I get confused each time I read an article about color space, so I´ve decided to get even more confused. Find out by taking pictures with both and compare. What do I think look best and what does my friend think. So what the Hell is Colorspace? Wikipedia writes

A color model is an abstract mathematical model describing the way colors can be represented as tuples of numbers, typically as three or four values or color components (e.g. RGB and CMYK are color models). However, a color model with no associated mapping function to an absolute color space is a more or less arbitrary color system with no connection to any globally-understood system of color interpretation. Adding a certain mapping function between the color model and a certain reference color space results in a definite

Too techno? I totally agree, and I consider my self pretty technical.

So the two contestants are Adobe RBG and sRGB, which are the available options on my camera, Canon EOS 5D mark II . Adobe RGB color space is 16 bits, while sRGB is only 8 bits. More bits, more fun you might think, that at least what I think. Well, not all browsers supports (IE might be one of them you might think, which is off course correct) other color spaces than sRGB , so the preferred option for web is sRGB. So why not just stick to sRGB? Well, at some point I might want to print my pictures and hang them on my wall or my friends. Last time I tried that I got extremely disappointed. I´m not saying that the soul reason for that was the color space, but if I´m able to capture a higher quality image just by switching a button, then yes I´ll do that. Very NICE!

All images should be identical in terms all other camera settings that…Color Space.

Full resolution on my camera 5616×3744 saved to JPG and RAW. So, is color space written to the file when saved as RAW. I´m soon to find out.. All images are imported to Lightroom, and exported (untouched) with sRGB and resized to 1024 x 768 3000 pix pr inch. Sharpen for screen, standard amount. So why exported with sRGB? To match your browser (please use something else that Microsoft Internet Explorer!), and screen.

Day 1
First picture up is from Bygdø, outside Oslo. I wanted more colors in my first shoot, but the clouds haunted me this day and gave me this. Anyway, the blue sky is there and the black sculptured rock in the foreground challenge the contrast and black levels. In my opinion using Adobe RBG looks better, since it has deeper blue color and much better contrast.

Adobe RGB

sRGB

Click on the images to enlarge

What do you think? If you do add a comment, please also include what Operating System, browser and screen you use. Tomorrow I´ll add more pictures!

Edit – Day 2
Next up is Christian, my kite buddy from Sweden. This picture is taken outside Åpent Bakeri, Hegdehaugsveien in Oslo. Since I did this without a tripod, and Christian is not in the exact same time position in both frames it´s not 100% identical. But it close enough. Again I think Adobe RBG looks best. The red sign at the left looks more red, Christians skin color looks more natural, he´s goldfishes more colorful and the contrast is better.

sRGB

Adobe RGB

Click on the images to enlarge

More pictures tomorrow, stay tuned!

Edit – Day 3

3.1 Yesterday I had a great day at my friend Bendik, at he´s roof terrace eating sushi and drinking beer. Due to lack of enthusiasm among my friends and been shoot at, I ended up taking pictures of my self (“he does not have friends..” you think). The picture is takes with my camera on a tripod, with a remote trigger. The background is a bit overexposed, but fair enough. Again I think Adobe RGB in general looks better. Contrast is better, skin color looks more natural and my white shirt actually looks white were it´s suppose to be and not grayish.?

Adobe RGB

sRGB

Click on the images to enlarge

3.2 Next picture is from the same rooftop. This picture is a bit dark, and do not challenge colors in general I think, but it was a cool shot, so I included it;) Contrast looks much better with Adobe RGB in my opinion. What do you think?

sRGB

 Adobe RGB

Click on the images to enlarge

I see now that the majority of these pictures are dark, so next time I need to include pictures that are brighter.

There is a discussion on this topic on foto.no(in Norwegian)