Canon 7D sRGB or Adobe RGB?

Costanzo

Hello all, happy Labor Day weekend! Just got my 7D yesterday, and was going through the set-up, and was wondering what most were choosing for the color option, sRGB or Adobe RGB? The owners manual says RGB is for industrial use/commercial printing. I do upload my images to a pro lab for printing. I was thinking of going with RGB, because I shoot mostly in RAW format. I believe that my PS CS3 is set for Adobe 1998. But anywho, would appreciate some feed back from anyone with more knowledge/experience with this and 7D.


Thanks! Rob:D

Andy

Shoot in raw and it doesn't matter how you set the camera, sRGB, aRGB.

Costanzo

Thanks Andy! So in jpeg use aRGB setting for best results, as I upload to pro lab?

Andy

Costanzo wrote: »

Thanks Andy! So in jpeg use aRGB setting for best results, as I upload to pro lab?

Depends on your lab, are you sure they want aRGB?

Costanzo

If I remember right, I think they said to use sRGB, but they could use it either way. I just want the best quality out of the new camera. Thanks for the quick reply, I appreciate it.


Rob

racer

This,
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/adobe-rgb.htm

Overfocused

"If you have the right software to re-expand the colors you theoretically might have a slightly broader range of colors."

Contrary to basically the whole article, Adobe RGB enhances color, vibrance, and depth quite a bit over sRGB, when using and assigning it as a color space in photo software with color management. I usually edit in AdobeRGB, and auto convert to sRGB when exporting for using it on the internet or sending it to the rest of the world. I also use it when I have my own printer in the room and can control everything myself, as it gives the best pop to prints. Try it out and see (if you have editing software)

Personally whether it was at photo lab, my computer, a friend's computer, art lab, graphics lab... Adobe RGB gamut converted to sRGB looks much better than images plainly starting from sRGB. Just don't leave it in Adobe for sending it over the internet.

Pertaining to the 7D whatever it is set to in-camera is only applied to taking JPEGs

Although, firefox corrects this all together and displays them the same

NeilL

I shoot raw, then convert into ProPhotoRGB for development. ProPhotoRGB has one of the widest gamuts of all colour spaces. I save the finished image as a 16 bit tiff, and convert to sRGB jpg in Photoshop for the internet. Sometimes this conversion will send the histogram off the scale either side, and I need to do a Threshold-Levels adjustment to the jpg.

Neil

Overfocused

NeilL wrote: »

I shoot raw, then convert into ProPhotoRGB for development. ProPhotoRGB has one of the widest gamuts of all colour spaces. I save the finished image as a 16 bit tiff, and convert to sRGB jpg in Photoshop for the internet. Sometimes this conversion will send the histogram off the scale either side, and I need to do a Threshold-Levels adjustment to the jpg.

Neil

Why 16 bits for a final file? 8 bits can represent everything that is needed since you won't be needing to pull shadows or highlights anymore

NeilL

Overfocused wrote: »

Why 16 bits for a final file? 8 bits can represent everything that is needed since you won't be needing to pull shadows or highlights anymore

Yep, but don't know what the future will make of the 'surplus' bits, especially when they are tonal subtleties.

Neil

racer

Overfocused wrote: »

"If you have the right software to re-expand the colors you theoretically might have a slightly broader range of colors."

Contrary to basically the whole article,

Basically I typed "srgb vs adobe rgb" into google, and it was the first result on the list :uhoh
I should have known it was off when he first said "I know this stuff", but I thought the guy was supposed to be some sort of expert

So what do you think about this? (I think this supports NeilL reply)
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml

colourbox

Overfocused wrote: »

Why 16 bits for a final file? 8 bits can represent everything that is needed since you won't be needing to pull shadows or highlights anymore

I think you're right if you really were never to adjust the picture again ever for all time. But a 16-bit "final file" may be used as a master to produce, say, one derivative for CMYK magazine and the another for newsprint. In those two examples you may very well find that the target media are so lacking in their contrast/shadow detail that you are back to adjusting shadows and highlights again, where you'll be glad you have a 16 bit file.

Back on the subject of sRGB vs. Adobe RGB, the one place where it can matter is in how you evaluate the exposure in the camera histogram. In most cameras the camera color space setting is said to determine where the camera histogram displays clipping, even if you are shooting raw, according to the Addendum in this article:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/right-hista.shtml
Take that advice only if you're picky and advanced, because it is intended for use in conjunction with the Expose to the Right technique, and for best results, combined with the LCD contrast and in-camera white balance adjustments described in the link.

Costanzo

Thanks everyone for all the help, and links. I have been reading, and am ready to go out the door and try the 7D out for the first time. Already liking the resolution on the 3inch screen vs. the one on my 40D, especially with my 40 something eyes! lol


Rob

Overfocused

racer wrote: »

Basically I typed "srgb vs adobe rgb" into google, and it was the first result on the list :uhoh
I should have known it was off when he first said "I know this stuff", but I thought the guy was supposed to be some sort of expert

So what do you think about this? (I think this supports NeilL reply)
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml

MUCH better article, I read the whole thing and it made a lot more sense. Plus I enjoyed it since I am a geek like that.

Brett1000

Andy wrote: »

Shoot in raw and it doesn't matter how you set the camera, sRGB, aRGB.

definitely !