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defaultvere0tprfk48
Participant
October 12, 2021
Answered

RAW images look darker

  • October 12, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 671 views

When I open an image in Adobe Camera Raw the image looks darker than when I open it in different programms.

I uploaded the same image once screenshotted from Canon Photo Professionals 4 and one from Camera raw.

Why do they not look the same? I changed my raw standards to the camera settings. Before that some pictures just look a lot more bland. Now it is better but still darker than usual. 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer D Fosse

Remember that it's exactly the same sensor data. The image isn't really "darker".

 

For camera manufacturers it's a selling point to push the default rendering as much as possible. The brighter image always wins in the store. And then they design their software to match the in-camera rendering.

 

ACR's default settings are conservative. But nothing stops you from increasing the exposure slider to the same level. It's the same data! Nothing bad happens.

 

It's a very common misunderstanding that there is such a thing as an "original" raw image. There isn't; the sensor data always have to be processed and interpreted to produce a recognizable image. Interpretations vary, but Adobe don't need to impress anyone with an immediately "appealing" image. That part is up to you.

2 replies

D Fosse
Community Expert
D FosseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
October 13, 2021

Remember that it's exactly the same sensor data. The image isn't really "darker".

 

For camera manufacturers it's a selling point to push the default rendering as much as possible. The brighter image always wins in the store. And then they design their software to match the in-camera rendering.

 

ACR's default settings are conservative. But nothing stops you from increasing the exposure slider to the same level. It's the same data! Nothing bad happens.

 

It's a very common misunderstanding that there is such a thing as an "original" raw image. There isn't; the sensor data always have to be processed and interpreted to produce a recognizable image. Interpretations vary, but Adobe don't need to impress anyone with an immediately "appealing" image. That part is up to you.

    D
    defaultvere0tprfk48Author
    Participant
    October 13, 2021

    Thank you, that explains a lot! 

    TheDigitalDog
    TheDigitalDog
    Inspiring
    October 12, 2021

    What other raw converters?

    Not at all unexpected that different raw converters render the same raw differently.

    Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
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