[Buddha Jones]

When I load my RAW files into Lightroom (ver 1.4) I notice that it tweaks the colors a bit, almost mutes them from what the RAW image originally looked like. Is there a way to STOP it from doing that or is that normal? It really detracts from what the real image looked like and I have a hard time getting it to its original levels.

[MrApollinax]

Are you talking about what it used to look like in the camera? From my understanding the in-camera version is a JPEG rendition of the captured image using the in-camera JPEG settings. At least I thought that was how it worked. RAW images that I work with in Lightzone are always more muted that what I originally saw in the camera.

[davemdsn]

That is correct. When Lightroom imports the images it first uses the embedded jpegs in the raw files until it can render it's own previews from the raw data. The reason it doesn't just use the embedded jpeg permanently is that it doesn't know how that image was achieved since it is not the same raw interpretation software that created it. The Lightroom version does not have a curve applied or saturation added until you add it, where the embedded jpeg does.

[alohadave]

Buddha, try checking out the camera profiles download. I've noticed that there is a subtle difference when applying the profile to my pictures.

Jao's photo blog: Lightroom 2.0

[Buddha Jones]

Well, I guess to give a better description of what I am seeing is when you are looking at the thumbnails, it looks great, and then when you click on it to bring it up in the main view and LR does its 'Rendering Preview' the colors just get all washed out.

With that being said, is it using the JPEG settings that I have in the camera until I get it into LR and then it flatlines it?

[Buddha Jones]

OK, to better illustrate what I am seeing, here is an illustration

On the left is before LR manipulates it, on the right is what it does to it. In this case, I actually like the LR one a little better but it loses its 'POP'. The hair doesnt look nearly as good, and his mouth and tongue are kinda just there. I don't normally shoot kids or people in general for that matter. But for flowers and bugs it really takes the 'POP' out of the shot. I dunno, maybe its just a first impression kind of thing. What do you guys think?

[ghelary]

This effect is due to the way lightroom interprates colors, "raw" is well named in the meaning that it's supposed to give the direct output from the sensor.

Threfore the Raw interpreter tries to give the most accurate color rendention from that data, and there are différences from one editor to another (look for the output from DXO for example) It is different for other uncompressed format like TIFF that codes directly colors (and therfore shall be consistent from one program to another)

Regarding color rendention, I would better ask a professionnal what is the "best" program around for Pentax raw output (either PEF or DNG)

Benjikan ?

Normally you shall be able to set some specific tuning for the color rendition you like the most. (by tuning saturation, temperature, tint, channels...)

Regards,
Guillaume