Which Color Space to Use?

DF
Posted By
Drew Faber
Oct 7, 2005
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351
Replies
2
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Closed
I’m getting a new Canon EOS 5D! It supports Adobe RGB and sRGB. (5D Specs: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelTechSpe csSupportAct&fcategoryid=215&modelid=11933 )

I will be mostly shooting pictures of people having the intent to display versions on the Web and to make prints for customers.

Which color space would be best for those two purposes? Would switching color spaces for each use make sense? If yes, then which color space for which purpose?

Thank you very much,
Drew Faber
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J
Jim
Oct 7, 2005
I use Adobe RGB for all images. It has a wider gamut than sRGB hence you can always create an sRGB image if needed. The reverse is not quite correct because you will lose some color accuracy.
Jim
"Drew Faber" wrote in message I’m getting a new Canon EOS 5D! It supports Adobe RGB and sRGB. (5D Specs: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelTechSpe csSupportAct&fcategoryid=215&modelid=11933 )

I will be mostly shooting pictures of people having the intent to display versions on the Web and to make prints for customers.

Which color space would be best for those two purposes? Would switching color spaces for each use make sense? If yes, then which color space for which purpose?

Thank you very much,
Drew Faber
—
BH
Bill Hilton
Oct 8, 2005
Drew Faber writes

I’m getting a new Canon EOS 5D! It supports Adobe RGB and sRGB

The camera captures colors in its native space or gamut (which will be wider than either sRGB or ARGB) and the in-camera jpeg converter can convert to either sRGB or AdobeRGB … if you’re shooting RAW you can convert to any working space you have loaded if using a converter like Capture One, or if using Photoshop you can convert to one of four spaces with their converter. But it’s misleading to say the camera ‘supports ARGB and sRGB’, all that means is that’s what the in-camera jpeg conversion is limited to.

Which color space would be best for those two purposes? … I will be mostly shooting pictures of people having the intent to display versions on the Web

sRGB for the web …

… and to make prints for customers.

If you have one of the 6, 7 or 8 color inkjets you can take advantage of the wider gamut of AdobeRGB, but if you’re printing at Wal-Mart or similar or at an on-line shop they’ll expect sRGB.

Would switching color spaces for each use make sense?

Sure, the different spaces are for different purposes so this makes sense and many of us do it all the time, working primarily in a wider gamut space and converting to sRGB for the web for example. If you shoot RAW you can decide later in the flow, or you can convert a RAW file multiple times into different spaces.

Bill

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