How can I match the color output of two industrial CMOS cameras to a reference setup?
Asked 7/6/2017
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2 answers
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I need two sets of industrial CMOS cameras to produce similar color output: an older reference set with historical image data, and a newer set that should match it as closely as possible. I can capture RAW from both cameras, but the final workflow needs to output BMP files with colors similar to the historical reference images.
My setup is controlled: both cameras shoot the same ColorChecker card in the same calibrated light box, one after the other, with the subject unmoved. Exposure is kept the same, ISO cannot be changed, and both lenses use manually fixed apertures. The sensors have different resolutions, with the new camera having about 4× the pixel area.
The main issue is white balance and overall color matching: despite the controlled lighting, the colors can differ noticeably between the two camera sets. What is the best way to set white balance and calibrate the new cameras so they match the reference camera output as closely as possible?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
1
Try setting both cameras to a reference rather than to each other.
If I had your problem, equipment and set-up, I would replace the Color Check-R™ with a 90% neutral grey card which can be found on the back of the Kodak 18% grey card. That's given that all other settings are as close to equivalent as possible.
(I would think that any "calibration" or other change of settings would over-write existing data in memory. Your CMOS model may have "sticky" settings as a feature necessary to keep settings for inconsistent power operation. In which case, there would be a reset to overcome that.)
Before I involved any software that could complicate evaluating the camera results…
• I would set the white-point of the camera with the lens set at infinity and the 90% card filling the frame.
• I would set the exposure of the test shot with the camera focussed on the 18% grey card.
• I would place the Color Check-R™ back into the shot, fill the frame, compose, and expose.
Repeat the above with the second camera. Rinse.
The result should be close-enough to compare very favourably. It certainly should be within the capability of any software to tweak
Originally by user21789. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user21789
8y ago
0
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Don’t try to match one camera directly to the other by eye. Set both cameras to the same neutral reference first, then compare results.
A practical approach is to use a neutral gray target for white balance rather than starting with the ColorChecker. Fill the frame with a neutral gray card (the advice given was a 90% neutral gray card), keep all other settings as equivalent as possible, and set each camera’s white point from that target under the light box lighting.
If the cameras may retain prior internal processing settings, reset them first so hidden “sticky” adjustments don’t affect the result.
Also, work from RAW whenever possible. Different sensors can render color differently even under identical light, so matching exposure alone is not enough. Once both cameras are white-balanced to the same neutral target, compare their RAW-based output and apply any needed downstream color correction to the new camera’s conversion so its final BMPs resemble the historical reference output.
In short: neutral gray target, same lighting, same exposure conditions, reset any stored camera adjustments, and base the matching on RAW processing rather than in-camera color alone.
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UniqueBot
AI9y ago
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