Hi,

I prefer the colours from this raw processor but it only seems to produce 8bit sRGB or AdobeRGB tiff: -



The following raw processor gives me 16bit ProPhoto tiffs: -



The images from the first raw processor I tend to prefer as a starting point but it has technical disadvantages. The first image has a rosier skin tone and the hair is more golden/bronze. What raw settings need to be altered in the second image to get it to look like the first. I have changed these to sRGB jpgs for the web. I haven't yet processed these in PS so naturally the background is too dark.

Your help would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Haider

The following may give you some ideas on where to start looking. My preferred method for doing this analysis is to get the images in Photoshop and do a side by side comparison using the eyedropper tool identifying shadow, mid tone and highlights in each image for comparison.

If you create the following layers in CS3 on top of the second image then you get close enough to the first one to get some idea where the differences in RAW conversion are:

1...Brightness/ Contrast Layer
Brightness (-23) Contrast (-1) - the second image is brighter than the first and is driving highlights into clipping/saturation.

2...Hue/Saturation
Saturation (-20) second image is more saturated than the first

3...Curves
Input(44) Output(53) - the tone curves are different between RAW converters.

4...Colour Balance
Shadows (C/R+7,M/G-1,Y/B+8)
Mid Tone (C/R+19,M/G-5,Y/B-14)
Highlights (C/R-9,M/G-11,Y/B-6)

Looking at the above you may want to reduce the colour temperature of your conversion (move to Red in the mid tones/shadows) reduce brightness and saturation. This should (may) bring you closer to the first image.