the 30D?

Yes I do, installed in the correct place and working ok. What's throwing me is the problem seems to be isolated to ACR, Canon's Digital Photo Professional seems to be working fine. I guess that leads itself to there being an issue with ACR's settings. I hope I can get it figured out as I really prefer the ACR controls to DPP.
Maybe I can just delete and reinstall CS2 and see if that takes care of it incase there is a setting screwed up somewhere that is difficult to find.

Thanks for the info so far guys..

Adobe RGB is not a monitor profile - there are very few monitors that can display the Adobe RGB gamut, and even then you wouldn't have Adobe RGB set as the monitor profile.

Setting the default profile for the 2407WFP is correct if you don't have a hardware calibration system (colorimeter and software). However, you wouldn't be the first person to report that the Dell supplied profile for the 2407WFP isn't that good.


David

When I set the photos to 16 bit, I had to convert them back to 8 bit, so I realise there would be a loss of quality , but, I could not get the photos printed at my local lab. 8 bit seems to be a standard and easily accessible. Am I incorrect here?

Mark

Very few output devices support 16 bit - the main reason for using 16 bit is to give yourself more latitude when post-processing. Don't worry about converting to 8 bit for final output.

David