Why such poor quality saturation and contrast with NEFs?

Having used Lightroom since the beginning, I'm at my wits end.
Ever since Lightroom 1, I've noticed that ACR does a really -really, bad job handeling NEFs when you push contrast and saturation, especially in regards to certain colors (reds, yellows, and blues).
I thought for a long time it was my side, originally using a consumer DSLR (D50), but it affects every NEF I've ever imported, from any Nikon body up to D4.
The saturation gets chunky with little effort (even after attempting to correct via the Calibration panel), the same when pushing contrast. Not pushing it beyond the files' limits, just a simple s-curve.
When importing other RAW formats, this is less often the case.
It's really frustrating to be able to rely on Lightroom doing and adequate job 75% of the time, and it makes me look bad in front of clients.
Has/ does anyone else run into this? Does anyone have any ideas, or tips as to avoiding this?
I really hate the UI of C1, but since it has started implementing cataloging I am getting more and more enticed to switch over completely, as even when I push things waaay too contrasty or overly saturated the results are still miles better.
I'm an unabashed Adobe fanboy with fond memories of the introduction of Levels (Oooooo) back in the day, but I'm feeling I've been pushed to a point where I have to default to whatever program does a better job handeling RAW info, and ACR is not cutting it at a professional level.

Well, I don't know how to explain it any better, I feel I put it pretty straight forward, however here's an example from a small lookbook. The red is not accurate, everything else is.
The only thing I've ever come up with is possibly some 'Out of Gamut Warning' option that I haven't found to disable, twenty_one. However, no, I do know Lightroom VERY well, just not 100%, maybe 95%. When Soft proofing for monitor, all colors in the example are within gamut in sRGB, AdobeRGB, and my calibrated monitor color space.
I've almost exclusively run into this with NEFs, I've used Lightroom with Canon, PhaseOne backs, Leaf backs, Fujis, and more. Oh, and I am a pro, and have worked a wide range of clients from Harper's, Elle, and BEBE, to RED, Playboy and more -not to toot my horn, but to establish I'm not a green.
I'm on Lightroom 5, current build.
Typically I stay with the Adobe Standard Profile or Portrait, but none seem to help this particular issue.
Not sure what sort of NEFs Nikon produced in '76, but I to have been with Adobe since Photoshop 2. I'm viewing on a calibrated monitor in good viewing conditions. I don't print, this is most commonly an issue with lookbooks and catalogs when they need perfect color, the issue remains when viewed on other monitors. I've also tested images on my studio's Eizo CG276 and run into nealry exactly the same results (nearly in that there are pixels of difference, however it's a different size than my normal editing monitor).

Similar Messages

Over saturated and contrast with previews in Aperture 3.4.5

When I import photos from my Nikon D700 I import both RAW and JPEG with RAW as the master. The initial previews are great, but as soon as aperture updates the preview it becomes over saturated with too much contrast. I have tried post import processing with both Aperture and Camera presets with the same result. I have followed other similar threads that go into the technical details of what a preview is, this is fine, but what I want to know is what I'm doing that stops me from keeping the original good preview image. Can anyone tell me exactly where the initial preview was generated adn how to keep it?
Cheers
P.S. i have temporarily disabled this terrible change by toggling 'P'

Can anyone tell me exactly where the initial preview was generated adn how to keep it?
Haggy72,
as you have seen the many threads on previews, I am sure, you know already, that the initial preview is the preview generated by your camera. It reflects all raw processing and all effects set in your camera, but it does not show, what the unprocessed raw image is like.
Aperture will create a preview, that is showing excatly, how the raw image will look, without any edits applied. When you are using the raw as original image file, it is necessary, that the preview (and the thumbnail) will show you the raw image as it is. How else are you to know, what edits will be necessary to create the image you want?
if you want to keep the original, camera generated preview, use the jpeg as original image file. That image is a high resolution version of the preview you like.
-- Léonie

AE CS4 - why such poor RAM preview on my FAST machine?

