Does Adobe RGB offer Lightroom colour consistency across camera brands?

[jbancroft1957]

Hi

I hope this isn't a stupid question...

I shoot Canon and Nikon and have always shot RAW SRGB and found the colours rendered under 'Camera Standard' profiles in Lightroom quite different.

Today I did some test shots, with cameras set to RAW AdobeRGB (which I understand only affects the preview JPG for displaying in camera), then worked on these using the Adobe Color profiles in Lightroom. To my eyes, adjusted for exposure and white balance only, the results are very similar. Here are both images exported as SRGB JPGs:


Canon EOS R10




Nikon Z50 II

What do you think? Is this a methodology for getting consistent colours across camera brands or was it just a lucky coincidence?

Thanks

John

 

[boldcolors]

Hi

I hope this isn't a stupid question...

I shoot Canon and Nikon and have always shot RAW SRGB and found the colours rendered under 'Camera Standard' profiles in Lightroom quite different.

Today I did some test shots, with cameras set to RAW AdobeRGB (which I understand only affects the preview JPG for displaying in camera), then worked on these using the Adobe Color profiles in Lightroom. To my eyes, adjusted for exposure and white balance only, the results are very similar. Here are both images exported as SRGB JPGs:

What do you think? Is this a methodology for getting consistent colours across camera brands or was it just a lucky coincidence?

Thanks

John

That is Adobes idea but far from reality. In this case though the primary colors on the dog are close. But of you look around in neutral areas you will find that the color balance is different (R10 a bit colder/magenta) and that could have a much bigger impact on a different scene not focused on individual colors. That is why most cameras look more or less the same when shooting sterile color charts like CC24. There is no real world reference or "memory colors"

Also, how the files respond in post is another topic. And lenses. If you want to match cameras and different lenses to get a consistent output you need to get your own colorchecker reference and make your own profiles. But then you are not using Adobes colors (or camera brand colors) anymore. But at least you are much closer to a consistent look.

 

[Kaj E]

Adobe tries make their colors equal between camera brands in their color profiles but it is very hard to do depending on different RGB filters in the cameras and the inaccuracy of cameras white balance settings.

--Kind regards
Kaj
http://www.pbase.com/kaj_e
WSSA member #13
It's about time we started to take photography seriously and treat it as a hobby.- Elliott Erwitt

 

[Erik Baumgartner]

Adobe’s color profiles are intended to be consistent between different camera models but, in reality, they typically aren’t. They’re usually close, but some tweaking is usually required for a good match.

It should be noted that the camera’s white balance and exposure are going to affect the resulting color as well, so if camera A’s Auto-WB runs a little cool and magenta and camera B’s AWB runs a little warm and green, your going to see a significantly different result at default import settings, even if the color profiles are perfectly matched for both.

 

[NAwlins Contrarian]

I shoot Canon and Nikon and have always shot RAW SRGB and found the colours rendered under 'Camera Standard' profiles in Lightroom quite different.

Today I did some test shots, with cameras set to RAW AdobeRGB (which I understand only affects the preview JPG for displaying in camera), then worked on these using the Adobe Color profiles in Lightroom. To my eyes, adjusted for exposure and white balance only, the results are very similar. Here are both images exported as SRGB JPGs:

What do you think? Is this a methodology for getting consistent colours across camera brands or was it just a lucky coincidence?

A raw file is not shot in any colorimetric color space like sRGB or Adobe RGB. On the raw data in the raw file, that is merely a tag, a note of your preference. The setting affects SOOC JPEGs, maybe slightly affects metering in auto-exposure modes, and possibly affects white balance in auto-white balance modes. So there is really no problem or issue with starting from a raw file where the camera was set to sRBG or Adobe RGB or whatever, processing that in Lightroom, and exporting it in ProPhoto RGB, Adobe RGB, sRGB, or whatever.

As others have said, Adobe attempts to standardize color response across cameras with camera profiles. That is somewhat effective, but not perfect. Also, white balance has a large effect on the final color--regardless of whether you use Adobe's understanding of the camera's auto-white balance estimate, or Adobe's own auto-white balance estimate, or some particular white balance that you dial in.

 

[ishwanu]

I shoot Canon and Nikon and have always shot RAW SRGB and found the colours rendered under 'Camera Standard' profiles in Lightroom quite different.

Today I did some test shots, with cameras set to RAW AdobeRGB (which I understand only affects the preview JPG for displaying in camera), then worked on these using the Adobe Color profiles in Lightroom. To my eyes, adjusted for exposure and white balance only, the results are very similar.

If you're shooting RAW, it shouldn't matter what color space you choose in the camera. Are there people here who think that makes a difference in Lightroom (which I don't use)?

 

[jbancroft1957]

Thanks everyone for your replies and insight. Very useful.

I think I'm going to give the Adobe Color profile a more lengthy trial and see if it works for me. I accept that although the strong colours in my example Canon/Nikon photos were close, other photos may render differently.

Thanks again

John

 

[Redcrown]

I've been through a range of Canons: 1Ds, 5D, 5D2, 5D3, 5D4, EOS-R. I've profiled every one, being very careful to shoot the ColorChecker under similar natural light WB and exposure. The first thing I usually do is compare the "new" camera to the old one. They never match. In most cases the difference is visibly noticeable, yet often barely. Looking at RGB values of the CC images easily shows the difference. I use the Adobe DNG Profile Editor, although I've tried and tested many others.

So, to answer you question -- getting consistent colors across camera brands or models of the same brand is only possible if you use a very loose definition of "consistent".

 

[Zeee]

It won't be consistent between one manufacturer. Only way is to use something like ColorChecker Passport.

Something I never thought of because I don't use it. Would camera manufacturers be consistent with their proprietary apps like Canon's DPP?

 

[ggbutcher]

AdobeRGB is a destination profile, and I guess at one time there were softwares that used it as a working profile. Not that big a gamut; ProPhoto or Rec.2020 are better working profiles.

The only workflow I've seen that specifically works to make colors from different cameras consistent was to use Davinci Resolve or 3DLUTCreator to make a LUT from one of the cameras designated "reference" and use that LUT to transform the other cameras' colors.

 

[charlyw64]

I shoot Canon and Nikon and have always shot RAW SRGB and found the colours rendered under 'Camera Standard' profiles in Lightroom quite different.

And there lies the main problem: Camera Standard tries to emulate the Manufacturers color bias using the Adobe processes!

 

[BillyBobSenna]

The way you ask the question indicates you may be confused. Adobe RGB is a color space. Depending on your monitor, you may be able to display the entire range of colors.

A suggested read:

How Lightroom Color Management Works