Canon color science compared to Nikon or Sony?

4 years 8 months ago #650289 by Todd Floyd
Canon has always been known for their cameras color science.   Has Nikon or Sony caught up to 
Canon yet?  

I'm sure if they have, it's model specific.  Which models?  


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4 years 8 months ago #650502 by SJM
I just was watching a video on this yesterday.  It was comparing just the Sony A7R III to the Canon EOS R.  

While the Canon didn't hit the other areas of interest in the comparison, the color science of the camera won it. 

Country guy living in the big Apple!
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4 years 8 months ago #650566 by KCook

Todd Floyd wrote: Canon has always been known for their cameras color science.   Has Nikon or Sony caught up to 
Canon yet?  

I'm sure if they have, it's model specific.  Which models?  

Wut? :blink:

I like Canon JPGs.  So do many Canon fans.  But there really ain't no "science" to that.  It's simply the mix that Canon thought would make lots of customers happy, and they were right.  If we must invoke "science" here, Nikon colors are closer to neutral than Canon.

Kelly

Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/

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4 years 8 months ago #650719 by Matt Benton
Agree, Canon EOS R might not win much on paper, however the color science of this camera crushes most other options on the market place.  I want to say the Panasonic GH5 is a close #2.  


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4 years 8 months ago #650851 by fmw
I can't help but wonder what color science is.  I assume the OP is asking about the results achieved by in-camera jpegs.  If you don't like the jpegs generated by your camera you can create your own by editing raw files.  If having jpegs that are like those generated by Canon cameras is an issue, then logic would guide you to choosing a Canon camera.


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4 years 8 months ago #650875 by Shadowfixer1
Color science doesn't necessarily refer to jpg. Different brands tend to have a different tone. Early Sony's had a slight green cast. Fuji tends to have a warmer cast for pleasing skin tones but in certain light the blue in the sky can look funky. I have seen tests where the newest Sony cameras have the most accurate color per the color checker chart. That doesn't mean it will necessarily have the most pleasing color. Color is also viewed differently by each individual. Color science is real and each brand is different.  
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4 years 8 months ago #650939 by Stanly
Would be nice to see Nikon get on board with Canons color science.

Nikon Z6 | Nikon FM10 | Nikon D80 | Nikon 50mm f/1.8D | Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S VR | 35-105mm f/3.5 Macro | 80-200mm f/4.5 | SB600 | Pocket Wizard II
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4 years 8 months ago #651007 by Shadowfixer1

Stanly wrote: Would be nice to see Nikon get on board with Canons color science.

Not for me. I prefer Nikon color to Canon myself.
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4 years 8 months ago #651066 by fmw

Shadowfixer1 wrote: Color science doesn't necessarily refer to jpg. Different brands tend to have a different tone. Early Sony's had a slight green cast. Fuji tends to have a warmer cast for pleasing skin tones but in certain light the blue in the sky can look funky. I have seen tests where the newest Sony cameras have the most accurate color per the color checker chart. That doesn't mean it will necessarily have the most pleasing color. Color is also viewed differently by each individual. Color science is real and each brand is different.  


Now you've confused me even more.  You are referring to the color rendition of raw files.  Raw files are used, not for viewing, but for a basis for editing.  Sounds like much ado about absolutely nothing.


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4 years 8 months ago #651076 by Shadowfixer1

fmw wrote:

Shadowfixer1 wrote: Color science doesn't necessarily refer to jpg. Different brands tend to have a different tone. Early Sony's had a slight green cast. Fuji tends to have a warmer cast for pleasing skin tones but in certain light the blue in the sky can look funky. I have seen tests where the newest Sony cameras have the most accurate color per the color checker chart. That doesn't mean it will necessarily have the most pleasing color. Color is also viewed differently by each individual. Color science is real and each brand is different.  


Now you've confused me even more.  You are referring to the color rendition of raw files.  Raw files are used, not for viewing, but for a basis for editing.  Sounds like much ado about absolutely nothing.

Shouldn't be confusing. All RAW files are not the same even between different models of the same brand. There are different filter arrays used to determine color among many other things. The in camera software tells other software how to interpret the file so an image can be rendered. If you think all the 0's and 1's are the same in all raw files, you're mistaken. One manufacturer may get it's reading from a pixel and decide that reading is a certain color of blue. The other brand may decide that reading is a tiny touch more cyan. If you want to complicate it further, consider Fuji's X-Trans filter array. The interpretation of that information is much different than a common bayer filter array. The conclusion is Nikon raw doesn't equal Canon raw doesn't equal Sony raw, so forth and so on. Each brand determines how it interprets and renders color. 
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