Lightroom: aRGB or sRGB in camera?

OK, this might have been asked before and/or this might be considered a dumb question ... but here goes anyway.

I shoot Canon and capture RAW. I then put everything into Lightroom to do basic crop and adjustments. I was recently told to set both my camera and Lightroom to Adobe RGB. Is this the best setting to have?

My intended output is sRGB for both online printing labs (Costco, BayPhoto, ezPrint) and web sharing.
Thanks.

If you shoot raw then the color space is irrelevant. Leave everything as default in camera and Lightroom is the simplest.

As Frank said, when you shoot RAW what is set in the camera doesn't matter. And in Lightroom the only time you get to choose a color space is when you export. If your "intended output is sRGB for both online printing labs (Costco, BayPhoto, ezPrint) and web sharing," export to sRGB. Adobe RGB won't do you any good unless you print at home with a high-end inkjet.

Thanks guys.

BTW, does an old Canon i950 count as "high-end" (or decent)? That is my in-house printer, until I get my Canon Pro9000 mkII setup. Should I use Adobe RGB when printing to them?

When you print directly from Lightroom you won't worry about it with your home printer. When, though, you send to a lab like you mentioned in your first post, that's where you will probably need to specify sRGB when you export the file, unless your lab specifies aRGB as a preferred color space.

JChin wrote in post #10030843
...I was recently told to set both my camera and Lightroom to Adobe RGB. Is this the best setting to have?

AFAIK, Lightroom works in ProPhoto RGB by default, a much larger color space than Adobe RGB.

If you are shooting RAW and using the RGB histogram, use adobe RGB color space.

Thank you everyone.

windpig wrote in post #10031109
If you are shooting RAW and using the RGB histogram, use adobe RGB color space.

This is an interesting comment that has less to do with the intended question of the OP regarding printing, but does have to do with the actual shooting settings and use of the RGB histogram. In other words, it's a good point that shouldn't be lost in a thread about color space for post-processing and printing -- we maybe need a thread discussing real world camera settings but maybe in the general photography section. It does tie in, though, with an earlier thread about blown colors.

tonylong wrote in post #10031354
This is an interesting comment that has less to do with the intended question of the OP regarding printing, but does have to do with the actual shooting settings and use of the RGB histogram. In other words, it's a good point that shouldn't be lost in a thread about color space for post-processing and printing -- we maybe need a thread discussing real world camera settings but maybe in the general photography section. It does tie in, though, with an earlier thread about blown colors.

Can you share a link to that other thread? Thanks.

JChin wrote in post #10032032
Can you share a link to that other thread? Thanks.

Sure, the thread is here:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=859118

It doesn't directly address your suggestion about using aRGB in-camera, but actually shows a pitfall about doing so if you are using a small-gamut monitor, and sRGB working color space, etc, in that colors that fall within the aRGB gamut can fall outside the sRGB color space and outside the gamut of your monitor to the point that they appear totally blown, whereas if you work in the aRGB color space they fall withing the RGB histogram (and within the camera RGB histogram if you are set to the aRGB color space). Being aware of this can help you deal with the problem, but it is good to be aware of both when shooting and when post-processing.

If you feel inclined, post a comment on that thread and maybe some good discussion about shooting technique could follow!

Let me see if I understand everyone.
Although I capture RAW, I should set my camera to "Adobe RGB" so that my in-camera view gives me a better idea of the colors ... is that correct?

Other than that, LR will take care of everything else for me, right?

JChin wrote in post #10032717
Let me see if I understand everyone.
Although I capture RAW, I should set my camera to "Adobe RGB" so that my in-camera view gives me a better idea of the colors ... is that correct?

Other than that, LR will take care of everything else for me, right?

With Adobe RGB the in camera histogram will better reflect what your RAW capture is, this helps in ETTR. Convert to the color space that best suits needs after you download.

JChin wrote in post #10032717
Let me see if I understand everyone.
Although I capture RAW, I should set my camera to "Adobe RGB" so that my in-camera view gives me a better idea of the colors ... is that correct?

Other than that, LR will take care of everything else for me, right?

If you are using the RGB histogram, aRGB can give you a broader view of colors captured. The shift can be slight, but it is there. So, you have to make a choice -- if you use the aRGB spcace and adjust your exposure to capture as much as possible (one or more colors are up against the right of the histogram) that color(s) will be out of the sRGB color space and if it is important to you you will need to bring it in during post processing. The good news is that you can do this.

It should be noted that in fact, the camera can capture more than even aRGB, so using aRGB is not a hard limit but more a visual hint. And, if you want to be safe (keeping withing the sRGB work space) you can shoot in sRGB and use that histogram.

Understand also that changing the in-camera color space does not change the Raw data (and you can switch back and forth in processing.

Also, if you want to get precise control of this it's necessary to have your in-camera Picture Style set to Neutral or Faithful (or custom set to zero contrast and saturation). This way your RGB histogram won't be messed up with those settings.

You can test this for yourself easily -- set your camera to aRGB and Neutral or Faithful and use the RGB histogram, make shure you shoot in Raw, choose a subject with bright colors and adjust your exposure until one or more of the colors nudges the right side. Then switch the camera to sRGB and you will see that color bunching a bit toward the side, indicating clipping.

Go ahead and take the shot in aRGB and bring it into DPP (this is good for this test) and open the editing tool, and in Adjustment/Work color space select aRGB, and in the Toolbox select the RGB tab. The color channels should look "right" -- the color(s) that just nudged the in-camera histogram should just nudge the RGB histogram. Now, change the work space to sRGB and the histogram should show the color(s) pushing against the edge, showing that in sRGB (and your typical consumer monitor) those colors will be clipped, and if that matters, you will want to use the individual channels to lower the saturation and/or brightness, whichever gives the best results.

Fortunately, all this only matters a lot when you are shooting bright colored subject, such as flowers and sometimes colorful clothes or decorations or whatnot.

Hope that helps!

I don't have LR or DPP where with me.

I just took a quick photo in sRGB and one in aRGB. The WB in aRGB seems better (white is white, not "warm") than sRGB (viewed on camera), is that suppose to be?