RAW preset to start off like JPG

[dunos]

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I shoot raw, I always have. I love the control it gives me over the image. However, a constant frustration with the X Vario is that once I have the raw files in lightroom they are *very* raw. The reds are often blown out and the image just isn't very attractive. I can spend hours tweaking things but I would like my start point to be much closer to the out of camera jpg files that originate from the camera. When processing images from other cameras, the imported raw files are usually closer to the out of camera jpg than with the X Vario.

 

Does anyone have a lightroom preset that gets them closer to the jpg look before they start tweaking other things?

[thighslapper]

Can't say I've noticed much of an issue ...... but there again I never download the jpg's from the card so I never know what I am missing.

 

I tend to sharpen to 90 and add a little NR ....say 20 .... to compensate

 

One general process that always improves images is to use Auto Tone.......

 

.... this produces hideously overexposed images ....... but if you then roll the exposure back by 1-1.5 from the new figure you get a much, much better image.

 

I tend to do this as a starting point then fiddle with the white/black sliders to fine tune if needed. The difference and improvement can be quite startling .....

 

As 90% of images are probably not worth the effort I haven't found it worth creating an import preset to do all this.......

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[trustkill24]

Use iridient raw developer for starting.. The raws come out highly improved in general.. In my opinion the best raw developer out there.. (Tried lr5 and capt1)

[dunos]

Thank you for your suggestions.

 

I gave iridient a try last night and it looks really powerful, but still wasn't giving me quite what I was looking for.

 

I am having a bit of success by creating my own camera profile using DNG profile editor. When I am happy with it I can share.

 

Thanks!

 

Dan

[XVarior]

I shoot raw, I always have. I love the control it gives me over the image. However, a constant frustration with the X Vario is that once I have the raw files in lightroom they are *very* raw. The reds are often blown out and the image just isn't very attractive. I can spend hours tweaking things but I would like my start point to be much closer to the out of camera jpg files that originate from the camera. When processing images from other cameras, the imported raw files are usually closer to the out of camera jpg than with the X Vario.

 

Does anyone have a lightroom preset that gets them closer to the jpg look before they start tweaking other things?

 

Your Lightroom must be applying some preset for you. XV raw files are amazingly accurate, specially reds and blues and shiny colors. Try resetting your LR, something wrong is going on on the software side.

[dunos]

That is certainly possible XVarior. I will try resetting later. I did just check that I wasn't applying any import templates.

 

Here are some examples. Lightroom settings are "default" to the best of my knowledge, with lightroom converting to Adobe DNG on import (I guess that might be doing it?) and applying the 2012 Adobe Standard process.

 

Photo 1

RAW exported to JPG by Lightroom, no settings changes: http://durrans.com/tmp/exampleraw/L1000571_lr_raw_exp.jpg

Out of camera JPG: http://durrans.com/tmp/exampleraw/L1000571.JPG

RAW (converted to Adobe DNG by LR): http://durrans.com/tmp/exampleraw/L1000571.dng

 

Photo 2

RAW exported to JPG by Lightroom, no settings changes: http://durrans.com/tmp/exampleraw/L1000844_lr_raw_exp.jpg

Out of camera JPG: http://durrans.com/tmp/exampleraw/L1000844.JPG

RAW (converted to Adobe DNG by LR): http://durrans.com/tmp/exampleraw/L1000844.dng

 

I am not looking for an exact match between the out of camera and the raw, especially as one of the points of shooting raw is to effectively "develop" the photos yourself, but a close enough starting point would be good. On the photo 1 example above look at how "blown" the pink/red cloth in the centre bottom is compared to the out of camera photo.

Edited July 19, 2014 by dunos

[Chuck Albertson]

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That is certainly possible XVarior. I will try resetting later. I did just check that I wasn't applying any import templates.

 

Here are some examples. Lightroom settings are "default" to the best of my knowledge, with lightroom converting to Adobe DNG on import (I guess that might be doing it?) and applying the 2012 Adobe Standard process.

 

Leica digicams pump out their RAW files in .dng format, it's not a conversion done by Lightroom.

 

If I apply a develop pre-set in LR, it's usually an S-curve that I set up with the Tonal Curve panel in the Develop module.

[dunos]

I found my problem, my monitor calibration had gone screwy and making reds look way too vibrant.

 

Still, it would be nice to have Adobe develop some camera recipies for the X Vario that were close to the OOC processing.

[thighslapper]

I found my problem, my monitor calibration had gone screwy and making reds look way too vibrant.

 

..........

 

which reminds me....... I should re-check mine more regularly .......