[Debsy99]

Hi All

Just back from a holiday where I had a great time with my new camera. Generally pleased with my photos (for a first attempt!) and using the basic software that came with the camera I have used the "sharpen" tool mostly. On screen they look just fine, however I have just had some printed at a local superstore and I cannot believe how bright the colour is . The green is a particularly lime-green in some of the pictures ..... ugh!!!!

Can you tell me if this is what I should expect now I'm using a DSLR - should I change a setting - or is it the way they have been processed perhaps?

Thanks for your help,

Debs

[stepheno]

First I'm pleased you had a good holiday and welcome to the world of colour management, profiles and printing. Printing is a minefield dependent on colour profiles, type of paper type of ink etc, etc. If they looked poor on your monitor then I would suggest calibrating your monitor first. However if you are happy with the results on screen straight from the camera then I might look elsewhere to solve the problem. . A certain well-known superstore polled very badly recently for print and colour quality so I would probably try a couple of prints at Jessops or Boots just for a comparison.

I have to be honest and say that there is no easy and quick fix for this problem. It's more a case of trying something and if it doesn't work discount it and move on. Have you a home printer you can try a print off?

[Dabhand16]

Another thing to remember is that the 'ordinary' printing service will usually mean that the machine will try to 'correct' anything it percieves to be out of the ordinary, and it will try to make everything average. Often the printer will produce prints that it 'optimises' itself.

For instance, if you deliberately wanted a blue tint on all of your pictures, and took them with either a blue filter, or appropriate white balance to produce the effect, the machine will read this as a blue cast and try to produce corrected photos.

Also, bearing in mind the inability of a screen to produce the whole colour range, this might account for the differences. Presuming you are shooting in jpeg format, check that your camera is not set to process the images to 'vivid'.

It is usually best to stick to the default settings in the camera untill you get a feel for how it will reproduce pictures. Then only adjust one setting at a time otherwise you will not know what is giving the better results.

I'm not 100% on this, but sharpening is something you would usually do to images for display on a screen rather than printing, because you are usually compressing them and also reducing the file sizes - for e-mail and web , for instance.

[Dave]

Are you able to resize a shot to less than 200K & 1000 pixels on longest side & post up here. That will show if your monitor is showing true colours, as others can check the shot on calibrated monitors

[Debsy99]

Thanks for alll your suggestions on this. I am going to check my camera settings to see if it is indeed set to "vivid" - I know I haven't changed anything like this myself anyway.

I do have a small printer which I have used many times in the past although not since having this camera (which is not very long) - I will try a test print on it to see if there is any improvement - I was in a hurry today which is why I used the superstore!

Unfortunately I don't have any software that would enable me to re-size a photo to post up here, as soon as I do I'll try this and would be very grateful if someone would check it for me. As I say the pics look quite pleasant when I view them on my laptop although there seems to be a slight difference when viewed in picture project or windows viewer.

Just curious - is it difficult to "calibrate" your monitor (sounds complicated!!!)?

Debs

[Dabhand16]

Originally Posted by Debsy99

Thanks for alll your suggestions on this. I am going to check my camera settings to see if it is indeed set to "vivid" - I know I haven't changed anything like this myself anyway.

Just a thought - if you are using the auto mode setting, this might change the camera defaults from the normal to a pre-programmed profile of colour, sharpness etc. It ought to tell you in the manual.

Any D40 owners out there that can confirm this?

[stepheno]

Sorry.....no nowt about Nikon

[j sotelo]

Originally Posted by Dabhand16

Just a thought - if you are using the auto mode setting, this might change the camera defaults from the normal to a pre-programmed profile of colour, sharpness etc. It ought to tell you in the manual.

Any D40 owners out there that can confirm this?

It does in the D80 I'm almost sure it does in the D40

[Debsy99]

Hi again

I did a test print on my own printer and it didn't look much different, colourwise, to the superstore version.

I have been trying to use the camera's different settings i.e. auto, P, A & S (avoiding M at the moment!) and also the "landscape", "sport", "macro" etc.

Prints aren't something I think I will be needing much in the future but hopefully there may come a time when I shoot something good enough to frame (family for example) and so I would like to try and get to the bottom of this.

Debs

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Debsy99

Unfortunately I don't have any software that would enable me to re-size a photo to post up here, as soon as I do I'll try this and would be very grateful if someone would check it for me.

Just PM'd you my email address Debs.....fire over a full size shot & I'll resize for you & post up

[Dave]

Here ya goes ....example shot from Debs



Had a profile of Nikon sRGB when I opened in PS

[Dave]

& EXIF Data

[Image]
Make = NIKON CORPORATION
Model = NIKON D40X
Orientation = top/left
X Resolution = 300
Y Resolution = 300
Resolution Unit = inch
Software = Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows
Date Time = 2007-06-27 15:40:37
YCbCr Positioning = centered
Exif IFD Pointer = Offset: 228

[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/125"
F Number = F9
Exposure Program = Not defined
ISO Speed Ratings = 200
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2007-06-19 14:15:25
Date Time Digitized = 2007-06-19 14:15:25
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Max Aperture Value = F3.48
Metering Mode = Pattern
Light Source = unknown
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 18mm
User Comment =
Subsec Time = 0.90"
Subsec Time Original = 0.90"
Subsec Time Digitized = 0.90"
Flashpix Version = Version 1.0
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 800
Exif Image Height = 536
Sensing Method = One-chip color area sensor
File Source = DSC
Scene Type = A directly photographed image
CFA Pattern =
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Auto exposure
White Balance = Auto white balance
Digital Zoom Ratio = 1x
Focal Length In 35mm Film = 27mm
Scene Capture Type = Landscape
Gain Control = None
Contrast = Normal
Saturation = Normal
Sharpness = Hard
Subject Distance Range = unknown

[Dave]

No one gonna offer an opinion then ?

On my my laptop screen the colours , although vibrant amongst the hedge greens, don't look too OTT . From this I would suggest the printers are at fault

[stepheno]

Well i took the liberty of dropping the saturation a bit but it's difficult not knowing what it naturally looks like. If Debs is getting the same on monitor and print I would suggest it must be the in-camera settings. Canon now has picture styles which can alter stuff like that - does Nikon have the same?

[Dave]

Now your version looks correct for an overcast day Stephen, but I just now how bright those hedges can be in the summer ......come on Debs, put us out of our misery ...which shot represents the real life view ?