STICKY:  Color problems? [work in progress?]

The problem is entirely visual from the moment I open the image in photoshop (cs4). Just tried opening a jpg I shot from auto mode (when I first got the camera) and it looks a lot duller and washed out in photoshop.

I then just saved the jpg as another jpg and opened it and it looks perfect as in zoombrowser.

However, with the raw files...

back comes the yellow tinge... and when saved.. same problem.

Settings:


Opening in CS4

Ive tried switching from Image Settings to Camera Raw Defaults but it seems to make no difference? As if it just switches back to Image Settings when I re-open it.

Try disabling the tick in "compensate for Scene-referred Profiles" and re-open your image (in Photoshop).

I have not read up much on what this does, but it would seem its an auto correct type feature ... I also saw the following warning (referred to after effects, but can imagine the warning would be the same):

"Important: In general, you should either work with color management features or use the Color Profile Converter—not both."

Other things to maybe include or investigate ... what monitor and O/S are you using? Is your monitor calibrated, is it only the RAW file that looks too yellow? Check that your graphics drivers are up to date ... maybe the raw gamut is too wide for your graphics card or the version of drivers you are on (maybe a bit of a long shot but worth a look) ... again ... I am no expert on colour management, but hope something here helps.

Red Cloud wrote in post #7925364
The problem is entirely visual from the moment I open the image in photoshop (cs4). Just tried opening a jpg I shot from auto mode (when I first got the camera) and it looks a lot duller and washed out in photoshop.

Compared to what?

Red Cloud wrote in post #7925364
I then just saved the jpg as another jpg and opened it and it looks perfect as in zoombrowser.

saved and opened in what software? Embedded profile?
If you open an image in Photoshop, save it out under another name, and re-open that image, both should look identical in PS. If it doesn't, something is wrong.

Red Cloud wrote in post #7925364
However, with the raw files...

back comes the yellow tinge... and when saved.. same problem.

Just to clarify: Does the image appear identical in Adobe Camera Raw and when you open that raw in Photoshop? It should.

Red Cloud wrote in post #7925364
Settings:

Opening in CS4

Ive tried switching from Image Settings to Camera Raw Defaults but it seems to make no difference? As if it just switches back to Image Settings when I re-open it.

"Image Settings" is the WB as recorded in the Raw file. This is "As shot" white balance combined with ACR defaults when you first open an image. Or these are the settings you last made to the image if you've opened it in ACR before.
"Camera Raw defaults" refers to the settings of the other sliders (exposure, recovery and fill at 0; blacks at 5, brightness / contrast at 50/25, etc.) If you didn't change those, then there should be no difference. Have a read in the ACR FAQ.

If you want ACR to be more similar to DPP (or other Canon software), use a different "Camera" profile. Go to the "Calibration" tab (last but one in ACR, with the camera thumbnail), and set "Camera Neutral" if you use Picture style "Neutral" (or a camera without picture styles), or any other "Camera" profile if you use a different Picture Style.

Red Cloud wrote in post #7925364
My colour settings:

They should not mention "Unsynchronised", apart from that it looks okay.
Found anything in the Zoombrowser prefs regarding Color management?

Quick question here regarding DPP which I'm sure has already been covered, and I'm sure more searching would reveal to me, but could somebody please tell me if to have accurate color when processing in DPP you need to use the "monitor profile" which was calibrated by the Spyder? When I use that profile in DPP, the pics look exactly the same as when I open them in CS3, Firefox, Safari, etc (properly color managed apps). When using the sRGB profile in DPP, the pics turn out goofy. Thanks!

See post #1: You need to tell DPP what profile to use. The one created by the Spyder in this case.

should have looked at post one, my bad. any ideas on why every time I restart the computer it goes back to the sRGB profile instead of the Spyder one?

No idea. It shouldn't do that. Whatever "it" it is (DPP or the system?)

