RAW vs. TIFF/PSD - Completely different look
Dear all,
I already saw, that this seems to be some kind of "known problem" - so far I did not really step into this pitfall but now I am and it seems, that there is no solution.But maybe I am just doing things wrong.
Normally I am perfectly fine with C1, but sometimes I need a little bit more editing tools (e.g. skin retouching for portraits), which C1 does not provide. My normal workflow is: do the basic adjustments in C1, export as TIFF (uncompressed, 16 bit), retouch (e.g in Affinity Photo), maybe do some last polishing in C1 like color grading (which is an optional step), export.
That should be some kind of classical roundtrip as far is I can see.
As said before, so far I did not really notice a huge difference but currently I am working on some black and white pictures and I was totally shocked: the TIFF has much (!) less contrasts than the original RAW file. I also tested PSD, checked out different color profiles and and and, but the result is always the same: especially the highlights are totally missing.
Trying to provide some pictures to make it visible (left-hand side RAW, right-hand side TIFF):
The RAW file has no adjustments or layers except white balance.
The TIFF file also has no adjustments or layer, it is as exported (TIFF, uncompressed, 16 bit).
In the color version there is already some minor variation in contrast and sharpness, but still okay.
If I am using the same BnW Style on both images it becomes really obvious: the RAW file has much more contrast and punch, the TIFF file (even though untouched) is looking pretty flat and also kind of grey-yellowish.
So, maybe I am missing something here or my worklflow is completely wrong. What's the best way to deal with this or what should I change in my settings/workflow to get this issue right?
Thanks a lot in advance, kind regards,
Tobi
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What colourspace is used in generating the TIFF? (Adobe RGB, sRGB, etc.) Have you tried changing that. Also, in the dialog box when you export it as a TIFF, what setting have you used for sharpening?
Ian
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Hi Ian,
thanks for your reply.
As said: I tried different file formats (TIFF and PSD) as well as different color spaces in the "Edit with..." dialogue: sRGB, Adobe RGB. Does not make any difference.
In the "Edit with..." dialogue the sharpening settings are "No output sharpening" - not sure, how it reads in English as I am using the German UI, but it's the default option, not "Disable all".
However, I might have found the mistake in my workflow: before exporting I touched the input tone levels - especially the shadows and the highlights.
I tested again with a RAW file without touching the levels and the TIFF looks much (!!!) better. It's not exactly the same but that's becuase of the missing sharpening and noise reduction in the TIFF file: adjusting those to values comparable to the RAW file (based on the camera model), I get a nearly 100% accurate result - not exactly but very close.
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Your screen shot shows that you have proofing turned on. Depending on the export recipe currently selected, I think that possibly results in output sharpening being applied to the rendering of the raw image.
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However, I might have found the mistake in my workflow: before exporting I touched the input tone levels - especially the shadows and the highlights.
Every change in the levels tool MUST be reflected in the preview of the raw file (your image on the left), otherwise this is a bug in the software. Or did you change the levels tool on the tif file (the right image)?
EDIT: Or did you use the levels tool in Affinity Photo...?
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I have just a hunch that the previews of exported tifs can display differently in C1 according to the zoom level of each preview. Try comparing the raw & the tiff in C1 at 100%.
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Thank you all for your replies,
let me run through you input one by one.
Your screen shot shows that you have proofing turned on. Depending on the export recipe currently selected, I think that possibly results in output sharpening being applied to the rendering of the raw image.
The sharpening indeed is not an issue. As already stated: C1 applies default sharpening and noise reduction setting to the RAW (based on the camera model, I guess). The exported TIFF by default has no sharpening / noise reduction applied - setting those to comparable settings in the TIFF leads to similar results.
Every change in the levels tool MUST be reflected in the preview of the raw file (your image on the left), otherwise this is a bug in the software. Or did you change the levels tool on the tif file (the right image)?
Yes, indeed. That's why I already mentioned, that this was a mistake on my side. Of course touching the levels (darkening the shadows and lighting up the highlights) cuts off information compared to the original file. That was an accident on my side, because the levels tool was collapsed and I did not see, that I already modified those values.
But I can confirm, that completely untouched RAWs exported to TIFFs are nearly 100% accurate. There seems to be some kind of slight cut off within the highlights, but I guess that's normal - at least I think, that the RAW files contain a little bit more information compared to a TIFF.
Try comparing the raw & the tiff in C1 at 100%
Of course, I do. ;)
In short: Seems to be fine so far and the initial problem basically was my own fault. Sorry for that!
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