Automatically adjusting raw CR2 images

SP
Posted By
Shane_Pedersen
Feb 6, 2007
Views
562
Replies
5
Status
Closed
Whenever I open a raw (CR2) image in CS2 or bridge, the program applies an auto adjustment of saturation, contrast, etc. How can I turn this off? It is extremely annoying. It doesn’t matter picture style adjustments I make on my 5D, Photoshop ignores them and gives me a bland image.

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Wolf_Eilers
Feb 6, 2007
In ACR click the arrow to the right of the Settings box and uncheck the Use Auto Adjustments (or hit Ctrl+U on Windows to toggle this setting).

Then below the Use Auto Adjustments setting click the Save New Camera Raw Defaults item. You should now notice the Auto adjustment boxes unchecked on the Adjust tab of ACR when you open a CR2 file.

If you are unsatisfied with the auto adjustments (and consider the image bland) you will be doubly disappointed with Auto turned off.

Since Canon’s Picture Styles are proprietary it will be up to you to simulate the effects by adjusting ACR appropriately, and then save the settings so they can be applied to other images.
SP
Shane_Pedersen
Feb 6, 2007
Thanks mate

I appreciate your help, I’ve had a look at a few other forum sites since posting this and I now have a better understanding of how PS sees raw files and you’re totally right. Instead of making the adjustments in camera, I need to make the same adjustments in ACR. It’s a bit of a pain in the bum that I have no other option, but that’s life I guess. Thanks again.
C
chrisjbirchall
Feb 6, 2007
Instead of making the adjustments in camera, I need to make the same adjustments in ACR. It’s a bit of a pain in the bum

Depends what adjustments you mean. When shooting film you would load a film type suitable for the job in hand, set the aperture and shutter speed according to the subject and conditions and make your exposure. Any further modification to the latent image was carried out chemically during the development and printing.

And so it is with digital. Forget "Auto" – it is an abomination. Make your exposure according to the subject/conditions, then use the power of Adobe Camera Raw (CS3 is going to be even more powerful) to modify the image to the contrast, saturation, etc you require.

Don’t forget: once you’ve saved these settings, you can apply them very quickly to a whole bunch of images at once without even opening ACR.

Simply select the images you wish to modify in Bridge, right click, then select the saved setting from the fly-out menu.

Once you get to grips with this feature you will see how RAW processing is easier and faster than adjusting individual images ever was.

Hope this helps.

Chris.
SP
Shane_Pedersen
Feb 6, 2007
Hi Chris

As you may have guessed I’m a bit of a newbie to all this and when you were trying to help me with my earlier post "Weird problem with CR2 raw images from 5D" I had no real understanding of how PS sees raw files. So, even though what you were saying was correct my understanding of it and expectations weren’t. Now I realise that PS ignores any in-camera adjustments when dealing with raw images. It would be nice to have the option of using in-camera adjustments, but if it aint there, it aint there.
Is it possible to save the adjustments made in ACR as the Camera Raw Defaults? I have tried clicking on "Save New Camera Raw Defaults" but when I open another raw image it reverts back to the auto settings and if I then untick "Use Auto Settings" it reverts to it’s default manual settings. I can click on "Save Settings" and save it as a XMP file which is available for me to select in the dropdown menu, but that means that Bridge still references the "dull" auto settings set in Camera Raw Defaults. I hope that all makes sense.
C
chrisjbirchall
Feb 7, 2007
I have tried clicking on "Save New Camera Raw Defaults" but when I open another raw image it reverts back to the auto settings…"

Sounds like you didn’t uncheck "Use Auto" before saving the new defaults. Once you’ve got this right it should reference the modified defaults for all new RAW files.

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