sRGB or Adopbe RGB

[deena]

I currently have my camera colour space set to sRGB. I have the option of using Adobe RGB. I know that the former is optimized for photos on the monitor/web etc and the other for printing. But what is the best one to use in general? Do I have to decided whether I'm going to print a shot first then change the settings? Please help

[thefonz78]

The hole point of shooting in raw is to capture as much information as possible so AdobeRGB is preferred as it Captures 16bits of colour srgb only 8bits. After editing the raw image for printing save as a srgb jpeg.

[craftysnapper]

The answer depends on if you are shooting raw or jpeg which you have not said.

If raw then the colour space in your camera has no meaning as raw images have no colour space until you convert them to another file format at which point you can choose the colour space based on the output application they will be used for.

If shooting 8 bit jpeg in camera then if destined for the web or online printing service then srgb would be my choice.

If for a high end inkjet printer and there are only a few that can take advantage of it then possibly Adobe rgb.

In my opinion if shooting in 8 bit jpeg it makes little difference and I would shoot in srgb as a good all rounder for 8bit jpegs.

[GeoffWessex]

sRGB is NOT 8-bits..... it's got nothing to do with bit-depth and is just a (very slightly) smaller colour gamut. In an ideal world you'd shoot in Raw, open it (from your conversion software, like Adobe Camera Raw) as a 16-bit file, then convert to AdobeRGB before processing and printing. However, there's a problem ...... a lot of editing software can only edit in 8-bits (aprt from cropping and some basic things). Even Photoshop CS5 has some limitations. (PaintShop Pro Photo professes to do 16-bit editing - but they don't make it clear just how good it is)

In practice, though, you won't see a difference in a print in AdobeRGB, compared with sRGB, unless it's made on very sophisticated professional hardware (not the kind you buy in the High Street, but some of the high-end printers can make use of it).

Otherwise, Jpeg is definitely not the way to go if you want the best quality colour or detail.

So there are a couple or points to remember....

1. Yes, AdobeRGB has a wider Colour Gamut than sRGB..... but you won't see a difference on almost any home printer.

2. You'd need to keep away from Jpeg completely - it's only 8-bits (even though it can use both AdobeRGB and sRGB).

3. Unless you have a sophisticated printing business and a very serious printer, you're not going to get more than 8-bits from your printer.


Cambridge in Color is a great site for detailed information (sometimes too much!).... but check out this page.

[deena]

Thanks guys for your comments. I shoot in RAW, so if I understand correctly, it doesnt matter what colour space the camera is set at. I use Lightroom when importing my files and then export as a jpg. Maybe I need to look into the options when exporting.

I've been reading about colour management over the last few days, trying to get my head around it! Some things are making sense now. I guess this is the case when approaching any new subject. Thanks again.

[donoreo]

I have seen a couple of times in magazines, I know for sure PhotoPlus, perhaps DCM as well, recommending setting it to Adobe.

[GeoffWessex]

Setting the camera to a particular colour space is fine - but it only affects Jpegs, which are 8-bit files and, of course, compressed. So Deena is right - if you shoot Raw the color space setting is irrelevant. If you're shooting Jpegs, the slight difference between sRGB and AdobeRGB is negated by the reduction in colours caused by using an 8-bit file..... though there's a guy at a local photographic shop who keeps saying that Raw is a waste of time!

All in all, though "Colour Management" is perhaps the most difficult part of processing if you want to make quality prints.

[donoreo]

The irony, the same magazines, and in one case the same article, suggests shooting in RAW and Adobe

[craftysnapper]

Originally Posted by deena

Thanks guys for your comments. I shoot in RAW, so if I understand correctly, it doesnt matter what colour space the camera is set at. I use Lightroom when importing my files and then export as a jpg. Maybe I need to look into the options when exporting.

.

Deena, not really as the whole point of shooting in raw is that you can use 16 bit and the ProPhoto colour space when editing the image, which is what you are doing in Lightroom, if you then open it up from LR into Photoshop then bring it back into LR it is still in 16 bit and the widest colour space possible, though it's not often I need to go into Photoshop since using LR.

You can then export it from LR for any use web/ lab prints in the appropriate colour space (in this case srgb) . If its for inkjet printing you can print straight from LR in the printer/paper profile colour space.

That is the beauty of LR everything can be done in the highest bit depth and colour space from one image without needing to generate multiple files that have to be stored away.

Regards Paul

http://www.pbase.com/paulsilkphotography/

[cosmicma]

has anybody taken in to account that quite a lot of cameras are 14 bit and it's the software used on your pc thats 16 bit ?

the way i see the sRGB adbobeRGB thing is the wider the colour gamut the better it allows better colour renditions in the extremes ( more choice for colour shading ) which should give a more natural look to the image

or in simple terms..
use the best the camera has to offer which is adobeRGB and of course RAW
why spend so much on a camera then compromise the quality ?