AdobeRGB VS sRGB colour space

J-see

Senior Member
I have the D750 at sRGB and the D810 at aRGB but for shooting itself, or for the RAW, it makes no difference. Even for the editors it doesn't since they either have their own color space (LR and RT use Prophoto) or allow you to decide which one to use.

For export it makes a difference.

Best is to pick the widest for your editor and save using the color space best equipped for the ultimate use of that shot. What you set the cam to is, when it comes to RAW, not very important in all but a few situations.
 
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Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I have decided to change my camera settings to AdobeRGB after some research, also in Lightroom I now have two seperate export settings - AdobeRGB for Printing, sRGB for internet.

If you are unsure what I am talking about have a read here - https://fstoppers.com/pictures/adobergb-vs-srgb-3167
I prefer to process in 16-bit aRGB and have for a long time now. For shots going to my lab for printing I call and discuss what they want ahead of time and provide what they suggest.


I had forgotten all about that thread!

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10 Gauge

Senior Member
So if I am putting this all together correctly, the best color profile to shoot in is aRGB and convert to sRGB in post for export for internet posting, etc?
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
So if I am putting this all together correctly, the best color profile to shoot in is aRGB and convert to sRGB in post for export for internet posting, etc?
Technically speaking I believe that is the most correct answer.

Personally, I use aRGB exclusively, even for posting, but I don't always suggest people do as I do.
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10 Gauge

Senior Member
Do modern browsers handle aRGB correctly? The articles I read showing some examples, showed how muted a browser would make an aRGB photo look when it performed the conversion to sRGB.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Do modern browsers handle aRGB correctly? The articles I read showing some examples, showed how muted a browser would make an aRGB photo look when it performed the conversion to sRGB.
Which is why I said using sRGB is, probably, the most technically correct answer. You could look at my 365; my shots are taken in aRGB and have embedded aRGB profiles but I don't want you shooting aRGB based on my post(s).

The best answer, truly I think, is that you should do some of your own testing and decide for yourself what works best for you. I reeeeally prefer people NOT take my word for anything I throw out here on the forums. I do what I do the way I do because I've tried different things and stick with what I like, what works for me. I suggest you do the same.
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10 Gauge

Senior Member
Well I'm definitely going to start playing around with it now and see which route I like better. Something I've never given a thought too in the past.
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
This thread has been very interesting, but after reading the thread on printing @ Nations #10 particularly, it brings up more confusion in my photography life. Ha! I don't have LR or PS, etc. but do use View NX D and GIMP (Sometimes RT) for processing. I had just changed the Colorspace setting in my camera to adobeRGB, but haven't shot anything in that mode. Then I saw the printing thread and Nations wants sRGB. Is it the consensus of most that it is better to shoot in adobeRGB and convert to sRGB in PP for printing or just shoot in sRGB and print. I think I am seeing both arguments. Probably I will have to just play and see for myself, but of course, any recommendations are always appreciated and considered. (I don't like spending money to experiment (Processing). Ha!)

And are there any processing labs that use AdobeRGB for printing?

Seriously :confused:
 

ryan20fun

Senior Member
Well I follow the advice of the guy on "Nothlight Images", And that is to use as big a colour space as posible and to work in 16bit.
The large(er) colour space is good if your camera can produce colours outside of a givin colour space.
So aRGB can hold more "colours" then sRGB.

sRGB for web because you need a modern browser to read the embeded colour profile otherwise the colours will look washed out if the colour space is bigger then sRGB.

HTH
 

Blade Canyon

Senior Member
This was the most helpful comment following that article:

When you shoot in RAW you shoot in... RAW. There is no color space or color management. It is only RAW data. First time color space is used is when LR or ACR displays(!) that RAW data on your screen using AdobeRGB. However the file still is not limited to any color space. After applying adjustments in LR or ACR you can export to file limited by chosen color space. The biggest is ProPhotoRGB which is best for farther image manipulation. If it is exported for print AdobeRGB is enough and if it is going for WEB it must be sRGB.

And here is Ken Rockwell's take on the issue (give him a chance here, he explains his background in color space management):

sRGB vs. Adobe RGB
 

Blade Canyon

Senior Member
Now I'm really confused. I opened a pic in PS that had been shot in RAW on my D800 and manipulated in ACR and PS CC. Just now PS CS5.1 (on my work machine... CC is at home) I opened the JPEG file from that RAW that I had uploaded to Flickr.

When I clicked File/Save, there is a box in the bottom of the Save window that was checked, and it said "ICC Color Profile: Adobe RGB (1998)." So this time I unclicked that box and saved the file under a different name, assuming it would now be sRGB and therefore possibly more vibrant in a browser. The new file, however, is MUCH duller than the original.

Also, I checked the PS Edit/Color Settings, and the working space is set to sRGB, but the RGB "Color Management Profile" is set to Preserve Embedded Profiles. So I guess that's why the Save File box was checked for Adobe RGB.

Up until a few weeks ago, I had been shooting in AdobeRGB but never checked my output profiles from PS. Maybe this is a good weekend to do a bunch of tests.
 
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ryan20fun

Senior Member
Yeah, but if I unclick it, the output file becomes very dull when viewed in Windows Media Viewer, so it must have some effect on how the file is opened.

Thats because Windows Media Viewer uses the embeded colour profile.
Try opening it with PS and then assign aRGB as the colour profile and you will find the colours like they should be.

HTH
 
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