Head to https://www.squarespace.com/james to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code JAMES. --- This week I'm talking about colour science in photography. You don't have to look too far to read people claiming that Canon, Fujifilm, Leica, Hasselblad or Sony colours are best, and that's of course far from being an exhaustive list, but in this video I want to show that when it comes to colour, none of them are doing anything particularly special. My Book: https://www.jamespopsys.com/store/human-nature-limited-edition Custom Prints: https://www.jamespopsys.com/customprints Antarctica & South Georgia Workshop Feb 2028: https://www.aexpeditions.co.uk/2028-antarctica-through-the-lens?utm_source=james-popsys&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=james-popsys --- My Gear: https://www.jamespopsys.com/gear --- MUSIC: Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself: https://fm.pxf.io/c/3154674/1347628/16252 MB01M7NGVFIH8FN
ADVERTISEMENT
That's the best thing about a camera. If you go out without one, you'll happily walk around, look at things, and say, 'Ahh, I wish I'd brought it with me.' It's always best to have it with you all the time to encourage you to take unknown shots and be happy if you don't take anything but thrilled if you do
at first i was convinced that i was watching the old video but i kept watching anyway 😂
Thank James for this INTERESTING video about Color Science of different brands. Your DEMONSTRATIONS are convincing. However, they are only about landscape photos. All the people I know who love Canon cameras tell me it's because its skin tone color. I wish you had a video DEMONSTRATING that can also be achieved in post.
I agree, I agree, I agree! Another hot take, I don’t think megapixels are the biggest deal either. There’s a somewhat diminishing return after 50-ish where you aren’t really using the tech but definitely paying for it.
The color science, when shooting raw, is more about the raw processor / editor you select. Lightroom vs C1 vs DXO etc.
This actually shows the importance of what camera you choose. For me, fuji made me work on the photos for couple of hours when photos from Leica are letting me finish within an hour.
A new body is only worth buying if it enables your end goal. I have an A7IV and I’ve pre-ordered the A7RVI not for color science, AF, or the new AI white balance. Like you James, I cannot stand tripods and haven’t used them even when I should have the past few years. I don’t own one anymore in 2026. The improvements in IBIS and the resolution to crop later are my favorite selling points. I would crop in camera where possible but Sony doesn’t do 65:24. The 30fps will be nice for my family’s triathlons but not needed for everyday use. My end goal with a camera is flexibility to do whatever it is I want that day. Paired with the Tamron 25-200 I am absolutely set.
I feel like color science is more relevant with vintage cameras, early 2000s or so. It would be interesting to see a comparison between older/newer cameras from the same brands.
Hi James, really enjoy your videos!! So my question is how long will it take for Lightroom or one of its competitors to have the capability of preforming that same process of matching photos with one click of the button using A.I.?? What impact will that have with consumers and camera companies? What happens when a $700 camera and $7000 camera have images that match identically to the educated eye? Cheers!
Great video, I think it all depends on the type of photography you do, personally I dont enjoy editing, I shot with Sony for many years until I put my hands on a fuji cam, just found the right recipe that works for me and can't be happier with the results straight away from the cam, beautiful colors/contrast, I just love the "not perfect digital" look
In other editors you can choose the profile for the camera, to whatever you want. The profile is basically telling the software what hue of red to use when shooting red. If you go to raw therapee for example and remove the profile, you’ll get a more barebones starting point for color matching. The thing about rawtherapee is that it’s intimidating at first.
I got my fuji to shoot JPEG and get photos I love without editing, I used to do weddings, have all the gear, and always shoot raw...then spend days editing.... but I just wanted nice day to day photos of my family without all the hassle, so I found a fuji "recipe" that I LOVE and I only shoot JPEG now and I'm super happy! Don't get me wrong, this video is spot on, but not if you use a primarily JPEG workflow.
In my experience, it’s easier for me to achieve the colors I want when I’m using a camera I’m familiar with. If I shoot with two cameras that differ a bit in their color rendering, I use Cobalt Image color profiles. That makes it easier to get them to look similar. Color differences exist not only between brands, but also between models. The difference from Canon 5D Mark I to Mark II is significant. The same goes for Canon EOS R compared to the R6. This also applies to other camera brands.
01:22 that's exactly it. Problem (if they ever existed) solved... I've worked with Nikon, Canon, Fuji and PhaseOne... all is doable and matchable... called colour science workflow! Great video as always!
Good video, thanks
Thanks for the very good demonstration. It‘s a good proof, that such a thing like a unique „Fuji look“ or „Leica look“ does not really exist. Some of my photo friends once visited the Leica Museum and they took pictures with 4 different Leica cameras. One of them took some pictures at the same location with a Canon DSLR and via Photoshop she made these to look like the Leica pics.
Few time ago, I learn about raw files that are not image file. It is just digital informations about luminance hitting the sensor. The only difference on how render raw files is how software convert them into images. So, there is the camera software, who convert raw into jpg to make us capable of viewing it, and of course softwares like lightroom, capture one, etc. Knowing that, "color science" is just how looks jpgs out of camera. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, for most people (like me), I didn't want to edit a lot on softwares. I prefer taking time to do enlargements with my analog negatives, than playing on computer.
This is a mostly valid opinion as long as you shoot RAW and use Lightroom (or other non-OEM converter) and this is not always the case with everyone. BTW, even if you use Lightroom, the Adobe Standard profiles are not consistently accurate between cameras - you won't get identical colours between two cameras by using the Standard profile on both. And finally, the Adobe profiles that are supposed to match the OEM camera profiles almost never do. So, camera-specific colour science IS a thing even if you shoot raw and use Lightroom.
You don't need the camera but when editing the photos, it doesn't make it easier if you're closer to the result. But you're right, if you have the reference, you can do the work up front.
Colours and "colour science" are a combination of the output of sensor, lens and processing (Photoshop, jpeg engine, or both). I love the output of my D700 with nikon glass. I only shoot raw but its output is better than my old Fuji Xt2, my Olympus and various other bodies. Fujifilm has some great jpeg recipes built in but I just didnt use them. I only ever aim for a natural look or B&W if I fancy it.