Difference in viewing raw images in different software

I pretty much always shoot raw with my K3 these days. In PS Elements Camera Raw 6.7 they always look pretty flat and I need to do a fair amount of adjustment especially to contrast and vibrance and sometimes saturation. Also I tend to scan my images quickly using the excellent Irfanview. When it opens them in raw they are already much brighter and vibrant. If I then load the image into Photoshop as a JPEG and resave it it looks duller again when I view it in Irfanview. My camera is set to sRGB colourspace and in camera setting of bright (Does this affect raw?).
What might be the reason for this?
Dave

I too shoot RAW with both the K-3 and the K-5IIs and my images always look flat in Adobe Camera RAW before they are processed. The JPEG equivalents are much more vibrant, but after processing the RAW files are always better.

I can't explain the different behaviour you've mentioned Dave, but I don't think the 'Bright' setting will have any impact on your RAW files.

Incidentally, I don't have any issues recovering shadow details from K-3 files, nor have I found any noticeable limitations in dynamic range when compared to my K-5IIs. I routinely under-expose by up to 1 stop and after processing the RAW files the dynamic range is very good indeed.

Regards
David

Perhaps you're viewing the embedded JPEG in Irfanview? Or the default settings are different?

Dave,
If you changr the settings in 'Irfanview' to view the 'original RAW files' or 'full size' instead of the 'embedded JPEG', your images should then look the same as in Photoshop but they will load much slower in Irfanview

Hi Dave
Just to clarify the bright setting should not affect Raws but will affect jpegs . Your irfan view is probably reading the Rawls embedded low resolution JPEG not the actual raw which is why it appears brighter. Different raw processing software products will process the raw to roughly resemble the cameras default JPEG setting not any bright option hence the difference. You will get differences with one raw program to another but they are likely to be minor.

Ok, thanks all. Michael, I couldn't see a setting in the options which referred to embedded jpeg or "original raw". Which drop down is it in?

Dave,

In Ifranview, Go to Options > Properties/Settings > Plug ins

Also, you might find this helpful: link
Look at " Why is RAW loading slow?(Camera RAW formats)"