Hi. I’ve been using DT for a number of years. Am a relatively basic user with around 15 modules arranged in one or two presets. A year or two back I would occasionally switch on velvia and then tune it back a little as 25% which it defaults to seemed a bit heavy. For a year or two though it’s been the opposite, both from my A9 and my A7rii. For instance I’ve set the creative profile to “Standard” in the A9 and after import (file->folder, folder added in DT) while still in the Lightroom the photos are pretty colorful even if just the “Standard” profile. Once I’ve opened them in the Darkroom however they turn a bit gray. I have to turn Velvia up to at least 50% before they match the “Standard” jpeg preview of the camera, and I don’t think I can get to the “Vivid” profile, not with merely the velvia module anyways.
Have something changed on the DT side or have I mismanaged or not been aware of some setting?
I tried just now to download a raw from the A9 sample gallery on dpreview and this lady looked alive in the Lightroom preview image at first, and when this photo is opened in the Darkroom module you can see how she switches from alive and bright to a bit ashen.
Thanks for any hints (currently running 3.8.0 on Fedora)
I assume you meant lighttable, not Lightroom.
Unless you modify preferences → lighttable → use raw file instead of embedded JPEG from size to something other than never, darktable will use your camera’s embedded preview image in the lighttable – until you open the image in darkroom, even if you just keep the defaults there. This is the reason why initially they look contrasty and saturated: you see not the raw file, but your camera’s default processing. velvia is no longer recommended, I’m afraid. You may want to try color balance rgb.
Another old but potentially useful post: darktable 3.0 for dummies (in 3 modules) (you’d use filmic rgb instead of filmic, and color balance rgb instead of color balance, the rest is the same).
darktable uses now the new “scene referred workflow” as standard. Many modules have changed an the pipeline rearranged. So, it is not surprising that your old workflow does no longer work as expected.
An updated version of colour handling (including white balance) can also be turned on: preferences → processing → auto-apply chromatic adaptation defaults (documented at the same place as the other one).
Thanks for your replies. Yes, I meant lighttable, have never actually tried Lightroom. Cheers for the confirmation that something has changed in the background that may partially explain why “things aren’t what they were”. The first PIXLS.US article seems very useful, I will read up on it when there’s time.
Modules like “crop and rotate” that suddenly appear with a warning to not use this module anymore is clear enough, that velvia without warning isn’t suitable anymore less so. I have some theory to read up on. It shall need to be a weekend project (just like everything else )
There are some helpful sections in the new manual…I would suggest you scan those and watch that video link I posted for you and then a lot of getting to know the scene referred workflow and associated modules to really make things click…
Hi, yes indeed, the creative profile set in the camera is of the preview image in the lighttable, before it has been opened by the darkroom module (I’m not trying to edit jpegs ), like kofa mentioned.
Thanks for the video and the link to the manual section. Taking the time to study and learn is generally a good idea, even when there’s only so many hours in a day. If I’m going to replace most of the modules I’ve been employing (like sharpen, velvia, color correction, monochrome, shadows and highlights, contrast brightness saturation, tone curve) it seems like a good idea to have an inkling of why they should be replaced.
Sorry it seemed like you were conflating the profiles with your color expectations for the raw. Many people think that these settings impact the raw data.
And in an effort to keep the data as linear as possible in the “newer” workflow for reasons presented on numerous occasions by Aurelien…but also I think reasonably explained here for context…its not a specific photography discussion more about overall concepts…
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