DeepPRIME processing colour change?

I have processed a number of Nikon D850 uncompressed RAW files through the latest version of PureRAW 2 standalone (2.5.0 build 13, MacOS Ventura 13.2.1) with all module corrections applied.

See below. Left to right - DeepPRIME DNG output, SOOC JPEG (Nikon Flat), SOOC RAW.

I’ve not noticed the colour/ colour contrast change before in the output file, is this normal?

PureRAW processes the RAW files - emulating standard camera rendering instead of any selected image style or profile. Differences should be much less obvious if you compare shots taken with a standard camera style/profile.

Anyway, each RAW developer has its own idea of how a developed image should look and we either like it or not, but we can only deal with it by customizing the respective settings - with any other app than PureRAW.

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There’s no such thing as a SOOC RAW. Every / All RAW processors has to process the sensor data to convert it into an image we can see. Hence, as noted by @platypus:

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Is the application you are using to view the images color aware? Can it read color profiles? I am not on Mac so I can’t check? But it could be that if the color profile is embedded but app can’t read it and might be using another color profile. Remember, to have constant color viewing experience even on the same monitor and computer you need to follow good color management practices.

Ideally there would be custom profile for the monitor that is calibrated via hardware device. Or at least via software methods. Than you would need images with embedded color profile and applications that can read that profile in order to know how to display the colors correctly between monitor profile and image profile.

Can you tell us about the applications in your screenshot. Are they color aware? And what are the color profiles of the images you are seeing?

Also worth noting is that some applications can’t read or interpret RAW data directly, and rely on the embedded JPEG next to RAW for preview purposes only. It does not reflect the accurate color of the RAW/DNG, its just for preview.

Also each manufacturer such as NIKON or SONY or CANON will have number of their own profiles for this JPEG preview of the RAW file that should match the profile in the camera. While most RAW converters will tend to interpret the colors based on some other profiles. This can be changed off course, but that is usually how by default it works.

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The two on the left are Photomechanic Plus, the one on the right is FastRawViewer. Same MacBook Air screen, which I believe is P3 but not calibrated.

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Hmm. I can’t confirm what the problem might be on my end because I’m not using those programs and I’m not on MAC, however after quick search this is what I found. Not sure if you can find something of use in it.

The manual for Fast Raw Viewer says what I will post as screenshot here.

More on the color management and potential color issues regarding that program can be found here.

As for the other program. Photomechanic…

Color Management preferences
Modified on: Mon, Jun 22, 2020 at 3:19 PM

Does any of these settings seem like the thing that could solve your problem? If not, we can try to search for some other solutions if you like.

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Many thanks, I shall do some digging

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Unless I’m misunderstanding you, the differences you are seeing are to be expected, i.e. they are normal and they are nothing to do with the way your screen is / is not [calibrated and profiled].
(https://imagescience.com.au/knowledge/calibration-versus-profiling)

Starting with the middle photo, ‘SOOC JPEG (Nikon Flat)’. That’s the RAW data as interpreted and converted to JPEG by your camera according to an algorithm coded, by Nikon, to give a flat image. It looks about right, the image is flat, it’s lacking contrast and the colours are muted.

Now the last photo, ‘SOOC RAW’. That’s the RAW data interpreted and displayed on screen by FastRawViewer according to an algorithm coded by the developers of FRV. I don’t have FRV but I’m not at all surprised that FRV’s interpretation of the RAW data is different, very different, to Nikon’s idea of a flat image.

The same logic applies to the first photo ‘DeepPRIME DNG’. That’s the RAW data interpreted and output to DNG according to an algorithm coded by DxO / the developers of PureRAW. Again it is no surprise that DxO’s algorithm (especially as you mention, “all module corrections applied”) gives yet another version of the photo.

Which is a long way or restating what @platypus said in his first reply:

The information given by @MSmithy about colour management is important and necessary to ensure you are viewing ‘true’ colours on your screen / can get ‘true’ colours out of your printer but it is secondary to the fact every RAW processor has it’s own way of decoding RAW data.

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