Problem Preserving Color When Converting Raw (NEF) to JPG

[lee_berlik]

Please let me know what I'm doing wrong. I shot a picture in .NEF

(raw) format, then used Photoshop Elements' Camera Raw Plug-in to make

some adjustments to exposure and saturation. After saving the file in

a different format (I tried JPG, Jpeg 2000, TIFF, and PRAW, and the

results were the same each time), I noticed that the image looked a

lot duller than the adjusted NEF file. Most noticeable is the

decreased saturation. Both the NEF file and the saved alternate

versions were created in Adobe RGB. Why can't I preserve the image

colors when converting to different formats? Is this perhaps a

monitor-calibration issue?

[briany]

Lee, what program are you using to view the resulting file? If you're using Photoshop Elements and embedding the profile, I'd be surprised by this behavior, as I'm guessing it's colorspace aware. If you're using some freeware image viewer, it may be interpreting your image as if it were sRGB, in which case it would indeed look more dull. What happens when you use sRGB rather than Adobe RGB for your RAW conversion.. does the problem persist?

[400bpm]

This would happen to me every time I did the "save for web" function/optimization feature.

<p>

Turns out the culprit was Photoshop's "proofing" settings (it's under the View menu in Photoshop CS2). I assume it's the same in Elements. By default the proofing setup for me was CMYK which has a wider gamut. Switching to "Monitor RGB" gave me the exact same colors as my output JPG.

<p>

Hope this helps!

[bennyboy]

Converting to working srgb prior to save for web also works.

[lee_berlik]

Brian Y, I tried again, this time un-checking the Adobe RGB box in the "Save As" window. It didn't appear to make a difference. As far as I can tell, I'm not telling the program (Photoshop Elements 3.0) to save in sRGB at any point in the process. The picture was shot in Adobe RGB (Mode II in a Nikon D70), and the only check-box when converting to JPG says Adobe RGB. Here's one thing I did notice, though. The properties window for the NEF file indicates a color space of "Untagged RGB," whatever that means. Please keep the suggestions coming! Something's definitely wrong! Thanks.

[lee_berlik]

Brian M-- I did not see any "proofing" settings in Elements. I did notice an "indexed color" mode as an option, which is not selected. (I have "RGB" selected as the mode). I am not saving to web. I am simply trying to "save as."

[lee_berlik]

Here's another thing I just noticed: "Bit depth" of the NEF file is 16; the JPG file says it has a bit depth of 8. Hmmmm...

[andy_j]

I am actually having the same problem with PS CS2. I tried what Brian suggested (changing the "proofing" settings to Monitor RGB) and in my final jpeg photo did look a lot like my orginal RAW/NEF. However, I was not very happy with the results since all the adjustments I made to the image as a raw file where pretty much thrown out the window once I chaged from CMYK to Monito RGB.

I have been taking photos for many years, but I just recently made the move to digital. I am somewhat frustated that what I see and save on Photoshop is not what I see on the web, or what comes back from the lab. I know that I must be doing something wrong along the way. Some one please help!