How do I import photos as they are seen on other softwares?

greywoolfe64 wrote on 6/11/2012, 2:01 AM

I'm using Photo & Graphic Designer 7, and when I import RAW files from either my Sony or Pentax camera, the images automatically get re-coloured as if the conditions are really sunny- for example, a picture taken on a cloudy day will show the sky as almost turquoise, rather than the grey it shows as when using the camera's own software. The image also loses its' sharpness. is there a way I can change the settings so that the RAW files can be opened and look like they do when I'm using the cammera's software? I don't want to have to edit the image back to what it shouold be before I change it to what I want!

I'm ruinning the software on Windows 7.

Comments

john-auvil wrote on 6/11/2012, 9:00 AM

I have never noticed this... but I do not have a reference point. What other software is used by the camera?

I only have Adobe PhotoShop and the Xara application as-far-as I know. I do not notice any difference in any photos when importing the raw file direct from the camera. But perhaps... it is something I have never noticed.

What is the make and model of the camera and the software you are noticing the differences with?

greywoolfe64 wrote on 6/12/2012, 12:26 AM

I use a Sony NEX-5N, and my wife uses a Pentax K-5. The software I use to import the images comes bundled with each camera; the Sony software is called PNB, and the Pentax software, if memory serves, is Pentax Photo Lab. The colour taint is more prominent on the Sony pictures, but it still occurs with the Pentax photos as well. We used to own a Leica D-Lux 4 and still keep the RAW images we took with that, and even those images are effected in the same way. With the Sony, the effects are quite marked; a grey, cloudy sky is given an almost turquoise blue hint, suggesting sunlight, and the subject is slightly more golden- as if the software is trying to reproduce a sunny day. The imaging software that came with the cameras doesn't show this colour effect, but they also don't have the ability to crop, manipulate or clone parts of the image, which is why I'd like to use the Xara software to manipulate the RAW files- I won't be able to if this effect cannot be switched off in some way.

It looks as if the images are optimised for video, judging by the colour effects, so I'm wondering if there's some way of changing the optimisation parameters for still images, and if so, whether this will cancel the effects I've noticed.

johnebaker wrote on 6/12/2012, 1:32 AM

As the conversion is done by PMB or PPL then you should refer to the user forums for the software.

If the software is similar to mine for a Canon camera then there is a target conversion preset with some basic adjustments available.

Note I prefer to let Photoshop do the conversion for RAW images

HTH

John

greywoolfe64 wrote on 6/13/2012, 1:43 AM

Hi

As the conversion is done by PMB or PPL then you should refer to the user forums for the software.

If the software is similar to mine for a Canon camera then there is a target conversion preset with some basic adjustments available.

Note I prefer to let Photoshop do the conversion for RAW images

HTH

John

But I don't want to change the settings on the other softwares to make the pictures look as they do in Xara- I want to change the presets in Xara so that the pictures look like they do from the other softwares. The problem is with Xara changing the colour of the RAW images befoe I've even started doing any image manipulation. If I had photoshop, I wouldn't need to use Xara. How do I change the presets on Xara so that my grey skies look grey insted of turquoise?

johnebaker wrote on 6/13/2012, 2:43 PM

AFAICS there is no option to adjust the RAW file import settings, I suspect the software is reading the camera data embedded in the image (eg sunny, cloudy etc settings) and adjusting the image accordingly.

It looks like you will have to convert to a lossless format eg tif or bmp in the cameras software and then edit in Xara.

John