# How many DNG profiles do you use for your camera?



## Ladislav (Jan 13, 2016)

I bought X-Rite Color Passport Checker, read part of the documentation and watched some introduction video. It explained me how to create a profile for camera but it did not provide any answer to how many profiles I should create.

I generally took my camera, all my lenses, ND filters and CPL filters and tried to do profile in sunny conditions, in shadow, in interiors and with few lenses also when a common bulb is a light source. I didn't do it to keep all profiles but mostly to see differences when applying profiles to the same image. 

Turns out:

Profiles for different lenses provide slightly different colors - that's what I expected
Profiles for CPL filters (Hoya HD, B+W) and ND8 filter (Hoya) do not provide different colors to the profile for the same lens without the filter
Profiles for ND64 (Hoya) filter provide slightly different colors to the profile for the same lens without the filter
Profiles in different light conditions provide slightly different colors - I'm not sure what I expected here. I still don't see why there should be any differences if a white balance is a separate information and if there is really supposed to be a difference I would expect it to be much bigger

The difference is usually very subtle. The biggest difference (and reason why I'm doing it in the first place) is against anything supported by Lightroom out of the box - again especially in blue which was washed out in "Adobe standard" profile.

Now I wonder how far should I go for just enthusiast usage? How many profiles do you use and what light conditions have you used for creating profiles?


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## JMZawodny (Jan 14, 2016)

Zero. I do not shoot any photos for profit or for use in on-line sales, so color accuracy takes a back seat to artistic whimsy.


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## Pookie (Jan 14, 2016)

Ladislav said:


> Now I wonder how far should I go for just enthusiast usage? How many profiles do you use and what light conditions have you used for creating profiles?


That depends on how nit picky you are... often a dual profile will cover most situs. I'm hired often for events and mixed lighting is a tragedy for cameras. In these circumstance I will often make a lens/camera profile for a specific location when I can tell it's going to be hell in PP.


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## privatebydesign (Jan 14, 2016)

White balance deals with the general colour/temperature and tint of the light, custom profiles deal with the spectral characteristics of that light. The two are quite different but for reproducing especially saturated colours found in things like red, purple and mauve flowers, a custom profile per light situation will make accurate colour a far simpler issue to deal with.

I take and make dozens of camera profiles but throw them away after use.


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## Jack Douglas (Jan 14, 2016)

Ladislav said:


> I bought X-Rite Color Passport Checker, read part of the documentation and watched some introduction video. It explained me how to create a profile for camera but it did not provide any answer to how many profiles I should create.
> 
> I generally took my camera, all my lenses, ND filters and CPL filters and tried to do profile in sunny conditions, in shadow, in interiors and with few lenses also when a common bulb is a light source. I didn't do it to keep all profiles but mostly to see differences when applying profiles to the same image.
> 
> ...



Wonder if anyone would mind giving a little overview of this topic for a beginner. 

A while back I bought the X-rite color monkey for my monitors and was pleased with the outcome. My wife recently pointed out that the starfish I shot in sunlight in May in Haida Gwaii, didn't have the correct coloration even though my monitor is calibrated. Seems my eyes are more forgiving and that makes me wonder if I'm really delivering correct renditions of anything I photograph.

Jack


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## deleteme (Jan 14, 2016)

I have made a ton of profiles in different situations as suggested by those who "know".

My final conclusion is that the studio profile I made is excellent for color critical applications and for most situations. However I sell pleasing images to clients and I will choose between the studio profile and a few of LRs canned profiles.

I find that once you start getting away from the most straightforward of renderings, the profile hardly means anything compared to the gross adjustments one makes. 
Yes, I get that there are subtleties but individual images can then demand individual tweaks as they often do.

For me, profiles serve the best purpose in catalog and art repro applications.


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## Pookie (Jan 14, 2016)

Jack Douglas said:


> Ladislav said:
> 
> 
> > I bought X-Rite Color Passport Checker, read part of the documentation and watched some introduction video. It explained me how to create a profile for camera but it did not provide any answer to how many profiles I should create.
> ...



I'm sure PBD will give you the low down... he excels in the techy stuff. If not it's pretty easy to find some videos going over this. I'd use the software from X-rite first if you're having issues. The software is hideous though just be prepared. 

Love that area of the world, I was born just south in Port Angeles and often traveled that way for nature excursion.


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