Same settings, different colours

[Rastis]

I’ve got two Canon cameras: 7D and 5D mark II. There is a big difference between the colours in photos these two cameras produce. Despite all the settings are same the two cameras produce different image quality. I’ve tried to attach the same lens to both of them but the results are same. What’s wrong?

Flower 5D mark II

Flower 7D

Apples 5D mark II

Apples 7D

[kvbarkley]

RAW or JPEG?

What RAW processor are you using?

Do you have AdobeRGB set for either of them?

It could just be that the standard settings for one are a little more saturated than the other. Put both on "faithful" or "neutral" and try again.

[Rastis]

I photograph RAW photos and then process them in Lightroom. I have sRGB color space setting.

I’ve put both on "faithful" picture style settings as you said but the result is same.

Is it normal that photos from two different Canon cameras have different saturation?

[Waddizzle]

Maybe the difference is only manifesting itself as saturation.  What are the White Balance settings?  Lens filtering?

The Pictue Style” setting in the camera is meaningless to LR when you shoot as RAW.  LR does have its’ own adjustment, so I guess you might mean that.  Are you applying any processing in LR, besides lens correction?  The lens correction being applied cause also apply “lighting optimization” to the images, too

Have you tried the comparison with DPP?  It could be LR causing the difference, not the cameras.  

Also, you are comparing a full frame sensor body to an APS-C sensor body.  What lens are you using, anyway?  The two sensors are seeing diffferent parts of the image circle.  With WB set to AUTO, this could cause different settings to be selected by the camera.

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

I think an understanding of how a Raw file works is in order.  First you can not view a Raw file. It is simply data.  We all know that?  Canon does not document how its Raw files work.  Or, even how to convert one to a viewable image.  Canon routinely alters this.  That is why a Raw file from a 5D Mk II is a different file than a file from a 7D.  Even though, they both have a .cr2 extension.

Adobe in LR or ACR has to 'guess' how to convert Canon's Raw files.  So do all the other post editors available today. To have any two display exactly the same is probably a huge improbability.  

This is not to minimize the fact you have two different sensors with likely differing age on them.  Plus the rest of the electronics onboard the cameras.

However, it is an easy issue to over come with LR.

[ebiggs1]

"So do all the other post editors available today."

Slight correction.    Caon's own DPP4 does not guess!  It knows how.

[kvbarkley]

Try DPP.

[Rastis]

Thank you for all your answers. I think Ebiggs1’s arguments make sense.

[cicopo]

Another consideration which makes a difference in ACR is whether or not you use Adobe's profile or Camera Standard. I ran into this when I first got my 7D2 & was having a hard time getting similar results to what I get from my 1D4. Adobe works well with the 1D4 but Camera Standard works better with 7D2 files.