GR -- need help setting JPG color tone

jon404 · 01-20-2014, 12:56 AM

Need advice on adjusting the GR's JPG color tone. To my eye, it's a little too strong on greens -- so I want to shift that a bit toward magenta. Was able to do this on an Olympus XZ-1... is there a similar adjustment buried somewhere in my GR's menus?

Steve.Ledger · 01-21-2014, 08:13 PM

I think perhaps the lack of responses here, Jon probably means that most people might be thinking along the lines of; "Wait - he has a RICOH GR, a flagship APS-C compact and he's not shooting RAW!? "
The whole point to RAW is that you get to choose the result, not so much the camera's JPEG engine.

jon404 · 01-21-2014, 11:25 PM

Lack of responses -- might also be that there aren't that many GR owners yet! Anyway, of course you're right about RAW, but I like JPGs because you don't have to go through that extra RAW processing step... which takes a while on my little netbook. Maybe I should get a Microsoft Surface Pro, should be faster but also with a keyboard? Noticed that Microsoft is opening stores -- there's one here in San Diego. We'll see.

Lightroom and Xara Photo & Graphic Designer both do a great job with JPGs. And in most cases, I just don't need to shoot RAW -- particularly since I'm greatly reducing the images (even when cropped) for web display. And that JPG reduction acts somewhat like the RAW-to-JPG process, as far as smoothing out photographic sins.

But that's just me. Can't argue with RAW for the best possible image quality; will get with the program if I ever make large prints.

LimitedFan · 01-23-2014, 05:32 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by jon404

Need advice on adjusting the GR's JPG color tone. To my eye, it's a little too strong on greens -- so I want to shift that a bit toward magenta. Was able to do this on an Olympus XZ-1... is there a similar adjustment buried somewhere in my GR's menus?

Press first the WB button and then the Fn2 button. Then the white balance compensation screen appears.

Steve.Ledger · 01-23-2014, 08:59 PM

Originally posted by jon404

Lightroom and Xara Photo & Graphic Designer both do a great job with JPGs.

Can't argue with the use of Xara software, but Lightroom for JPG? Overkill+++
That's like owning state-of-the-art film processing equipment in your own lab but opting to using a Polaroid camera instead because it's too much trouble to develop your own.
Do you use Lightroom catalogs for asset management?

Quote:

JPG reduction acts somewhat like the RAW-to-JPG process, as far as smoothing out photographic sins.

The point of RAW is apparently lost on you, Jon

jon404 · 01-23-2014, 09:33 PM

Thanks Limited -- that's exactly what I was looking for!

Steve -- well, I know that RAW processing, when you take a 1024-brightness-level image and convert it to a 256-level JPG, certainly eliminates banding and spikes and helps tremendously with a marginal picture. But most of the pictures I take are reasonably exposed, unless I'm running into extremely low light and there's nothing RAW can do about that.

I also know that RAW lets you use all the camera's WB settings, effects, etc -- but programs like Lightroom let me easily make similar adjustments to JPGs -- and changes that sometimes I really need, like modifying one particular color.

Will figure out how to assign the 'RAW + JPG' setting to one of the GR's buttons, like I did on my K-01.

jon404 · 01-25-2014, 03:51 AM

Steve -- per your suggestion, started taking RAW images today and using FastStone as my DNG viewer. It is a lot faster than Lightroom. Will give it a good try and see if there's any practical advantage for shooting RAW -- for me, anyway. Stay tuned!

Steve.Ledger · 01-25-2014, 02:26 PM

Originally posted by jon404

I know that RAW processing, when you take a 1024-brightness-level image and convert it to a 256-level JPG, certainly eliminates banding and spikes and helps tremendously with a marginal picture.

Could you explain what you mean by "take a 1024-brightness-level image and convert it to a 256-level JPG" ?

jon404 · 01-26-2014, 01:13 AM

Yes -- but I had the number wrong. It's a lot higher than 1024. From wiki -- "raw files have 12 or 14 bits of intensity information per channel (4096-16384 shades), compared to JPEG's gamma-compressed 8 bits (256 shades)." So -- after editing -- when you convert the raw data down to a 256-level JPG, you'll get a VERY smooth JPG... no banding, no posterization... artifacts that you might generate when you edit a JPG instead of editing in RAW. But JPGs are convenient, since the human eye just can't resolve any more than 256 shades. So... if you've got a good JPG, whether from RAW or not, that's as good as you'll get...

Steve.Ledger · 01-27-2014, 03:50 AM

What I was questioning was using the word 'brightness level' to describe colour depth and dynamic range (altitude)..

Quote:

So... if you've got a good JPG, whether from RAW or not, that's as good as you'll get..

On my home planet things are a little different.

jup · 01-30-2014, 12:07 AM

Originally posted by jon404

Need advice on adjusting the GR's JPG color tone. To my eye, it's a little too strong on greens -- so I want to shift that a bit toward magenta. Was able to do this on an Olympus XZ-1... is there a similar adjustment buried somewhere in my GR's menus?

Back to original question. Default images from GR are a bit oversaturated. Go to camera menu->Image Settings. Use Standard instead of default Vivid or better yet, use Settings 1/2 and tailor it to your liking. For me it's Vividness 6, Contrast 6, Sharpness 5 which is somewhere in between Standard and Vivid and close to Pentax's Bright.