Hi all, I just installed After Effects CS4 - I have a smokin fast mchine: quadcore Zeon 3.20 GHz, hyperthreading turned on, nvidia quadrofx 3800 with current driver, 12 GB DDR3 RAM, windows 7 64bit ... can you PLEASE help me troubleshoot a problem: even on the simplest compositions, a moving picture or a moving piece of type, the RAM preview stutters along, the current time indicator hops along at a choppy pace, images in the frame dont look like they're moving smoothly, and all i get is about 6 seconds of RAM preview ... seems to me that I used to get better performance on a MUCH MUCH slower machine under windows XP ... i have looked around the forums and seem the advice on multiprocessor options and the like, but nothing I do seems to help ... do any of you have any advice for me to improve my performance??? if you have any questions about my setup or preferences, let me know, I will be on this until I get what I expect out of my (otherwise incredibly fast) machine

Hi Todd, thanks again for your reply ... FYI, I bought the FX3800 for Avid editing, for which it is the qualified video card, and supports distributed processing in the Avid along with my DX HD hardware BOB - I had hoped it would work well with After Effects, too, but I do understand the Adobe is very transparent about the fact that, as long as your card has OpenGL support, probably best to sink your $$$ into more RAM or faster CPU .. but to stay on topic, I am just very stunned that I am not getting better playback with my system ... I have the most recent Nvidia drivers ... I have 2 NEC 2490WUXi2 each connected through DVI-D to my video card, each runnign at its native 1920x1200 res, 59 hertz ... the programs I have installed are Adobe CS4 Production Premium, Win7 64bit, MS Office 2007 Enterprise, latest version of Quick Time, Media Player version 11, and NERO 9 ... you dont think that one of these video player apps (like media player or QT) are messing with my screen performance do you? what about Nero 9, have you heard any compatibility or display problems associated with this app? would unistalling any of these programs be a troubleshooting technique that you'd attempt?
Finally, when you say "an issue with a bottleneck of drawing to the screen" what do you mean exactly? 'cause this kinds sounds like a goood description of what I am seeing ... what might be the cause of such a bottleneck, I am willing to try anything ...
Thanks, sir, for your reply!
Derek Reid
Trader Multimedia Inc.
www.tradermm.com
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:46:43 -0600
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: AE CS4 - why such poor RAM preview on my FAST machine?
Just one thing to cut down a frequent misconception:
Your nice graphics card doesn't do much for After Effects performance.In fact, trying to use OpenGL for rendering (including rendering of previews) can cause problems.
I recommend turning OpenGL rendering off for all but interactions. I.e., choose the http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/9.0/WSAF696587-2D81-42e2-B248-4C5C2B7D3614a.html and turn off http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/9.0/WS3878526689cb91655866c1103a4f2dff7-79e8a.htm l. OpenGL is not compatible with Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously multiprocessing.
I'm not saying that OpenGL is your problem. Rather, because you mentioned your nice graphics card, I just had to stress that you need to forget about that with regard to After Effects. It's not really relevant.
It may be that the jerkiness is an issue with a bottleneck of drawing to the screen. (I don't know, but it's possible.)
Your hard disk being too slow wouldn't be an issue with RAM previews, since the frames are all cached in RAM.
>

Why such poor streaming on ATV3 with Netflix?

I have the latest ATV3 hooked up via ethernet to my airport extreme with 60 Mbs download speeds. There is a lot of banding and compression artifacts streaming 1080p material on Netflix. Itunes HD, Vimeo HD material along with Trailer App HD material look fine with no such problems. When watching the same Netflix HD material on my Boxee Box, I see no such banding or artifacts. Seems to be issues still ongoing streaming Netflix material on the ATV.

