Usage of raw or JPEG and color profiles

[rbf]

For black and white I've been using Adobe Monochrome. I've tried just about every way of getting to black and white in Lightroom, and I think this is still the best and most flexible.

I'm dipping my toes into colour more often these days, and wasn't happy with the Adobe profiles, including their version of the Fujifilm film simulations. I tried Cobalt profiles, a product that was getting lots of good press on another forum. These are developed by some folks in Italy. I like their neutral and standard profiles a lot more than the Adobe versions.

Out of curiosity I tried some of their film simulations, but so far results are mixed. Some of them offer interesting starting points, but I'm skeptical about the whole film simulation concept. I'm leaning to "let film be film and let digital be digital". But I'm open minded.

Yes, I would agree on that. I would think that it may make sense to achieve accurate rendition and doing some tweaking to make it pleasant.

Best regards

Erik

In a bit of a sophistic manner I'm inclined to ask; Why are smartphones/computational photography threatening to make the traditional photography industry a thing of the past?

Well, I don’t think, “thing of the past” is accurate since there are things that smart phones can’t do well—and never will be able to do well simply because of there laws of physics. However, they are certainly replacing DSLR’s and compact cameras in lots of situations, and that has lead to a steep decline in camera sales.

I think the reasons are clear:

1) Smart phones are always with us, and the controls are familiar. As a result, they are much more convenient than cameras

2) Smart phones have gotten “good enough” for an awful lot of uses; 12 megapixels is ample for Instagram or even an A4 print. Noise is well controlled in good light. Computational photography has extended the envelope where cell phones work well by stacking for better SNR or dynamic range, simulating depth of field control, allowing the “decisive moment” with stills from brief movie clips, etc.

3) Cell phones are by far the easiest, most effective means of sharing photos—pictures are instantly available to be emailed, texted, or posted to Instagram without the need for a computer and an import. Heck, it’s even easier to print a cell phone picture (depending on your home printer).

4) Availability of inexpensive, easy to use software filters to smooth skin, remove cellulite, brighten and enlarge eyes, remove pounds, and generally create a desired “look”—for better or worse—is unmatched by traditional cameras

So, for doing street photography, family pics, documentary photography, travel snapshots, and almost anything you would want to quickly capture and post to Instagram a cell phone is actually the single best tool available.

Maybe being a bit provocative there. I do think they need to find a better way to hook into the massive popularity of photo sharing on social media to start getting young people who do like photography to consider using something more than a smartphone and whatever editing tools are installed on it. My Dad told me he thought Kodak was genius for selling lots of cheap and instant cameras to get people buying film and doing photography in building their company. I sort of feel like big tech did something similar with cheap subsidized smartphones and free photo sharing social media websites.

 

[SrMi]

Is anyone using linear profiles? Tony Kuyper has a repository of linear profiles for various cameras. I might try using them as the starting point.

 

[JimKasson]

Is anyone using linear profiles? Tony Kuyper has a repository of linear profiles for various cameras. I might try using them as the starting point.

Profiles marked as "repro" usually have linear tone curves. I use them for reproduction.

 

[mplkn]

I keep a flask of glacial acetic acid around for when I need a fix...

Acetic acid is the active component of stop bath. Fixer comes later.

Aggh!! I didn't spot that before posting!

(Sigh... This is why the big guys have proofreaders...)

Hope this clears that up! (Hypoclear? I need Typoclear!)

((Sometimes it's hard to stop....))

 

[JimKasson]

I keep a flask of glacial acetic acid around for when I need a fix...

Acetic acid is the active component of stop bath. Fixer comes later.

Aggh!! I didn't spot that before posting!

(Sigh... This is why the big guys have proofreaders...)

Hope this clears that up! (Hypoclear? I need Typoclear!)

That's potassium ferricyanide. Doesn't work on electrons, though.

((Sometimes it's hard to stop....))

I'm laughing with you, not at you.

 

[rbf]

I would also need multiple options. I use C1 mainly and usually with one of their profiles and sometimes the Fujifilm provided ones. I also use LR sometimes and it was my default editor for a while while Phase1 were fighting with Fujifilm over the GFX and left my XP2 in experimental (poor) support forever. I do use the simulations and jpg's when I'm traveling and posting stuff to social media and don't have the time or inclination to do wait until I can do editing that can't be done in camera or on my phone.

 

[mplkn]

I'm laughing with you, not at you.

 

[NotASpeckOfCereal]

Just a note: I do my own development and color management, so selected "my own profiles", but I have been dabbling in other profiles from time to time, most especially after buying into the GFX system and appreciating the film simulations. However, I didn't vote for the only option containing film sims, because it assumed that I used only film-sim / Adobe / third party profiles (there is not option for that, plus personal profiles).

[EDIT: reading ahead now, I see you had already realized there were more options]

Chris