What OS?
(Disclaimer: I'm on OSX and know little of XP and about nothing about Vista)

It's Vista, and it's behaving itself now again. Unless I was working in my sleep the other night, it also seems Vista automatically arranged my photos into the vertical and horizontally oriented folders I had from the most recent wedding as well?? I love computers......

okay I'm still having problems with colour management at the moment.

Here's another complete example:

This was shot in raw with colour settings as sRGB on my Canon450D.

When opening in Zoombrowser it looks like this:

I spotted something the other day when I was working on an image that reminded me of this, but unfortunately for you, I forgot exactly what it was ... or hang on, did I?

Yup ... I know your issue I believe.

When you open your images in Photoshop using the "Camera RAW" tool, look on the "camera calibration" tab (the one showing an icon of a camera) ... by default it uses the ACR4.6 which gives a yellowish tinge.

Change to one of the other settings and you will see this yellow tint disappear ... I generally use Adobe Standard or Camera Standard, and you can save whichever one of these you choose as your default setting for future images if you click on the little twirl down kind of icon on the top right of this toolbox.

I don't use them but at a guess the canon DPP utils will probably use whichever setting you set in the camera, which is why you don't see it over there.

Hope this is it mate ... as you must be frustrated as hell.

damnit wrote in post #8016513
I spotted something the other day when I was working on an image that reminded me of this, but unfortunately for you, I forgot exactly what it was ... or hang on, did I?

Yup ... I know your issue I believe.

When you open your images in Photoshop using the "Camera RAW" tool, look on the "camera calibration" tab (the one showing an icon of a camera) ... by default it uses the ACR4.6 which gives a yellowish tinge.

Change to one of the other settings and you will see this yellow tint disappear ... I generally use Adobe Standard or Camera Standard, and you can save whichever one of these you choose as your default setting for future images if you click on the little twirl down kind of icon on the top right of this toolbox.

I don't use them but at a guess the canon DPP utils will probably use whichever setting you set in the camera, which is why you don't see it over there.

Hope this is it mate ... as you must be frustrated as hell.

mate, you are a legend!

up until today, there was only ACR 4.4 available there.. until I decided to update camera raw (70 odd mb). Which, until you suggested it.. I didn't even check back there to see what was added.. low and behold.. more options.

thanks a lot!

... glad to be of assistance, hope this sorts it

damnit wrote in post #8016640
... glad to be of assistance, hope this sorts it

well and truly!

frustration has finally gone

Red Cloud wrote in post #8014662
Here's another complete example:

This was shot in raw with colour settings as sRGB on my Canon450D.

When opening in Zoombrowser it looks like this:

When opening in DPP it looks like this:

When opening in Adobe CS4 it looks like this:

Yep. DPP and Zoombrowser will read the camera parameters (contrast, saturation, picture style) and use those as a starting point. ACR will use it's own "default" setting as starting point, and only look at the white balance set in camera.

As Damnit says, have a look in the Camera Calibration tab. Use the same profile as the picture style set in camera, and ACR should be closer to DPP/Zoombrowser (which are already very close, but not identical).
So, if you use picture style "neutral", chose "Camera Neutral" in ACR. If you use "landscape", choose "Camera Landscape" and so on.

For DPP to display correctly, you need to tell it what the monitor profile is. (See post #1). For Zoombrowser, you probably need to switch on "Apply Color Matching" (At least, that's how it works for Image Browser on the Mac)

Red Cloud wrote in post #8014662
Here are the colour settings used in Adobe (I have tried many different ones but they all seem to be exactly the same):

The icon at the top should not say "Unsynchronised".
Also, I'd recommend ticking the "Missing profile" and "Ask when pasting" tickboxes.

damnit wrote in post #8016513
Yup ... I know your issue I believe.

Indeed

Glad to hear your frustration is gone ...

René Damkot wrote in post #8017157
Also, I'd recommend ticking the "Missing profile" and "Ask when pasting" tickboxes.

I have all three of these "ask when ..." check boxes selected ... I don't mind the popup one bit as I like to be able to choose what to do depending on what I am doing at the time and what the target for my work is.