AdobeRGB and Nikon View Question

[gbenic]

Until I can convince my wife to allow me to purchase yet another piece of software (Nikon Capture), I am using Nikon View 6.x. In the trial version of NC, I can change the color modes around all day long. Not so in NV. In light of this fact, is there any reason that I wouldn't want to set my D70 to color mode II? When I open PSP9 to crop/resize the image, it is converted to sRGB. With the little bit of experimenting that I have done so far, I really like the look of the converted mode II over shooting in mode 1a.

Anywho, I am looking for some advice. Thanks.

 

[hillrg]

If you like the look, as I do, then stick with Adobe RGB II, and convert as required in photoshop. That is what I do, even though I use Capture. BTW, Capture can reassign colour spaces, but it does not do conversions (as far as I can determine).

If you are shooting a lot of portraits you might consider shooting in RGB I space in camera - depends if you like the look better...

 

[gbenic]

If you like the look, as I do, then stick with Adobe RGB II, and convert as required in photoshop. That is what I do, even though I use Capture. BTW, Capture can reassign colour spaces, but it does not do conversions (as far as I can determine).

If you are shooting a lot of portraits you might consider shooting in RGB I space in camera - depends if you like the look better...

Thanks for your quick reply. I don't understand the difference between reassign and convert color space. I took a photo in Ia and changed it to II in NC trial. It looked infinitely better. Did it convert or reassign?

As far as which look I like better, I don't know. I am afraid that when I go to Connecticut next week and shoot in mode II, I will hate them and have no way of changing them. However, if I stick with Ia, I will always wonder if it could have been better!

My wife accuses me of over-analyzing things. Perhaps she is correct!

 

[hillrg]

When you select a colour space, you are telling the application how to map the raw sensor data to a given colour, within a given gamut. In Capture, no matter which colour space you TAGGED in the camera, you can change, or REASSIGN to another colour space. This changes the look or colour, as the individual pixels are now mapped differently.

When you convert from one colour space to another, as in photoshop, the application is determining how to change the colour mapping to retain the exact same "look" or output colours.

A couple of things to consider:

1. When you assign a colour space in the camera this has a subtle affect on the exposure.

2. When you convert from one colour space to another you might lose some detail or colour, if you are moving from a larger colour gamut (adobe RGB) to a smaller gamut (sRGB) for example. In the real world you will not notice the difference in most cases.

3. Applications that are not colour space aware, such as the internet explorer, require the image be converted to sRGB. If you leave the image in adobe RGB it will look muddy on the web.

But this is why most serious photographers always shoot NEF when they can - to keep the original data and take advantage of improved converter technology over time.

I hope this helps...

 

[gbenic]

...I hope this helps...

Yes, that clears it up. Thanks a lot!