Sony colors

[roysmith]

Well, there's no easy way to say this on an Alpha forum but... I don't really like Sony colors that much...
I have an A700, and a couple of weeks ago I bought the software DxO optics pro. From all the programs I've tested this is the one I got the best results and I felt more confortable with the workflow... and there's a feature on this software that allows you to select a custom camera color profile (color rendering), for example you can use this tool to get Canon colors using a Nikon body, or Fuji Velvia colors using any supported DSLR. Since I had this feature I though I'd play a little with it, and found that the Nikon D3X profile is giving me the colors I like. There's a huge difference, mostly on the greens. Don't get me wrong, I love my A700! But I'm just not a big fan of it's colors
And I don't own a D3X for a lot of rea$on$

So I wanted to know your opinion on this...

[KevinBarrett]

I suppose you might better wait until a few more votes come in to post some examples, but I really do hope you share!

[roysmith]

I was just working on sample images
I'll post them ASAP to show what I mean.

[roysmith]

Ok here's an example. All images procesed with DxO and with exactly the same settings, with exception of the color rendering (camera profile).
Just for clarification, it looks like the color rendering also apply a custom tone curve to the image so the contrast is not exactly the same. I don't really know if this is actually a tone curve or just the D3X color profile looks more contrasty. this doesn't really matter for this example anyway. The image also look more saturated, and this does matter so I'll add an alternate a700 version with saturation increased 15% to match the D3X image and ease the comparison of colors.

[bfitzgerald]

I voted for the 2nd one.

But..this is going to depend on what camera you have. A100 is different to the A200, 350 seems a bit different to both, A700 again, not the same.
Also it's very hard to make a judgement on posted shots, WB is a huge factor..many do AWB, and it can be off and influence your judgement. Then raw, can look different depending on software used..and how it is used.
Jpeg wise, I think also makes things hard.
Maybe we should have had another option, "KM colours"

Whilst I get along ok with the A200, and I am pleased enough.. it's not in the same league as the 5d for tonality. Which in turn is not in the same league for real film (IMO of course)

Sony should have put a KM colour mode in there, when it works it really does shine, in a way that no Sony I have seen does.

[peterottaway]

I don't dislike the Sony CZ colour but I do prefer the images produced by the Minolta 17-35G, 28-70G and the 80-200G HS.

Unfortunately I don't think that Sony is going to change its corporate style to accomodate me. But the prices being asked for the 80-200 which was discontinued about 1992 are rather silly but does indicate that the Minolta style does have a following.

I'll just keep on hoping that perhaps Sony will decide to differentiate the CZ from the G ranges by their colour styles or as Barry has suggested that they allow us the choice in software. Perhaps someone out there will take pity on us Minolta traditionalists and produce a software plug-in.

[roysmith]

You're right, the colors are a bit different between A100, A2xx/A3xx and A700/A900. But since so many people already voted I better leave the poll as it is.

I just posted another example here: http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... 831#p24831