GXR - detailed color settings

[odklizec]

One of the great new features of GXR are the detailed settings for individual colors (their hue and saturation).


OK, this is not entirely new and GXR specific feature. Such option was first introduced with GRDIII. But GXR is the first one that allows to recall the predefined GXR color settings (Vivid, Standard, Natural) and edited them in Settings1/2.

I always missed this option in Ricoh cameras. I always failed to set the same settings in Settings1/2 and now it's really easy. All you need is to recall the setting you wish to examine and edit.

And what's so great on these detailed settings? Well, there are at least two good reasons why you should explorer the possibilities given by these detailed settings.

At first, these detailed color settings can greatly help you with reducing the color noise visible at high ISO. This is particularly helpful in case of small sensor S10. And at second, these settings can help you with creating nice soft colors and dreamy atmosphere in your shots, so different from default color settings. Of course, all this can be easily done in RAW. But I guess not everyone is willing to waste his time with RAW processing. And these detailed settings with combination of "right" exposure and white balance can produce really interesting and worth to keep results. Here are some samples I took in past few days. I'm a natural RAW shooter, but I really love what I got in JPEG.








All the above shots were taken with color settings displayed in the first two attached screen grabs. No postprocessing whatsoever! These are all out of camera shots. Later I will post some 100% crops with an example of effective use of detailed color settings for better appearance of high ISO noise.

There are two things I really miss on these settings. At least three more custom "Settings" slots with an option to rename them. And what would be really great would be some kind of simple RGB curves editor. This would tremendously expand the GXR JPEG color possibilities (including things like cross processing or advanced level of contrast/saturation adjustments).

 

[andrewteee]

Thanks for this. While useful, it could also be a challenge to find just the right settings. I'll experiment with and see how it works for me. I'd like to be able to get in-camera JPGs that better fit the look and feel I prefer in most of my images. I agree with your wish for an in-camera curves editor. I often bump up the blacks in my pictures and it would be nice to be able to do this in camera. I'm sure we'll eventually get there.

 

[rui fernandes]

The more I know about GXR capabilities... oh well. One day ;-)

Thanks for the review, I feel it would be very nice to have this settings available on GX200 too.

Lovely set of pictures, Lucia is a great model, so natural with a camera in front of her (which is very differente from what I was used with my doughter ;-)). Maybe she's getting so used to it that doesn't care anymore? :lol:

Now I have to ask you this: what is that teddy bear doying with a Portuguese bib???

 

[Orol]

Now I have to ask you this: what is that teddy bear doying with a Portuguese bib???

The world seems to be really small. And to do it even smaller, everything is made in China anyway.

Peter

 

[Marana]

Aww, she looks like a little storybook angel in these shots, especially in R0010764.

 

[odklizec]

Thanks for you kind comments folks! I have to say I feel a bit strange to post all these Lucia shots. But as I'm now on parental leave, Lucia is my most natural subject of photography Its very good training of patience and focus precision. She may look like a very still girl, but believe me, she is not! She is still on the run. But since I'm with her for a major part of day, I have a lot of opportunities to take some photos.

Rui, the Portuguese bib was a gift from our friends who visited Portugal during the summer holiday. The thing is it's already way too small for Lucia's current requirements...see R0010764.jpg

 

[thelps]

Pavel, as we discussed in another thread, it would be great to be able to share these MY settings via a saved txt file or other. I also wonder if the saved files could be used with some kind of computer application to simulate the look you would get from the custom settings. We could then trim them on screen, save the file and go out and take pictures.

 

[Detail Man]

Pavel,

You need not apologize for all the great shots of Lucia! I particularly like #2 and #5!

Does she understand the concept of what the camera does - that is, creates a "metaphor" (picture) of her?

I can tell you (from my own experience taking pictures of my dear little friend Kendra, anyway) that a child's complete lack of self-consciousness is a beautiful thing! Once Kendra grasped the idea of what the camera was doing, (at times) the resultant "self-consciousness" led to "posing for the camera" ... and (sometimes) less of that beautiful spontaneity of an infant ...

Regarding the camera stuff:

I notice that many shots have non-standard F-Numbers and Shutter-Times. Does the camera select these as some sort of "adaptive" automatic control mode for determining exposure? it is strange (though not necessarily a bad thing) to see both the F-Number and Shutter-Time being non-standard. Is that something that the "Program Mode" (or equivalent) does?

It's interesting that Ricoh chose 5 (rather than the more usual 6 primary and secondary colors), leaving out the primary color Yellow. Any idea what their reasoning is? Perhaps they just felt that 6 menu items made them too small on the LCD display, and decided to (as a result) eliminate one color ...
.

 

[Tom Caldwell]

Not being into the GXR I will have to give the similar colour balance settings on the GRDIII a whirl. I did look at them but they just seemed a bit too way out complex for this little injun.

Have not revisited my box and my mode settings for a while. Must do so now that I am more settled with the camera.

I have found that I use two modes mainly:

1) Sort of normal good light which is low ISO and captures DNG as well. - sort of for serious shooting.
2) Quick mode - 400 ISO, jpg only - used mainly for when you are in a hurry and the shooting conditions are not optimal.

One I should use more often is B&W mode. Must not get in a rut and fail to push the camera closer to its limits.

I post this here because I presume that the GXR has a similar set of features in firmware to the GRDIII.

The other point worth noting that the GRDIII (and presumably the GXR) have a very deep feature set that can be used very creatively with some thought by the user - this makes this sort of camera tower above the rest of the crop and in the hands of those who might work at it make these cameras a powerful tool. Problem is that unless you work at it then it is easy to forget just how many features are still left untapped under the hood.

Must get the manual out again and make some notes on the areas that I do not use - I am sure that I will be still learning for a while yet. Strangely the GRDI took all of perhaps an hour and I knew everything it could do.

Tom

 

[hh83917]

odklizec,

Thank you for sharing those setting, the old/film feeling is superb. Other than that, do you have a good set of setting for
something colorful? I was trying to get something similar to the Leica look where the colors in the pictures are full
and pop-out looking... something colorful but not too saturated that the colors look fake. Not sure if it's possible, but
if you have some insights or suggestions, please let us know, thanks!

Howard

 

[ricohlizer]

lovely shots , touching and real.....

i have yet to explore this option in my gxr , its really something

 

[felixkh]

Thank you for the settings. I am currently trying it out and will post some pictures here soon.