Image difference: Utility 4 -vs- CS4

The same image file on the same monitor in the same size appears differently using two utilities and I need to determine why and which to trust. Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4 displays PEF and JPGs better (more contrast, more color) than Adobe CS4. TIFF files, however, appear slightly better on CS4 (color better) than the Pentax software. This applies to all images, regardless of camera, and is particularly a software matter.

Using a PC, displaying images on a new HP ZR22w monitor in it's native resolution of 1920x1080, recently calibrated. Pentax Utility is set on Color Space -> Image File Setting (which is usually Adobe RGB in PEF or DNG); Bridge sets all color space for the Creative Suite Color Setting -> North American Prepress 2.

I have searched this forum as well as others regarding this issue and have seen no related postings. These differences were pointed out to me by my wife, who is a visual artist (painter) and we agree on the differences noted above. I am awaiting advice from Pentax Support and would greatly appreciate any aid regarding the matter from any of you who have seen a similar issue.

Use one program for your editing, not two, if you possibly can. Photoshop is the industry standard, so if you haver it it makes sense to use it.

The colour space should be the same all the way through the process. I set camera and Photoshop to sRGB on the basis that all the end uses can only reproduce about that sort of colour space. Web use has to be sRGB and even now most printers cannot reproduce the entire gamut of AdobeRGB.

If you want to use AdobeRGB then set camera and Photoshop to that, but be aware that your prints may look lighter and may lose impact. The extra gamut will be laregely wasted.

Thanks for the quick reply, John. The choice of AdobeRGB is not mine, but my client's. Using only one editing app is good advice and I have not used PDCU4 until recently, using CS4 -- my wife came by this and pointed out the difference, but your point does not address the issue. The difference is VERY dramatic, especially with PEF images. I highly recommend you try it yourself and see. Industry standard or not, I am inclined to go with what looks best, but need to know why it looks so much better.

"If you want to use AdobeRGB then set camera and Photoshop to that, but be aware that your prints may look lighter and may lose impact. The extra gamut will be laregely wasted." - I have to disagree. Since when does more colour data get wasted? My clients want the highest quality possible, not to mention my need to produce the highest quality prints possible for exhibition, sales and competition. Using sRGB for web applications makes sense, but that is my least concern.

The extra information is lost because it lies outside the ability of a printer to reproduce it. As a consequence, prints will lack the vibrancy of an sRGB print.

Now we don't know why your clients want AdobeRGB files, so can't comment on that. However, if your images are not displaying properly in Photoshop then going by what looks best isn't tackling the problem. Something is wrong and you can't guarantee the best results without knowing what is happening. Clients won't have a copy of the Pentax Browser. They may even be using windows to view the files, which will be an sRGB display.

When I view images using the Pentax software, Windows and Photoshop they look exactly the same each time.

Try this little exercise, open up an image in PS >Edit >Assign Profile and tick the preview box, then try Adobe RGB 98,sRGB and Pro PhotoRGB in turn.
Same image,same programme but the differences is amazing.

John

Maybe a bit late and I might be on the wrong track completely, but can't it be that one of them by default displays the integrated thumbnail (jpeg with camera settings applied) and the other one does not? Or that one applies the camera's JPEG settings to the RAW file when loading the file and the other one does not?

Take some shots in RAW + JPEG and compare the out-of-camera jpeg with the raw images.