Image import screws collors!

[JaPPa03]

Image import makes my RAW file ugly! HELP !

Hi guys,

I'm new at digital photo making. My camera is a " Panasonic dmc fz8 " and i'm using Adobe Lightroom 1.4. I always shoot RAW cause I’m a website designer and need to adjust images for the style.

But here is the problem.

When I import the files in Lightroom and view it, the images are not colorful but almost " ugly ". I'm really despaired here because I don't know if it is my fault, the settings or the program.

Please give me all the information u know about RAW / Panasonic dmc fz8 / Adobe Lightroom.

Thank you,

JaPPa

 

[Brad Snyder]

Jappa,

The picture you see in LR is exactly the picture your camera sensor recorded. It's likely that you are used to seeing the preview on the camera display. That preview is a JPG which has been processed by the electronics inside your camera. Some software applications show you that preview rather than the RAW file contents.

When you save your RAW file, none of that in-camera processing is applied by Lightroom. To a certain extent, you have to do it yourself. That is the purpose of Develop Presets. It takes some getting used to, and some practice, and some homework to achieve consistently good results. The amazing flexibility of Lightroom comes with some costs in terms of effort.

You say you always shoot RAW. How have you processed the RAWs in the past? If you are using Panasonic software, you need to be aware that the camera manufacturer is able to use proprietary (secret) camera encoding information that third-party programs such as LR can't use. Therefore the manufacturer's software can come much closer to the in-camera processing on the first try.

 

[JaPPa03]

Jappa,

The picture you see in LR is exactly the picture your camera sensor recorded. It's likely that you are used to seeing the preview on the camera display. That preview is a JPG which has been processed by the electronics inside your camera. Some software applications show you that preview rather than the RAW file contents.

When you save your RAW file, none of that in-camera processing is applied by Lightroom. To a certain extent, you have to do it yourself. That is the purpose of Develop Presets. It takes some getting used to, and some practice, and some homework to achieve consistently good results. The amazing flexibility of Lightroom comes with some costs in terms of effort.

You say you always shoot RAW. How have you processed the RAWs in the past? If you are using Panasonic software, you need to be aware that the camera manufacturer is able to use proprietary (secret) camera encoding information that third-party programs such as LR can't use. Therefore the manufacturer's software can come much closer to the in-camera processing on the first try.

This information helps me big time mate! But I still have two questions left, how can I get the images sharped? Cause the JEPG looks really nice and stuff and when I look at the RAW in LR its kinda ' blurry '.

The 2nd one is about importing the files, my camera shoots an JEPG and a RAW file. When I import all files form the camera, will LR only show the RAW file? If so, where is the JEPG then?

Thanks for you're time man!

JaPPa

 

[Brad Snyder]

But I still have two questions left, how can I get the images sharped? Cause the JEPG looks really nice and stuff and when I look at the RAW in LR its kinda ' blurry '.

The 2nd one is about importing the files, my camera shoots an JEPG and a RAW file. When I import all files form the camera, will LR only show the RAW file? If so, where is the JEPG then?

Thanks for you're time man!

JaPPa

Jasper

In the right develop panel, near the bottom, there is the Detail panel. You can adjust 'capture' sharpening there. The interaction of the controls is fairly complex, and you'll have to experiment some to find settings you like, almost on a per picture basis. The key thing to note is that the sharpening effect is *not shown* at magnifications (zooms) of less than 1:1. You have to zoom in to see it. In addition, when printing, again lower right of of the print panel, under Print Job, you can add additional print sharpening.

To import jpgs with RAWs, under the menu Edit > Preferences dialog, tab Import, select the check box "Treat jpeg files next to RAWs as separate photos"

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Brad, that was a really nice clear description. Would you fancy expanding it to cover all cameras and then adding it to tips and tricks?

 

[Brad Snyder]

Sure, once the 1.4 furor dies down. I can't keep up with the traffic....

 

[JaPPa03]

Jasper

In the right develop panel, near the bottom, there is the Detail panel. You can adjust 'capture' sharpening there. The interaction of the controls is fairly complex, and you'll have to experiment some to find settings you like, almost on a per picture basis. The key thing to note is that the sharpening effect is *not shown* at magnifications (zooms) of less than 1:1. You have to zoom in to see it. In addition, when printing, again lower right of of the print panel, under Print Job, you can add additional print sharpening.

To import jpgs with RAWs, under the menu Edit > Preferences dialog, tab Import, select the check box "Treat jpeg files next to RAWs as separate photos"

Hi Brad,

I will work on my RAW skills these weeks, the setting tip helps me to!

Thank you,

JaPPa