always increasing saturation and contrast

I am fairly new to DSLR and use a 1D mark II and shoot in JPEG because I don't have a card big enough to make shooting in RAW convenient. I find that I am having to bump the contrast and saturation on every picture.

Is this typical of digital?

Would shooting in RAW help with the problem?

Any other advice on how to get better contrast and saturation out of the camera would be much appreciated as well. Thanks!

RAW won't add any saturation or contrast. In fact it will probably decrease it. The in camera JPEG is processed to add saturation, contrast, and sharpness. You could increase the values in the camera's menus.

Also, the lens you use plays a big part in the color and contrast. The better lenses produce better results. I found that when I started shooting with my 70-200 f/4 L compared to my old consumer grade 70-210 that the color and contrast were much better and the result was less processing.

Another thing to consider is to make sure you are working on a calibrated monitor. If your screeen isn't accurate then you may be adding stuff that doesn't need to be added.

Did you check the picture style settings in camera? Since you are shooting jpegs, the picture style settings drive the processing of the picture before writing to the card. These may be on the low side of what you prefer your saturation and contrast to be. Bump these up a notch to two above the middle and see what happens. Additionally, take a pic of the settings right now, then after adjusting these settings and post both. Let's see if the proof is in the pudding (camera).
Pat

You'll find as you mature as a digital photogrpaher that you'll want RAW control. That being said, as you progress down the road you'll find less and less that you need to bump contrast and saturation.

You'll come to master the camera's personality and you'll master digital exposure as well. Your exposures will be nice and contrasty with good saturation. I recall my first L lens excitment. I shot with it all the time. When I got a 50mm 1.4 I was disapointed with the contrast and saturation. Now I am quite happy with it. My shooting has matured and the lens stayed exactly the same.

Get some L glass down the road, start shooting raw, master exposure and you'll find that the boosting you do now lessens. Plus you get the hang of less is more.

In RAW, I boost contrast never more that +2 and the contrast slider rarely gets worked unless I'm going for an "effect". Micro contrast though is something i use. the "clarity" slider or an unsharp mask of 15,100,0 is always part fo my RAW recipe.

Shoot RAW, take control. Get Lightroom working for you, master exposure and learn to love yummy glass.

Before you buy anything else, get another card. Prices are dropping every day.

Thanks everyone for the help. I'm trying to adjust to digital and it is very tempting to fall back on technology in PP, but I really want to learn to make the camera work for me. I foolishly expected that it would be just like film SLR and that I would pick that back up immediately after about 5 years never having touched one. So thank you for being patient with my newbie questions!

In2Photos wrote in post #3608130
Another thing to consider is to make sure you are working on a calibrated monitor. If your screeen isn't accurate then you may be adding stuff that doesn't need to be added.

I'm using a laptop right now, and have a heck of a time with it. My husband's monitor for his desktop is going, so I've convinced him to buy a true colour monitor and I can borrow it for pp. However, even after my edits, I get a lot of comments that the photos are lacking contrast, so I'm pretty sure that I need to work on the in-camera stuff... just need to learn how!

canoflan wrote in post #3608131
Did you check the picture style settings in camera? Since you are shooting jpegs, the picture style settings drive the processing of the picture before writing to the card. These may be on the low side of what you prefer your saturation and contrast to be. Bump these up a notch to two above the middle and see what happens. Additionally, take a pic of the settings right now, then after adjusting these settings and post both. Let's see if the proof is in the pudding (camera).
Pat

It's set to standard processing. I'm going to try your experiment--battery is dead right now, but will get outside tomorrow and do it. However, I do want to work on learning to use RAW.

cosworth wrote in post #3608157
Shoot RAW, take control. Get Lightroom working for you, master exposure and learn to love yummy glass.

Right now I'm using an Ultrasonic 28-80 that I got from a photographer friend who told me it was not a great lens, but was all he could part with at the moment. I WISH I could justify buying an L lens, but will probably pick up a couple of Sigmas--I've used Sigma before and was happy with it.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #3611589
Before you buy anything else, get another card. Prices are dropping every day.

I will take that advice! Right now I'm using a couple of 256s and even in JPEG, it's only about 45 photos. Fine when just sticking close to home, but no good for a day out.

Thanks again for the advice! Now I at least know what I need to work on!

A 1D2N is US$3200. A 4Gb Sandisk Ultra II is $70, or $100 for an Extreme IV. How is it you can't afford a card?

Take that 28-80 off and smash it into the ground. Worst lens ever.

It's not so much that I can't afford it as it is that I live in small town and don't have anywhere to get one without travelling 45 minutes. Haven't had a chance since receiving the camera last week. 2-256s was plenty memory with my last camera. but thanks for your concern regarding my finances.

re: smashing lens. It's borrowed until I can travel to nearest town with a camera shop (same town with a memory card)... best not to smash it given it's not mine, although as I understand, it doesn't get used anyway.

tim wrote in post #3612196
A 1D2N is US$3200. A 4Gb Sandisk Ultra II is $70, or $100 for an Extreme IV. How is it you can't afford a card?

My next Comment....

Tigerdirect.com......

www.7dayshop.com

Jersey based supplier, that's Jersey Channel Islands not NY.

So cheap they are almost giving them away!

ItsMike wrote in post #3612705
Tigerdirect.com......

Or to save fellow canucks the trouble... Tigerdirect.ca
Thanks for the tip. Awesome prices!

Just checked and Best buy has some of their digital memory on sale right now. Sandisk 8GB Ultra II cf is on for $150.

Check out www.newegg.com

Been using Transcend memory cards for a while now. I bought each of my 4gb cards for less than $65 shipped overnight.

One question I have for you that I didn't see addressed is: Do you notice your contrast/saturation problems on your monitor or only when posting to the net? it may be a problem of not changing your color profile to sRGB rather than a complete post-processing problem.

BLS439 wrote in post #3614081
Check out www.newegg.com

Been using Transcend memory cards for a while now. I bought each of my 4gb cards for less than $65 shipped overnight.

One question I have for you that I didn't see addressed is: Do you notice your contrast/saturation problems on your monitor or only when posting to the net? it may be a problem of not changing your color profile to sRGB rather than a complete post-processing problem.

I shoot in sRGB and my working space is set to sRGB, so I don't think that's it. I wish it were. I hadn't attributed much to the lens, so given that I have what is by all accounts a crappy lens, I think that is part of it, plus still working on getting exposures right.