01-20-2014, 12:56 AM	#1
jon404 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 696	GR -- need help setting JPG color tone Need advice on adjusting the GR's JPG color tone. To my eye, it's a little too strong on greens -- so I want to shift that a bit toward magenta. Was able to do this on an Olympus XZ-1... is there a similar adjustment buried somewhere in my GR's menus?

01-23-2014, 09:33 PM	#6
jon404 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 696 Original Poster	Thanks Limited -- that's exactly what I was looking for! Steve -- well, I know that RAW processing, when you take a 1024-brightness-level image and convert it to a 256-level JPG, certainly eliminates banding and spikes and helps tremendously with a marginal picture. But most of the pictures I take are reasonably exposed, unless I'm running into extremely low light and there's nothing RAW can do about that. I also know that RAW lets you use all the camera's WB settings, effects, etc -- but programs like Lightroom let me easily make similar adjustments to JPGs -- and changes that sometimes I really need, like modifying one particular color. Will figure out how to assign the 'RAW + JPG' setting to one of the GR's buttons, like I did on my K-01. Last edited by jon404; 01-23-2014 at 09:43 PM.

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01-21-2014, 08:13 PM	#2
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	I think perhaps the lack of responses here, Jon probably means that most people might be thinking along the lines of; "Wait - he has a RICOH GR, a flagship APS-C compact and he's not shooting RAW!? " The whole point to RAW is that you get to choose the result, not so much the camera's JPEG engine.

01-21-2014, 11:25 PM	#3
jon404 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 696 Original Poster	Lack of responses -- might also be that there aren't that many GR owners yet! Anyway, of course you're right about RAW, but I like JPGs because you don't have to go through that extra RAW processing step... which takes a while on my little netbook. Maybe I should get a Microsoft Surface Pro, should be faster but also with a keyboard? Noticed that Microsoft is opening stores -- there's one here in San Diego. We'll see. Lightroom and Xara Photo & Graphic Designer both do a great job with JPGs. And in most cases, I just don't need to shoot RAW -- particularly since I'm greatly reducing the images (even when cropped) for web display. And that JPG reduction acts somewhat like the RAW-to-JPG process, as far as smoothing out photographic sins. But that's just me. Can't argue with RAW for the best possible image quality; will get with the program if I ever make large prints.

01-23-2014, 05:32 PM - 1 Like	#4
LimitedFan Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: NRW, Germany Posts: 22	Originally posted by jon404 Need advice on adjusting the GR's JPG color tone. To my eye, it's a little too strong on greens -- so I want to shift that a bit toward magenta. Was able to do this on an Olympus XZ-1... is there a similar adjustment buried somewhere in my GR's menus? Press first the WB button and then the Fn2 button. Then the white balance compensation screen appears.

01-23-2014, 08:59 PM	#5
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	Originally posted by jon404 Lightroom and Xara Photo & Graphic Designer both do a great job with JPGs. Can't argue with the use of Xara software, but Lightroom for JPG? Overkill+++ That's like owning state-of-the-art film processing equipment in your own lab but opting to using a Polaroid camera instead because it's too much trouble to develop your own. Do you use Lightroom catalogs for asset management? Quote: JPG reduction acts somewhat like the RAW-to-JPG process, as far as smoothing out photographic sins. The point of RAW is apparently lost on you, Jon

01-25-2014, 03:51 AM	#7
jon404 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 696 Original Poster	Steve -- per your suggestion, started taking RAW images today and using FastStone as my DNG viewer. It is a lot faster than Lightroom. Will give it a good try and see if there's any practical advantage for shooting RAW -- for me, anyway. Stay tuned!

01-25-2014, 02:26 PM	#8
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	Originally posted by jon404 I know that RAW processing, when you take a 1024-brightness-level image and convert it to a 256-level JPG, certainly eliminates banding and spikes and helps tremendously with a marginal picture. Could you explain what you mean by "take a 1024-brightness-level image and convert it to a 256-level JPG" ?

01-26-2014, 01:13 AM	#9
jon404 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 696 Original Poster	Yes -- but I had the number wrong. It's a lot higher than 1024. From wiki -- "raw files have 12 or 14 bits of intensity information per channel (4096-16384 shades), compared to JPEG's gamma-compressed 8 bits (256 shades)." So -- after editing -- when you convert the raw data down to a 256-level JPG, you'll get a VERY smooth JPG... no banding, no posterization... artifacts that you might generate when you edit a JPG instead of editing in RAW. But JPGs are convenient, since the human eye just can't resolve any more than 256 shades. So... if you've got a good JPG, whether from RAW or not, that's as good as you'll get...

01-27-2014, 03:50 AM	#10
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	What I was questioning was using the word 'brightness level' to describe colour depth and dynamic range (altitude).. Quote: So... if you've got a good JPG, whether from RAW or not, that's as good as you'll get.. On my home planet things are a little different.

01-30-2014, 12:07 AM	#11
jup Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 103	Originally posted by jon404 Need advice on adjusting the GR's JPG color tone. To my eye, it's a little too strong on greens -- so I want to shift that a bit toward magenta. Was able to do this on an Olympus XZ-1... is there a similar adjustment buried somewhere in my GR's menus? Back to original question. Default images from GR are a bit oversaturated. Go to camera menu->Image Settings. Use Standard instead of default Vivid or better yet, use Settings 1/2 and tailor it to your liking. For me it's Vividness 6, Contrast 6, Sharpness 5 which is somewhere in between Standard and Vivid and close to Pentax's Bright.