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Re: [OM] Color Balance Conundrum --JPEG was more correct?

Subject: Re: [OM] Color Balance Conundrum --JPEG was more correct?
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:06:03 -0800
On 2/21/2011 12:59 PM, usher99@xxxxxxx wrote:
> "That was too much work--need to remember to shoot some reference with that 
> lens." He just hasn't, remembered, or found
> the time to make the profile, yet. :-)
>
> Moose
>
> Oh, I just got put off by the multiple steps and complications.

I just don't think it has to be that complicated. Maybe, but only maybe, if you 
were shooting products of catalogs, such 
dogged pursuit of theoretical perfection might be justified.

> Had a few e-mail exchanges with a guy who did the profiles for DXO--he said 
> it took him 150 shots to get 3 usable ones. He suggested a preset in the HSL 
> tabs by shooting a white paper with a "neutral lens" and the culpritmacro 
> lens---doesn't seem to always do the job.

That man is an incompetent fool. You just want to correct for variation from 
normal daylight. Shooting a color target in 
the sun is really simple. You just want to shoot straight on, to avoid 
distortion, avoid reflections and keep your 
shadow off it. Now that I think of it, my new tripod will make the second two 
that much easier.

Shoot one with the Viv macro and one with neutral color and about the same 
focal length (Only so you don't have to waste 
time changing the setup.)

> One of the calibration programs Wolf Faust likes is LoCA (that one is free) 
> and better than the simple matrix correction of vuescan.  It does not seem to 
> create profiles that can be used by DXO. ugh. I has since again paid my Adobe 
> dues (educational discount at least :-))  and seem to like to use ACR anyway 
> for non-supported lenses.

I know the search for perfection is what makes you so good at your day job, but 
just try the Vuescan method, and see if 
it doesn't do what you need. I briefly tried another profile maker, LoCA, if I 
recall correctly, and I just couldn't see 
any difference.

So use DXO for conversion, if you want. It doesn't matter. Just open the 
converted file in PS and do the color space 
conversion. Make an Action to do it, and it will just take moments. After all, 
how many images will you be doing this too?

> I still don't like the autocrop after lens corrections in DXO and have 
> trouble having it leave shadows alone, if I want that.

I just have to say it. I just don't think DXO is so great. I know there are 
pros and 'experts' who really like it, but I 
don't see anything like capabilities worth the price, especially of the version 
needed to get one lens profile for my 
"professional" camera.

I get their e-newsletter, and they are regularly touting new features that 
other tools already have. In my test, their 
de-blur was second rate. They talk big, and very high concept, high tech, but I 
don't see it in the results. The latest? 
"Capture One Pro 6.1 now includes contrast adjustments in local adjustments 
layers." Wow! Big news! Except PS has had 
that for many years, at least since at least ver. 5, when I stepped in.

As to eliminating black in the borders of lens distortion corrected images, do 
they auto crop or auto expand? ACR auto 
expands to the original dimensions and I seem to recall DXO does that too? Auto 
crop would be fine with me, but I see no 
reason at all to do a second operation on all those pixels, thus increasing the 
possibility of artifacts.

> Anyway I think this French  firm offers targets and software that works with 
> PS and DXO but is about 4 times the price.  It appears they had something to 
> do with DXO's development.

I'd fully try the simple, cheap solution before shelling out more kale.

> Anyway I was taken aback by the ACR color rendition that was waay worse than 
> the in camera Jpeg for that shot.

I can't speak to that, I have neither a 5DII nor that subject. :-)

> The lens color cast is only a problem with warmer subjects---a deep yellow 
> daylily was rendered almost grungy.

You may be surprised at the change in other subjects, once you get the profiles 
and workflow straightened out.

> I think I am inclined to use the Wolf Faust target and use ACR

There you go!

Well, I've not done it in ACR, but I suppose it would work the same as when I 
do it in PS. In any case, try backing down 
to simplicity and see if it doesn't do what you need.

Color Balanced Moose
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