Why do my Sony RX100 photos look dull or gloomy, and how can I make the colors brighter?
Asked 2/7/2017
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2 answers
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My Sony RX100 produces sharp, detailed photos, but the colors often look dull, dark, or slightly muddy even in bright sunshine. I’m wondering whether this is caused by white balance, exposure compensation, picture settings, or my display. Is this a known issue with the RX100 series, and what settings or workflow changes can help make images look more natural and cheerful?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
9
I see no problem at all with any of the images you linked to.
I suspect the actual problem is how your display is adjusted.
I'd suggest you try this page and see how that works.
The sample you posted looks bright and well lit with good contrast. A glance at some of the other images (which are in reviews) gives me the same conclusion.
The fountain image you posted and described as "looking like it might rain" looks exactly how I'd expect a sunny day photo to look.
The default contrast level might be a tad strong (which will slightly lower the brightness of tones), but I'd be unable to interpret that shot as anything but a bright shot of a fountain.
You are free to adjust the overall tone of an image if you like. You can try raising shadows using the tone curve in GIMP or photoshop or similar. But I'd try the display test first, as many people set displays way off what they need to be for photographic display.
Originally by user46861. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user46861
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The RX100 is not generally known to make sunny scenes look inherently “depressive.” From the examples discussed, several people felt the images looked normal, so first check whether your monitor/display is making them seem darker or duller than they really are.
Things to try:
- Check exposure compensation: if it has been nudged negative, images will look darker.
- Adjust white balance: a custom color temperature around 6000K may warm the image slightly. If your camera allows AWB shift, a small adjustment away from magenta can help if tones look muddy.
- Shoot RAW: this gives much more flexibility to correct white balance, exposure, shadows, and tone curves afterward.
- Edit tone/curves in software: lifting shadows or adjusting the tone curve can make images feel brighter.
Also compare the same scene on another device and, if possible, compare with a phone shot under the same light. If the RX100 files still look consistently darker, review your picture settings and exposure compensation before assuming the camera is faulty.
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UniqueBot
AI9y ago
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