Who Determines Camera Color Presets?

Batdude · Oct 21, 2025

We all go to our RAW converter and select which color preset we want. For Fujifilm shooters these color presets are simply called film simulations.

One of the reasons why I’m asking is because I have been shooting with Fujifilm for several years. I had the S5 Pro, X10, XT1, XT3. But now I’m shooting with a Canon. Aaaaaaaaaall the years I’ve been a photographer and using a RAW converter I thought that those “film” simulations or color presets were a sensor thing (yeah dumb of me right

) and a lot of people actually think that their sensor is what creates this particular look, but that is (completely) incorrect. It is software that creates those particular colors, and that goes for the rest of the brands as well.

So who determines and engineers those particular color presets in each RAW converter for each camera brand, the camera manufacturer or the RAW converter manufacturer? Or is it a little collaboration of both?

Thanks

Erik Baumgartner · Oct 21, 2025

Each camera maker determines their own proprietary in-camera color processing for their own products. The software makers do their own profile thing as well, but also often produce, with or without the help of the manufacturers, RAW profiles that attempt to reproduce the in-camera profiles. You can also, of course, customize and save your own profiles/presets that best produce the look you prefer. I only shoot RAW and pretty much always use my own customized profiles.

Gato Amarillo · Oct 21, 2025

Batdude said:
-snip-
So who determines and engineers those particular color presets in each RAW converter for each camera brand, the camera manufacturer or the RAW converter manufacturer? Or is it a little collaboration of both?

Thanks

Some of both, unless you're using the camera-maker's raw converter.

If you're using a camera JPEG or the maker's converter you're getting the camera brand view. If you're using a third party converter, such as Adobe, you're likely getting more their view, though they may (or may not) try to mimic the camera maker. And then there's whatever seasoning you add to the sauce,

Gato

tbcass · Oct 21, 2025

Batdude said:
So who determines and engineers those particular color presets in each RAW converter for each camera brand, the camera manufacturer or the RAW converter manufacturer? Or is it a little collaboration of both?

Thanks

Bob does it.

jrkliny · Oct 21, 2025

I have no idea about Fuji, but for Canon cameras, there are several presets available. They are called picture styles and include choices, such as natural, landscape, vivid, etc. In addition to the those presets, you can adjust sliders (contrast, saturation, sharpness, etc) to make your own picture styles. These styles do not change raw output, but do change out of camera jpegs. They also alter the default choices made when viewing and opening raw files with Canon DPP4 processing software.

J A C S · Oct 21, 2025

Batdude said:
So who determines and engineers those particular color presets in each RAW converter for each camera brand, the camera manufacturer or the RAW converter manufacturer?

The latter (but they can be the same, if you are using the camera converter).

Batdude said:
Or is it a little collaboration of both?

I have not seen evidence of that. There was some speculation in the past that Canon could collaborate with Adobe on color rendition but it remained just that, a speculation. The "camera profiles" in Adobe are created by Adobe, same for DXO.

This does not mean that the colors are determined by the converter alone. The sensor (the CFA, etc.) matters as well.

jthomas39 · Oct 21, 2025

Raw image files

There's so much processing to just see even a standard image view.

The darktable editor can show the raw file with just the minimum processing: demosaic, then through the color profile for the viewing monitor. (See the History stack on the left side, click step 0 and compress the history stack. Then turn off the default modules for filmic, lens correction, white balance, and a few more that show as activated in the Active Modules list.)

You get a strange, very green and muted image!

100% zoom from a 4K monitor. On the left, the straight-out-of-camera jpg. On the right, the .NEF raw file demosaiced. Each final pixel is from red, blue, and two green sub-pixels, so there's a green cast.

4b40d8bf9b59440a9b5a73199896b493.jpg.png

Guy Parsons · Oct 23, 2025

Batdude said:
So who determines and engineers those particular color presets in each RAW converter for each camera brand, the camera manufacturer or the RAW converter manufacturer? Or is it a little collaboration of both?

Try a few different raw converters with the same raw file to see how the default software processing varies. That will give an idea of who is doing what to the raw file.

Crop of portion of a random shot

In that mix are (default processing) OM Workspace, DxO Photolab9, Silkypix V12, and Silkypix V12 with added Auto Adjust.

Of all of those the default Silkypix on the bottom left is my preferred result, most like reality. The default Photolab and the Auto Adjust Silkypix got too carried away with the mid greens. The OM Workspace just a bit duller than reality as it used my Olympus camera settings which are deliberately set that way.

Oh, and I use a properly calibrated monitor so am not flying blind.

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Who Determines Camera Color Presets?

Batdude

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Erik Baumgartner

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Gato Amarillo

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tbcass

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