Well, I don't know how to explain it any better, I feel I put it pretty straight forward, however here's an example from a small lookbook. The red is not accurate, everything else is.
The only thing I've ever come up with is possibly some 'Out of Gamut Warning' option that I haven't found to disable, twenty_one. However, no, I do know Lightroom VERY well, just not 100%, maybe 95%. When Soft proofing for monitor, all colors in the example are within gamut in sRGB, AdobeRGB, and my calibrated monitor color space.
I've almost exclusively run into this with NEFs, I've used Lightroom with Canon, PhaseOne backs, Leaf backs, Fujis, and more. Oh, and I am a pro, and have worked a wide range of clients from Harper's, Elle, and BEBE, to RED, Playboy and more -not to toot my horn, but to establish I'm not a green.
I'm on Lightroom 5, current build.
Typically I stay with the Adobe Standard Profile or Portrait, but none seem to help this particular issue.
Not sure what sort of NEFs Nikon produced in '76, but I to have been with Adobe since Photoshop 2. I'm viewing on a calibrated monitor in good viewing conditions. I don't print, this is most commonly an issue with lookbooks and catalogs when they need perfect color, the issue remains when viewed on other monitors. I've also tested images on my studio's Eizo CG276 and run into nealry exactly the same results (nearly in that there are pixels of difference, however it's a different size than my normal editing monitor).

Poor quality Skype Video Calls with good connectio...

suffering with Poor quality Skype Video Calls and also voice.
My connection is 8 mb Download and .6mp upload, my wife in another country has Fiber so is alot faster again.
I am using Windows 8.1 and also a Ipad Air, same issues on both.
The Windows Pc has a nice microsoft Hd webcam (not one of the cheapones) using a i7 pc with 16g of Ram and a Gaming Graphics Card.
There is very little software on the pc, a couple of games, no itunes, Downloading software and very little running in the background. I use Window Defender and Anti virus and have recently done a re instal of windows and everything is updated driver and software wise, including skype.
The Ipad is the Apple air.
When connecting to my Wife in the Uk the reception isnt great picture wise and after a little while gets bad and also disconects alot and then comes back with a worse picture and call quality. I have even had the bad connection pop up. I have ran speed tests at these points and all are showing fine.
I also have a issue when calling my Dads land line in the uk where he has trouble hearing what im saying, muffled and echos
I am a premium paying customer and started to get a bit frustrated.

@Furgan, in which country are you located? Some countries and ISP-s are shaping Skype traffic. One known country is Saudi Arabia for example.
If would help us if you could please reproduce the issue and provide logs as described in this link https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA12321/how-do-i-create-log-files under Skype for Windows Desktop and attach it to your post?
Thank you

Poor quality Export for HD with moving objects

When I export from iMovie6 any moving image is very poor quality. I am using a Sony HDR-HC1 and trying to export at the highest possible settings.
When the image is still the quality is very good, but if anything moves the image goes "wobbly" and "jigsaw" like. Panning shots are hopeless and anyone walking in the shot goes wobbly.
The original capture image seems fine, so I assume it is an exporting problem. Exporting at lower setting, ie for an iPod, the image is great.
I have tried all different setting, some are better than others.
Can anyone help?

Your description of the problem - a 'comb' effect - sounds as if the "fields" which make up the resultant picture have been put together in reverse.
(..You don't normally see 'interlaced' video in iMovie's playback window - you normally see just a single field of the two, to make the picture clearer and simpler to display..)
[..A video picture's generally made up of two "fields" which each comprise half the number of lines down the screen: one field comprises the odd-numbered lines, and the other the even-numbered ones. Your exported video should be encoded with the lower (2nd) field first ..as described in this Apple document ..and the problem's mentioned here as well..]
However ..you said in your first post that "..I am using a Sony HDR-HC1 and trying to export at the highest possible settings.."
This is an HDV camcorder, and you didn't say if the original footage which you shot was HDV or normal DV. (HDV is recorded differently from normal DV, as it's recorded in a more compressed format, and it has to be automatically 'unscrambled' by Apple's Intermediate Codec while you're importing it into iMovie HD.)
It seems as if somewhere along the chain of importing>editing>exporting, the fields are being reversed, so that you get this jumpiness on replay when QuickTime tries to deliver a "highest quality" interleaved replay of both fields:
Ah ..sudden thought: you mentioned that you exported thro' iDVD: "..I have used iDVD by dropping it into a DVD theme and it seems to work ok, although the playback is a little jumpy, not quite as good I would have expected.."
You may have left the iDVD settings at their default 'NTSC' instead of switching them to PAL.
Check your iDVD Preferences ..that may be the problem.

