Nikon D200 default colour rendition

[patriciomurphy]

<p>I own a D200 since two years ago. I bought it used from a friend, a couple of months before the warranty expired.<br>

Well, everybody is happy with the D200 colours, and mostly everyone gets very nice ones indeed, but I was always dissatisfied with the camera output. I overcame the ugly colours with PP, but as I'm aware that I should get a reasonably good image right out of the camera, or at least a working image, I'm still trying to figure out what's going wrong. As of sending it back to Nikon, I want to avoid departing from my camera for not less than a month.<br>

The problem I find is a green/yellowish colour cast. I resetted one of the banks to factory defaults with equal results. This pictures are shot with Auto WB, Adobe RGB as colour space (converted to sRGB in Lightroom), mode II, Sharpening +1 and everything else on zero.<br>

Another thing I noticed is that the images look worse on Adobe soft.<br>

Some tests images as I see them on Lightroom. One thing, Lightroom usually shows me an image that looks quite good while a "loading preview" note is on the screen, but when it loads, it looks like these pictures. Looks like the raw data is good, but then it reads some data that makes the piture look ugly...<br>

<img src="http://www.patriciomurphy.com.ar/foros/pruebas_color/20090222_860.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<img src="http://www.patriciomurphy.com.ar/foros/pruebas_color/20090304_2432.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<img src="http://www.patriciomurphy.com.ar/foros/pruebas_color/20090304_2447.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://www.patriciomurphy.com.ar/foros/pruebas_color/20090516_004.jpg" alt="" width="482" height="720" /></p>

<p><img src="http://www.patriciomurphy.com.ar/foros/pruebas_color/20090516_018.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Any advice, thanks!</p>

 

[wogears]

<p>Oy. Lightroom initially reads the JPEG preview embedded in the NEF, then it renders the thumbnails according to the profile you set for your particular camera. In the Develop module, open a RAW file from your D200. At the Camera Calibration panel, try 'Camera Standard'. If this works, set that profile to be the default for your camera.</p>

[mark_sirota1]

<p>Are you shooting raw or JPEG?</p>

<p>If you're shooting raw, then all those in-camera settings are meaningless (except WB, which looks off here).</p>

<p>If you're shooting JPEG, and you're seeing a change on loading, then you must be applying a Develop preset on import, or you've reset Lightroom's defaults.</p>

[r_johnston]

<p>You can also try an Auto WB, that can warm it up.</p>

[tobey_bilek]

<p>If Les` suggetion does not work, set the camera to factory default settings. Page 97 manual.</p>

<p>I use sRGB and rarely use auto WB except under odd lighting conditions. Set the camera for the conditions at the time.<br>

If the colors taken in sunlight are are wrong and the color taken with flash in flash WB are wrong, then you need a repair.</p>

<p>Without knowing more, I have to say auto WB is the problem as it is with all my Nikons. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.</p>

<p>You might try to see how the image is rendered on the camera back. If it looks good there, there may be some setting problem in Lightroom. I must warn you the camera back is not the best place to preview.</p>

<p> </p>

[patriciomurphy]

<p>Hi, thanks everybody for the helping hand!<br>

Les, I tried the different settings at the Camera Calibration Panel, some are better than others, but I still have to work on getting a usable image. Usually it's just a matter of moving the "tint" slider to the right, so it's not that bif of a deal, but I would like to get it right from the beginning, rather than fiximg it later...<br>

Mark, I'm shooting RAW, that's why I also think it has to do with WB, but what puzzles me is that most of the pictures come out bad, and it doesn't seem normal. I would expect the auto WB to be fooled every now and theh rather than getting it right every now and then...<br>

Robert, do you mean using one of the canned settings?<br>

Tobey, I did a bank reset for al the photographic options with the same results. With flash as key light and WB set to flash it's usually good enough, it's under the sun that it gets worse. Images show OK on the LCD, but on the computer no matter what program I use, I have to correct the colours. Using Capture One, I ended up letting the program choose the WB automatically and starting from there.<br>

Thanks again for the assistance!</p>

[photo5]

<p>I found the Nikon 18-70mm kit lens has a distinct green cast. When I upgraded to the Nikon 16-85mm VR zoom lens that went away. Also I think Color Mode III is slightly green cast, makes green trees and grass look great, but everything else not so great. Color Mode I is slightly better. I also capture RAW in Adobe RGB.<br>

Below is an image shot in Mode III on the D200 processed from a RAW file in Capture NX:<br /> <br /> <img src="http://hull534.smugmug.com/photos/541430384_fK3Zb-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="536" /></p>

<p>And below is the same RAW file changed to Mode I with some minor contrast changes:<br /> <br /> <br /> <img src="http://hull534.smugmug.com/photos/541628837_tviGx-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="536" /></p>

[jay_poel]

<p>Have you tried Nikon Transfer NX or the trial of Capture NX just to see what the photo looks like based on the cameras settings - only the Nikon software will interpret the information from the EXIF data completely.<br>

You can download them at the Nikon site.<br>

Just a thought.</p>

[wogears]

<p>If you email me a RAW file, I'll have a look. wogears at comcast dott net. I'm starting to think you may need a repair or at least a firmware re-install.</p>

[patriciomurphy]

<p>Thanke everybody!<br>

Les, I'm sending you a raw file. I have the latest firmware (2.01), is it possible to do a corrupt install?</p>

[vinh]

<p>Patricio, there are a number of things that I see in your images. I think the colors are very off. There is definitely a green cast, and that might explain why adjusting the hue/tint slider helps (it affects green and magentas). When there is a consistent color cast like this, I'd wonder if it was the lens. The images also appear a bit underexposed. Again, I'm wondering if the lens. Histograms show good exposure, but it might be the individual color channels that make it seem underexposed. The photos do pop if you increase brightness and contrast.</p>

[wogears]

<p>Hi:</p>

<p>Just looked at the NEF--definitely way too green. IF your WB was not mis-set, I would contact Nikon service and get them to look at the images. I think something is out of whack here, and it needs to be fixed. Things actually look worse in Capture NX 2.0.1 than in PS/LR. I fould that the WB setting for 6500K fluorescent worked better than any other!</p>

[patriciomurphy]

<p>Vinh, thanks for the input. I ruled out the lens because it happens with several lenses, from old AI lenses to a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 or an 80-200 f/2.8. As of underexposing, I find my D200 underexposing for about 1 stop. Nikon supposedly calibrated the AE system, but I found no difference at all, so I just usually dial +0.7/1<br>

Les, thank you for taking the time to check the file out. I'll see if next month I can part with the camera and send it in to Nikon.<br>

Thansk everybody for the help</p>

[photo5]

<p>I had to permanently set the exposure on my D200 to +0.3 EV in the menu to get correct exposures with Matrix metering. I haven't tested center weighted metering on it yet, it might be more accurate. I've read that the engineers who designed the metering for the D200 set it to a 12% grey not a 22% as on a grey card.</p>

[michael_deeley]

<p>Patricio,<br>

I shoot RAW with my D200 and use +0.3 exposure and Auto WB-02 setting as recommended by a number of D200 users. Surprisingly, it works quite well for a number of different lighting conditions. Occasionally some minor adjustments in LR. I am sure with a little trial & error you find a solution.</p>

<p> </p>

[patriciomurphy]

<p>Thanks Dave and Michael.<br>

I'll make some tests and try different settings.</p>