Raw darker than jpeg 6D

[MIFD118]

Hi, I have searched the internet & read many posts here about what seems to be a problem I am not alone in experiencing. But I have yet to find an answer that fits my situation.

I generally only shoot in RAW with all my cameras & never noticed an issue. Recently I sent my 6D in to Canon for cleaning, new software update etc. 

Expecting the settings to be reset to default with the software update I reset my back focus button, RAW only & general preferences.

A few test shots & they look great on camera, import them on to my PC & first view in windows photos they go darker. Run the file through PD & still looks under exposed.

Setting back to RAW & JPEG, again the exposure on camera looks good, import to PC & JPEG's look correct, RAW still too dark.

Test 3 other Canon cameras including an old T6i & no problems, RAW is properly exposed when imported. Meaning it is not the software on the PC, it is on camera where I am missing something.

Back to the 6D with different Canon & Sigma lenses, with & without fliters or hood, still JPEG's look correct, RAW is under exposed.

I have read many explanations of how software processes raw images & many technical lessons but with it only happening on this one camera back from service I cannot find what I am missing.

[Waddizzle]

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@trudnowskis wrote:

Did you resolve your 6D RAW photo darkness issue, if so, what did you end up doing?

BTW, this darkness issue still exists on the 6D Mark II as well and is worse on the R6 and R6 Mark II.  It's not only the brightness level being too dark, but also the color tones that are not correct.  And as described correctly below, only Canon DPP desktop app (current is version 4) will convert the RAW CR2s (6D and 6D Mark II) and RAW or CRAW CR3s (R6 and R6 Mark II) correctly.  Any other RAW converter, as noted prior, will apply their own own RAW algorithm, which they attempt as best possible to match Canon DPP.  This has always been the case, it's only that some third party alternatives over the years have 'gotten close' to matching Canon's DPP for CERTAIN Canon cameras.  

If you have not resolved your 6D issue and do not want to use Canon DPP to convert to a TIFF file first before processing with any other editing software, you have 3 choices:

- Use the JPG version of the photo from your 6D.

- Continue searching for other third party RAW converters to find one that closely matches Canon's RAW profile for your camera.

- Try and find the setting(s) turned on/enabled that most likely are causing this issue with the RAW photo.  Turn off all settings in the 'Still Shooting' mode (Red) and then one by one turn each one back on, take a photo and then turn that setting back off.  Go through each setting like this until you have a RAW photo for each setting turned on.  

Upload the photos into your chosen third party converter to see which setting could be the culprit.  In the case of using Mac OS or IOS, this darkness and color issue shows up as well by just opening up your RAW or CRAW photos in Mac's native apps, Preview(OS) or Photos(OS & IOS), so really there is no need to even employ a third party RAW converter app to determine these results. 

If the result is not obtained by one particular setting, it could be a combination of settings begin enabled/turned on.  For that, you will need to go back and turn on/enable two settings at a time and then repeat the same process same as above.  From here, if it is not two settings, you need to keep adding one setting until you find the combination of settings that is causing this problem.  (Am currently doing this with the R6 Mark II).

As has been posted elsewhere, as Canon moves more and more toward proprietary hardware and software, this issue could get worse, as it will become harder(if not impossible) for third party manufacturers and software developers to 'unlock' enough of the proprietary Canon processes, code and data to create viable third party products (hardware and software) in the future.  Beyond this RAW photo darkness issue, another result of this will be elevated Canon prices if there are no third party competitors.

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Please start a new thread for YOUR issues.  Thanks, ahead of time.

[kvbarkley]

Yeah, I hear they are going to double the price of DPP.