Very poor quality on photos made with iphone 4

Since a few weeks i've noticed that photos made with my iPhone 4 have a very poor quality. I've upgraded to IOS 4.3.2 thinking about a software problem, but the quality is still very poor. It´s like out of focus. I submit a just made photo. Any answer? Thanks a lot.
This photo is made with original photo app and no zoom.

Only thing I can think of is a focus problem (which could be software) or a lens with some junk on it that causes some blurring.
Can't offer a solution but can make some suggestions.
Take different types of pictures and, just for variety in case it reveals something, take two of each - one touching the screen and then one after touching for comparison.
Do close-ups and distance shots. Do indoor and outdoor, with and without flash on the indoor - again, of the same thing so you can compare.
Might reveal a pattern. If all are bad, then it probably goes back to the lense or software not working.
If some come out fine, it would seem to reduce the chance of it being the lens being dirty or something. On the other hand, if close up shots look good but distant ones don't, it could be either software or the internal focusing hardware isn't adjusting enough for distant shots.
Just some things to consider.

Poor Quality of PDF pages with Folio Builder

Hi,
New to DPS. First impressions are very good.
However, when adding an Indesign page to Folio Builder as an article with the format set to PDF(to enble pinch and expand on iPad), the tiff images that are included in the Indesign page are displayed in very poor quality??
When I change the format to PNG or JPEG, in the article, the same images are displayed on the iPad with excellent quality - however, I dont have the pinch and expand functionality, which is what I require!!
I would really appreciate any solutions or suggestions on how this issue can be resolved.
Indesign CS5.5, MAC OSX 10.7, iMac
Regards,
Iain....

Which iPad are you viewing your test articles on? Remember that the resolution for iPad 1 & 2 is 1024px x 768 px, while the iPad 3 resolution is 2048px x 1536px. Your images need to be formatted accordingly. Also check your image scale parameters. Anything above 100% scale of the original image will reduce the image quality. You can check this in InDesign before you ever test your article on the device. Simply press Command+1 to view actual pixel size and set your Display Performance to High Quality and you should be seeing something very close to what the final result will be. Also check that your images are RGB as well. Hope this helps.

Poor quality DVD and img

Both the burnt DVD and the.img copy have very poor quality when played. It is particularly noticeable on the text which acts as a link to the other parts of the DVD. The preview is fine and the encoder is set to "best quality" ..HELP!

I'm looking for answers too: Having the best possible dv-quality raw material, I am puzzled that iDVD chooses to only use 1.2 GB of the 4.3 GB available on the DVD - even though I use the "Quality"-mode instead of best performance!
The loss of quality really is visible - also on tv!
/Jan
PB12 1.33 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.4) Modified HD Hitachi 7200 rpm 60 GB

Saturation and contrast differences

I need to understand this...someone help please! How come I have to stretch my adjustments to ridiculous amounts (I do mean to the max) in Aperture in order for them to show up (sometimes barely show up at all!!) in the browsers? I can't even judge their appearance properly while looking at the photographs in Aperture. I am exporting "versions" and have selected the version itself to be exported. It seems almost not worth the while to do any adjustments in Aperture and to simply throw all pics in PS.
Is this normal?
MBP Mac OS X (10.4.8)

hello, marie in china
quote: "I can see the changes/adjustments perfectly in Aperture and usually tweak the images to my taste rather quickly, but the adjustments seem to go out the window when the version is exported and put into a browser."
so, if I understand you correctly, the photos you are seeing in a browser like Safari or Omniweb or Firefox etc look different than what you see in Aperture?
this is ok. to fix this set your export Image Quality higher and to the correct ColorSync Profile. do a few exports to your desktop until the photograph is the way you want it and then upload the jpeg to the site.
File>Export>Export version or shift apple e
Export preset: select JPEG and Edit...select appropriate settings
OR,
do you mean that the Aperture browser photographs look different than what you see in the Viewer?
victor

Why are my photos i receive from iphoto and aperture such poor quality? On my iMac, they look fine, but when i get the pictures, they are awful. The color looks like there's a gray fog on them, and they're not focused well.

