Matching colour between lenses

[AreBee]

Folks,

Is it possible to create a profile that can be applied to photographs, which revises the colour of the latter by the difference between the lens used to capture the photograph and another lens, not simply according to the taste of the photographer? If so, how easy/difficult is it to create the profile?

I appreciate that colour in a photograph is not solely a function of the lens used to capture it. Therefore, I assume that in order to determine only the difference between lenses, the profile would require to be created using photographs shot from the same camera using each lens.

Is my assumption correct? Has anyone ever performed such a test? Would they be willing to (in the interest of scientific endeavour )?

 

[GrahamWelland]

I don't see why not in theory. Certainly the lens coatings can impart a different colour characteristic although subtle. I notice the difference between certain nikkors and the Zeiss ZF glass for example.

Of course, it could be a task that yields results little better than white balance adjustment but you'll never know if you don't try.

 

[Shashin]

Easy. Profile what you imagine to be the "normal" color lens. Set your camera to a specific WB. Don't make any contrast changes to the image. The only thing changing is the influence of the lens. Making a profile for each lens will make them the same.

I have shot a lot of glass. I doubt the lens will have any color attributes--unless it has a problem, but then you can see it by simply holding it up to the light (hot lenses yellow over time). What a lens does impact is contrast. Naturally, contrast and saturation is related and that is what you are seeing. Focal length will also change apparent contrast by simply changing scale.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

If your using C1 as your raw processing engine you can build a style for each lens and apply it to your images. You could also build ICC profiles as well with WB card for each and apply that.

 

[AreBee]

Thanks folks.

To be clear, then, a photograph captured from an Alpa FPS, MFDB and Nikon lens would look identical/near identical to the same photograph captured using the same setup except for a different lens.

Is this correct? In other words, is the yellow and magenta colour that some photographers dislike in Nikon files related solely to Nikon in-camera processing, and not in any way related to Nikon lenses?

Remember that my question relates to colour alone, so FOV, DOF etc is not of concern. If these affect the results then assume they are matched for the photographs being compared.

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

You can profile anything back to neutral using an ICC profile as Guy suggests. I would however suggest using a large chart, a regular 24 patch is nowhere near enough for subtle differences from our experience.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

There was some software out there that you can profile cameras with. Not sure what they are but once you build it you can get it into C1 I believe and use the profile. Maybe one of the tech folks knows more about this process than myself. Its a great question as I would like to do this for my Nikon and also when I test the S2 again in late November. I use C1 which has no profile for the S2 so I will have to build one. I've just been too lazy to build one for my Nikon in C1 which the canned one is not too bad but love to tweak it.

 

[Shashin]

Thanks folks.

To be clear, then, a photograph captured from an Alpa FPS, MFDB and Nikon lens would look identical/near identical to the same photograph captured using the same setup except for a different lens.

Is this correct? In other words, is the yellow and magenta colour that some photographers dislike in Nikon files related solely to Nikon in-camera processing, and not in any way related to Nikon lenses?

Remember that my question relates to colour alone, so FOV, DOF etc is not of concern. If these affect the results then assume they are matched for the photographs being compared.

The yellow and magenta is not the lenses. It is the sensor/color management/profiling from Nikon and maybe a little of the photographer's processing.

 

[AreBee]

Thanks again folks. I have my answer.