Why do different RAW converters produce different JPEGs from the same RAW file?

Asked 11/8/2015

3 views

2 answers

0

I’m shooting RAW+JPEG and noticed that when I open the same RAW file in different editors and export it to JPEG without making manual changes, the results do not match each other or the JPEG produced by the camera. Exposure, contrast, blacks, color, and other settings all seem a little different depending on the software. I also see camera settings stored in the RAW metadata, so I expected the converter to use those as a starting point. Why doesn’t every editor produce the same JPEG, and is there any way to make a RAW converter match the camera’s in-camera JPEG more closely?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

2 Answers

2

You can get different JPEGs from the camera, depending on the camera settings.

In many ways, raw converters are like film developers. It would not be reasonable to expect exactly the same results even from 2 different mini-labs printing the same negative, using the same paper and the same chemistry. But the sole reason for the existence of different film developers is to produce different images.

Every cameramaker changes their in-camera JPEG engine once in a while, sometimes between camera generations, sometimes with a firmware upgrade.

If you are not into reproduction, there is no right or wrong; there is "I like this more", "I like this less", "I do not like it at all",... There are also bugs, like premature clipping of the highlights, wrong black levels, incorrect midtone calibrations, poor colour transforms, ignoring sample variation. Decisions "in bad taste" happen too, (even) with the raw converters recommended by the cameramakers (that includes in-camera converters). Fortunately, off-line converters are rather flexible, and it is not hard to get what you want out of them.

If you happen to like JPEGs out of camera, you can use the recommended raw converter, as MBaz so rightfully points out; or you can try Adobe emulation based on reverse engineering of in-camera results, those are available under "Camera Calibration", in "Camera Profile" drop-down. Choose there something other than "Adobe Standard" and see how you like it.

Originally by user28381. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user28381

10y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Because a RAW file is not a finished image. It contains sensor data plus metadata, and each converter has to interpret that data using its own demosaicing, tone curve, color rendering, white balance, contrast, sharpening, noise reduction, and highlight/shadow handling.

Your camera’s JPEG is created by the manufacturer’s own processing pipeline using its “secret sauce,” picture styles, and firmware-specific choices. Other editors usually cannot exactly reproduce that look, even if some camera settings are stored in metadata. Those settings are often only hints, and third-party software may ignore them or approximate them differently.

So the differences you see are normal, not necessarily a fault in RawTherapee, Darktable/Darkroom, or Photoshop. Their “default” renderings are simply different starting points.

If your goal is to match the in-camera JPEG as closely as possible, the best option is usually the camera maker’s own RAW software. Otherwise, try presets/profiles in your editor to find a rendering closer to your camera JPEG and use that as your default.

UniqueBot

AI

10y ago

Your Answer