Canon Color Space

KED

Maybe this belongs in Cameras, but here goes: my Canon 1d's offer two color space alternatives, sRGB and Adobe RGB, and the manuals advise against the use of the latter unless the user is prepared to do post-processing (who uses a 1d without PP???). I have been shooting in RAW, but would post-process regardless. Assuming (a) shooting RAW and (b) PP in LR/CS3, which camera color space to use?

colourbox

Ah, that's a trick question. If you're shooting in Raw, then it doesn't matter what that color space switch is set to. Raw files have no RGB color space because they haven't been demosaiced into RGB yet. The switch is for when you shoot JPEGs.

Having said that, I leave my Rebel XT set to sRGB because it seems to affect the JPEG preview thumbnails, which only seem to look "right" when set to sRGB (I know full well that has nothing to do with the Raw file behind the thumbnail). I am not sure, but I think this may be because there's no profile attached to the thumbnail.

If I shot JPEGs, I'd probably set it to AdobeRGB.

KED

colourbox wrote:

If I shot JPEGs, I'd probably set it to AdobeRGB.

I got everything you said up until this last -- you DO shoot JPEGs, but you said you shoot in sRGB. Not being a wise guy -- I'm just so easily confused!

ziggy53

KED wrote:

I got everything you said up until this last -- you DO shoot JPEGs, but you said you shoot in sRGB. Not being a wise guy -- I'm just so easily confused!

Canon RAW files have an embedded image preview in JPG format. It's just a small file used to help in sorting and organizing and does not affect the processing of the RAW file.

Colourbox is correct that RAW files aren't affected by color space until processed and output in another format.

KED

ziggy53 wrote:

Canon RAW files have an embedded image preview in JPG format. It's just a small file used to help in sorting and organizing and does not affect the processing of the RAW file.

Colourbox is correct that RAW files aren't affected by color space until processed and output in another format.

Lightbulb moment! The choice is irrelevant if shooting in RAW except as it relates to the preview. One less thing to worry about -- thanks to both of you.

colourbox

Yes that's right, my languages was imprecise (sorry). I was talking about the JPEG previews of the Raw files.
But you got it already.

pathfinder

Shoot in RAW, Import into Photoshop via Adobe Raw convertor, as a 16bit ProPhoto RGB image for editing.

Then when done editing, you can save as an sRGB 8 bit image for the web, or as an 8bit Adobe RGB image for an image destined to go directly to a pro level ink jet printer like one with 6 or more inks ( not via the web)

Images loaded up to Smugmug need to be tagged as sRGB.

jcdill

pathfinder wrote:

Images loaded up to Smugmug need to be tagged as sRGB.

Can you explain this a bit more? What if the image is not "print ready" and meant only for web viewing, and will be replaced with a "print ready" image when an order is placed?

jc

Pondboy

Colourbox & Pathfinder,

Many thanks for your explanations. They answered one of the many questions I have joined DG to get the answers too.
PB

pathfinder

jcdill wrote:

Can you explain this a bit more? What if the image is not "print ready" and meant only for web viewing, and will be replaced with a "print ready" image when an order is placed?

jc

If you mean that your images will have NO ICC tags - no color space specified - and you edited the image in sRGB, then they can be looked at in Internet Explorer or other non color space aware browsers which will assume sRGB.

If your images are tagged as Adobe RGB, they will look strangely flat on the web. Even if they are there only for viewing.

This explains it better than I can.