[jon404]

I'm getting crossed up, by leaving my Info > Custom Images setting on Landscape, but not changing it to Natural when taking a picture of the sky or ocean.

Besides Landscape and Natural, these seem to be the ones most useful for general photography...Bright, Portrait, Vibrant, Muted ... is there any information on this forum about these color modes -- how to use them, what are the best settings?

And, what do YOU like? Have you found any one mode, one group of settings, that you use all the time?

P.S. I've been spoiled by my Olympus XZ-1, using Vivid color mode (contrast =1) with Underwater white balance (amber=0, green -1). Works for most settings somehow. I've found a manual WB setting on the K-01, but I don't know how to use it... any advice would be appreciated!

[Steve.Ledger]

Shoot RAW. Set in Silkypix.

[topaz]

Bright is the default setting for general photography.

[barondla]

Agree with sledger. Raw in Silkypix gives you so many extra choices. Of the camera presets, Reversal Color Film can be very nice.
thanks
barondla

Shoot to get the colors you want. Photography is fun. Enjoy it.

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Last edited by barondla; 03-19-2013 at 07:20 PM.

[jon404]

Here's a pic showing the six basic color choices. Barondia, you're right... will try Reversal Film tomorrow. Looks like Fuji Velvia saturated color-and-contrast lives on in digital! And... could it be... the return of Kodachrome? Fun!

[Eduscho]

I can't change the Custom Image settings (Bright/Neutral...) on DNGs from my K-01 in PENTAX Digital Camera Util (v4.40). Howewer it works with K-5 DNGs.
Does PDCU restrict K-01 DNGs? My K-01 came with SilkyPix 3.0 but i can't find this preset in SP. Any SW solution or remains only the in- camera-conversion?

[Steve.Ledger]

RAW is RAW (dng). These filters and fun effects are generally only for in camera processed JPEG.

[Eduscho]

Fun with K-5 DNGs. No fun (this sort) with K-01 DNGs.
Thx PENTAX

[jon404]

Here are two composites showing Bright, Landscape, Vibrant, and Reversal color modes. To my eye, Bright has normal colors; Vibrant also has normal colors, with somewhat less contrast and a bit more saturation... if I had to pick just one mode to use, I'd pick Vibrant. Landscape, as you'd expect, really hops up greens and yellow-greens... this is the one to choose for that outdoor postcard shot... sky and grass. And Reversal has a warm color cast, and increased contrast. We probably all see colors a little differently, so tests like this are very subjective... and who knows if all our sensors are seeing color exactly the same way. Photography!

[Tony Belding]

I've been playing around with the JPEG color settings. It seems there is a lot to explore here. I've been using a K100D for years as my main digicam, and it didn't have all this stuff. Not to mention, seeing a live view with the settings in effect while I'm composing the shot is very cool. I've found that Muted color is useful when shooting on an overcast day, when I want to actually capture the gloomy mood as my eye sees it. I've also found that shooting B&W can be surprisingly fun.

Some of the settings are puzzling. What is Bleach Bypass??

I was just looking back through some old photos, and I adore the colors I've been getting from my Pentax ZX-5n with Kodak Ektar 100 film. I'm wondering just how close I can get to that look with the K-01's in-camera settings? I guess the "Reversal Film" setting might be a good starting point.

[asp1880]

I've found that Muted color is useful when shooting on an overcast day, when I want to actually capture the gloomy mood as my eye sees it. I've also found that shooting B&W can be surprisingly fun.

Some of the settings are puzzling. What is Bleach Bypass??

I'm with you on the muted setting. It's good for bringing out the foggy, damp, grey, overcast mood of some days. It's also good for backlit shots with low sun for that sun-drenched summer feeling, esp. combined with the cloudy white balance. You can also combine with the vignetting filter effect and make two opposite corners go even whiter.

Bleach bypass is good for ominous clouds, brewing storms, drizzling rain, feelings of despair and neglect like urban decay. If you mix bleach bypass with a graduated ND filter for the sky (or the in-camera vignetting filter effect - again), you can also mimic the "top gear" style.

There's lots of casual fun to be had with the custom image settings. And the filters. And cross processing. I've made a little sport out of doing everything in-camera sometimes, just to see how far I can take it.

The high contrast filter is also fun.

Regards,
--Anders.

[Sagitta]

Monochrome / IR filter / nudged slightly silver is where its at for me if I'm playing with in-camera effects.