> This is called being pedantic. <g> I actually know this. I was thinking about
> all the folks who set their cameras to shoot jpeg and sRGB. I can't recall
> the last time I shot a jpeg. RAW all the time, that's me. <g> Shoot RAW, post
> process in ProPhoto. Gives you the greatest diameter of options when
> contemplating what to do with an image.
Sorry, but Moose was being slow and I couldn't let it sit there and have babies.
If a person is shooting in-camera JPEG, I honestly cannot fathom a
reason why you would ever select aRGB in-camera. And, for me, I am
thinking of the output. I tend to work backwards (does this surprise
anybody?). If the output is sRGB, why subject myself to conversion
steps if I don't need to?
Back to the in camera JPEG with aRGB, there is a HUGE reason to avoid
this combination: JPEG is 8-bit per channel depth. aRGB maps the tonal
curves across those 8 bits in a way that is likely to either end up
with posterization artifacts or a pretty big black hole in the lower
two brightness zones. There is no free lunch. In order to widen the
color gamut, you have to borrow, beg or steal bits from somewhere. If
you are in 16-bit mode, that's fine, but 8-bit doesn't give enough
bits to work with. An in-camera 16/TIFF/aRGB works, but 8/JPEG/aRGB
doesn't.
There is only one caveat to this which I'll mention. Fujifilm is doing
some pretty incredible things with their new X-series of cameras. The
in-camera processing is unlike anything we've seen from anybody else.
I do know that there are some pretty astute "RAW or DIE" photographers
out there who are shooting 8/JPEG/aRGB with their X-cameras with great
success. Part of this is because Fujifilm is doing something
miraculous with the in-camera converters, and also because the final
output is either stock agency (with preferred aRGB) or in-house
printing using aRGB aware drivers The Fujifilm X-files have the
uncanny ability to be shot and processed with minimal color and tonal
shifting--they are VERY much like the original E-1 files that were
also near perfect straight out of camera.
Man, I can't talk any more about those Fujifilm cameras.
AG Schnozz
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