Emulating Canon colors in Nikon D5100

[Sam2046]

Okay, please don't flame me for this, and I'm not trying to start a whirlwind of Brand Debate. I've recently acquired a Nikon D5100, which is my first DSLR. I've shot in films before in my childhood days with Canon AE1, Nikon FM2 and Minolta X-700; so I'm not faithful to one particular brand. Recently, I've had the opportunity to shoot with a Canon 60D and the excellent 5D Mark III. The first thing I noticed is how the Canon colors are different than Nikon's. I know all can be matched in PP, but with Nikon, you'd certainly have to work more to nail the colors. There was something about Canon colors that can't be emulated in Nikon in-camera, no matter how much I fiddle with the Picture Control settings. Many have said that the Canon seems to deliver more sharpness and saturation SOOC, but turning those in Picture Controls in Nikon up a notch didn't help. Actually, I believe that the vibrance of Canon colors are subtly different than Nikon's. The skin seems more rosy and the colors have a golden tinge, especially with 5D Mark III. Then, I went to a website and tried to find the pictures which might explain what I am talking about.

http://500px.com/photo/59327962 : This is the golden tinge I'm talking about. I once shot in twilight with my Nikon D5100 and my friend with 5D, using identical settings and white balance. Somehow, his SOOC photos had the soft golden tinge, which is also seen in the linked picture.

http://500px.com/photo/59370160 , http://500px.com/photo/59320386 , http://500px.com/photo/59401702, http://500px.com/photo/59366938 : See how in all these the skin seems creamy? Is it possible to get skin tones like this using D5100?

http://500px.com/photo/59390090 : See the color of the red sweater and lips? It's vibrant without being over-saturated. I've seen my Nikon somehow struggle with the color Red. No matter how much I try, I've not been able to achieve colors like these.

I'm a complete novice to digital postprocessing, and maybe it's easy for an expert to match Canon and Nikon colors. But, for me, Canon colors are a hell easy to edit than Nikon. Where Nikon excels, for me at least, is landscape photography. However, it seems quite hard to nail the right skin tone. May anyone suggest any plugin or any picture control that'll help me get Canon'ish colors in Nikon, even if it sounds like blasphemy?

 

[tom60634]

Okay, please don't flame me for this, and I'm not trying to start a whirlwind of Brand Debate. I've recently acquired a Nikon D5100, which is my first DSLR. I've shot in films before in my childhood days with Canon AE1, Nikon FM2 and Minolta X-700; so I'm not faithful to one particular brand. Recently, I've had the opportunity to shoot with a Canon 60D and the excellent 5D Mark III. The first thing I noticed is how the Canon colors are different than Nikon's. I know all can be matched in PP, but with Nikon, you'd certainly have to work more to nail the colors. There was something about Canon colors that can't be emulated in Nikon in-camera, no matter how much I fiddle with the Picture Control settings. Many have said that the Canon seems to deliver more sharpness and saturation SOOC, but turning those in Picture Controls in Nikon up a notch didn't help. Actually, I believe that the vibrance of Canon colors are subtly different than Nikon's. The skin seems more rosy and the colors have a golden tinge, especially with 5D Mark III. Then, I went to a website and tried to find the pictures which might explain what I am talking about.

http://500px.com/photo/59327962 : This is the golden tinge I'm talking about. I once shot in twilight with my Nikon D5100 and my friend with 5D, using identical settings and white balance. Somehow, his SOOC photos had the soft golden tinge, which is also seen in the linked picture.

http://500px.com/photo/59370160 , http://500px.com/photo/59320386 , http://500px.com/photo/59401702, http://500px.com/photo/59366938 : See how in all these the skin seems creamy? Is it possible to get skin tones like this using D5100?

http://500px.com/photo/59390090 : See the color of the red sweater and lips? It's vibrant without being over-saturated. I've seen my Nikon somehow struggle with the color Red. No matter how much I try, I've not been able to achieve colors like these.

I'm a complete novice to digital postprocessing, and maybe it's easy for an expert to match Canon and Nikon colors. But, for me, Canon colors are a hell easy to edit than Nikon. Where Nikon excels, for me at least, is landscape photography. However, it seems quite hard to nail the right skin tone. May anyone suggest any plugin or any picture control that'll help me get Canon'ish colors in Nikon, even if it sounds like blasphemy?

DxO Optics Pro (now at version 9) has a category in its "Color rendering" panel called "Camera Body".

This feature basically allows you to simulate the characteristics of various camera makes and models.

You should check it our.

 

[Peano]

Just to be clear on what you're asking: When you compare SOOC images from Nikon and Canon, are you talking about jpegs? If so, you may be creating the problem you're trying to solve. Take these two images:

When you ask whether Nikon can render these creamy skin tones or those vibrant reds -- and if you're talking about jpegs -- you're asking about camera presets. I can't imagine that either of these were shot as jpegs and reflect camera presets. Both have obviously been skillfully post-processed, and I would wager that they were shot raw.