I use 2 great cameras, download them to iphoto, and now trying aperture. I edit the photos, they look fine, order pictures, and they are terrible! Looks like there's a gray haze on them, their dark, color is awful. Please help me out here!

What service are you using?
What is the color space of the image? If it is AdobeRGB, try using sRGB.

Analog capture into DV format. Why such small files? Why the poor quality?

I am capturing 8mm video cassettes with an "ADVC 3000" converter, using an S-Video into the converter and then via FireWire into my PowerMac G5.
All is almost going well, but the files seem to take up so little space on my Hard Drive. That's a good thing, but I'm wondering if it's recording into Digital Video or not since the files seem so small. Smaller than normal for DV at least, or maybe I'm just paranoid.
In the scratch files, when I press Command-I for information, the Codecs on the QuickTime files are DV/DVCPRO-NTSC, Interger (Big Endian), Timecode.
So I'm guessing they are DV files even though they look like crap.
My question is this though. When I put these old analog tapes on iDVD, burn it, and put it in my DVD player, the quality of my video looks pretty crappy on my hi-def television. But when I watch them on my computer in a tiny window (the tinier the better), the video looks great. A large window, or my Television, gives a bad picture. My theory is that it's my hi-def television and computer monitor, and that on an old Analog TV set, the videos would look much sharper.
Should I play 8 mm analog video, converted to DV in Final Cut Pro, on an older Analog T.V. set for best viewing results?
Anyone have any comments to share on the science of this?

Yoshiman,
Forgive me if you did know this, the TBC is a Time Base Corrector. (I am pretty sure corrector is right). Anyway, the 8mm has time code striped on it with the image information. If the playback device is not able to read the time code, the picture quality suffers. (remember tracking adjustments?).
The TBC will intercept the time code coming from the tape and provide accurate, consistent time code to the system. I use one from DataVideo, and have been happy with it whenever I have to work with old tapes. If you have a lot of tapes to capture, you might look into one.
My two disclaimers: this is a very general explanation, I simply don't know the physics of what's going on, and secondly I am not a power user of FCS, but have gotten so much from this forum I am trying to give a little back. Take what I bring to the table with that in mind - I'm proficient, but not an expert.

Why is the camera such poor quality to take still pictures.

I have been trying other a
Apps to see if the quality of the still shots can get better.
No such luck. It just looks like a grainy picture.
Is there anything that can make this take good still pictures?
Especially for the price you pay for one of these things?

Yes I must admit the camera on the Iphone is very good.
Yes the Ipad is well bait big to hold in the palm of your hand so to speak.
But it would be nice to be able to take a quick snap if a picture becomes apparent.
It would have been nice to have the Iphone camera in the Ipad2.
Oh well just have to be disappointed about this feature.
Question to any one. Is there an app that allows you to take a picture from a movie you made on the Ipad2 at all?
As the camera picture is clear enough for me when I pause it.
Thanks

Why is the TV episode I downloaded such poor quality

I downloaded an episode of Greys Anatomy from itunes for the first time yesterday. It is out of time, the sound is echoey and unwatchable. Is this a common problem? My computer is brand new.

The cable is covered by the same warranty as the iPhone

Bad quality audio and video with Skype

Hi,
while making a Skype video call via WiFi using my Z1 Compact my conversion partner complained about the bad audio (very low) and video (poor resolution) quality. I than changed to IPhone 4s from my wife and my conversion partner said the quality was much better.
As I was using the same network the problem cannot lay on the connection.
Is there a known sw bug using Skype on the Z1 Compact?
My skype version: 4.9.0.45564.

If you only have these issues regarding video and audio quality when using Skype then you would be best to speak with the developer of that application as they would keep their own records of such issues.
What are your thoughts about this forum? Let us know by doing this short survey.
- Official Sony Xperia Support Staff
If you're new to our forums make sure that you have read our Discussion guidelines.
If you want to get in touch with the local support team for your country please visit our contact page.

Why such poor quality saturation and contrast with NEFs?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for