If you're asking whether Nikon jpeg presets can render the same vibrant reds and creamy skin tones as Canon jpeg presets, the answer may be No (I have no idea). But if you're asking whether Nikon and Canon raw files are up to the job of rendering those tones, I think the answer is Yes.

EDIT: You mention that you're a novice at post-processing, and that may be the problem. You just don't get images like these (above) straight out of the camera. They pay retouchers handsomely to finish the job the camera starts.

--
~ Peano
radiantpics.com

 

[Sam2046]

Just to be clear on what you're asking: When you compare SOOC images from Nikon and Canon, are you talking about jpegs? If so, you may be creating the problem you're trying to solve. Take these two images:

When you ask whether Nikon can render these creamy skin tones or those vibrant reds -- and if you're talking about jpegs -- you're asking about camera presets. I can't imagine that either of these were shot as jpegs and reflect camera presets. Both have obviously been skillfully post-processed, and I would wager that they were shot raw.

If you're asking whether Nikon jpeg presets can render the same vibrant reds and creamy skin tones as Canon jpeg presets, the answer may be No (I have no idea). But if you're asking whether Nikon and Canon raw files are up to the job of rendering those tones, I think the answer is Yes.

EDIT: You mention that you're a novice at post-processing, and that may be the problem. You just don't get images like these (above) straight out of the camera. They pay retouchers handsomely to finish the job the camera starts.

--
~ Peano
radiantpics.com

Actually, I always shoot RAW. But, what I've seen is that SOOC Canon RAWs have better colours than Nikon's. Now, this may not be a problem for expert retouchers, but it sure poses a problem for me. Would you be kind enough to tell me where I can learn portrait retouching? Are there any good e-books for those?

 

[Sam2046]

Okay, please don't flame me for this, and I'm not trying to start a whirlwind of Brand Debate. I've recently acquired a Nikon D5100, which is my first DSLR. I've shot in films before in my childhood days with Canon AE1, Nikon FM2 and Minolta X-700; so I'm not faithful to one particular brand. Recently, I've had the opportunity to shoot with a Canon 60D and the excellent 5D Mark III. The first thing I noticed is how the Canon colors are different than Nikon's. I know all can be matched in PP, but with Nikon, you'd certainly have to work more to nail the colors. There was something about Canon colors that can't be emulated in Nikon in-camera, no matter how much I fiddle with the Picture Control settings. Many have said that the Canon seems to deliver more sharpness and saturation SOOC, but turning those in Picture Controls in Nikon up a notch didn't help. Actually, I believe that the vibrance of Canon colors are subtly different than Nikon's. The skin seems more rosy and the colors have a golden tinge, especially with 5D Mark III. Then, I went to a website and tried to find the pictures which might explain what I am talking about.

http://500px.com/photo/59327962 : This is the golden tinge I'm talking about. I once shot in twilight with my Nikon D5100 and my friend with 5D, using identical settings and white balance. Somehow, his SOOC photos had the soft golden tinge, which is also seen in the linked picture.

http://500px.com/photo/59370160 , http://500px.com/photo/59320386 , http://500px.com/photo/59401702, http://500px.com/photo/59366938 : See how in all these the skin seems creamy? Is it possible to get skin tones like this using D5100?

http://500px.com/photo/59390090 : See the color of the red sweater and lips? It's vibrant without being over-saturated. I've seen my Nikon somehow struggle with the color Red. No matter how much I try, I've not been able to achieve colors like these.

I'm a complete novice to digital postprocessing, and maybe it's easy for an expert to match Canon and Nikon colors. But, for me, Canon colors are a hell easy to edit than Nikon. Where Nikon excels, for me at least, is landscape photography. However, it seems quite hard to nail the right skin tone. May anyone suggest any plugin or any picture control that'll help me get Canon'ish colors in Nikon, even if it sounds like blasphemy?

DxO Optics Pro (now at version 9) has a category in its "Color rendering" panel called "Camera Body".

This feature basically allows you to simulate the characteristics of various camera makes and models.

You should check it our.

Thanks. I'd definitely try that one.

 

[Peano]

Actually, I always shoot RAW. But, what I've seen is that SOOC Canon RAWs have better colours than Nikon's.

There's really no such thing as a SOOC raw image. You don't have an image until the raw file has been rendered by a raw processor such as Camera Raw or Capture NX or DPP. And they don't all operate the same way. Some will default to the camera's jpeg presets, others won't recognize them at all.

So I think it comes back to the question of whether it's possible to get equally vibrant reds or creamy skin tones from Nikon and Canon raw files. And I still think the answer is Yes. But you don't get them by letting the raw processor apply whatever default settings it happens to apply.

If you always shoot raw, and if you're a "complete novice" at post-processing, then I think you've identified the problem. You solve it by getting beyond the novice level.

 

[brucet]

I agree. It's the raw conversion that will determine the out come.

regards