Raw Photo is very dark

[BmrBird]

Running Windows 10 64-bit and Affinity Photo ver 1.7.3.481   Until a couple of days ago I could open RAW files (from Pentax K3 camera) and develop without problems, now, both new and previously processed RAW files now appear as very dark and underexposed, The attached files show a dark image that previously was fine when processed, along with Preferences and Assistant settings that I haven't changed in months, and a screen shot of the RAW file as shown in Picasa. As far as I know there have been no changes to my Windows system etc., it just seems that Affinity Photo is no longer opening the RAW files properly. I've no idea why Affinity has suddenly stopped working as it used to.

[walt.farrell]

Were you previously developing to RGB/8 or RGB/16, and recently switched to developing to RGB/32 (HDR) instead?

Do you have an HDR-capable monitor? What does the 32-bit Preview panel in the Studio show?

[diethardw]

I'm new to Affinity Photo and use a Canon EOS 70D with RAW format (.CR2). I have the same effect: photos are shown much too dark in Affinity, all other programs displaying CR2 (including Canon Digital Photo Professional V 4.10) show them correctly. Also if you select the photo in Affinity's File Open dialog it is shown correctly (see attached PNG). Affinity 1.7.3.481 on Windows 10.

[BmrBird]

Hi Walt, I haven't changed any Affinity settings recently, and have been developing to RGB/32 (HDR) for all of 2019 without these issues.

My monitor doesn't support HDR.

DxDiag shows...

"Monitor Name: HP Pavilion 23cw IPS LED Backlit Monitor
       Monitor Model: HP 23cw
          Monitor Id: HWP3187
         Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)
         Output Type: HDMI
Monitor Capabilities: HDR Not Supported"

 

32-bit Preview Panel (see attached screen capture). I notice that the INFO tab in bottom right hand corner shows

the Document Colour Format & ICC Profile is RGBA/32 (HDR) - sRGB IEC61922-1

Is there some way I can force Affinity Photo to open my RAW files in 16-bit?

I've tried clicking Develop in Develop Persona to switch to Photo Persona, then used Document/Convert Format-ICC Profile and

it shows current format is RGB/32 (HDR) so I choose RGB/16 and click Convert and the image is then not as dark, but still much darker

than it should be (see attached screen capture). A successfully edited and saved as jpg image of this same RAW file was created on

03 Dec 2019 (see attached screen capture).

However now, any time I open a RAW file it is defaulting to RGB/32 (HDR) again. I'd be happy to make it only use 16-bit if possible. Thanks for your assistance.

[walt.farrell]

The mode you develop to is controlled by the Develop Assistant in the Assistant Manager, and you show in your 3rd screenshot above that it's set for RGB/32 (HDR). If you set that to RGB/16 that's what you'll Develop to.

Perhaps that will enable you to continue working until someone figures out another approach. I've no idea why this would have suddenly started happening to you.

[GDPR-365024]

While the Picasa screenshots show what may seem to be an (almost) correctly exposed image, the histograms in the Picasa screenshots indicate otherwise. The shadows are almost clipped and the other tones crowded on the left side (minimal mid-tones through to high values).

Any chance of uploading one of these RAW files? ... re process of elimination by examination.

[BmrBird]

After wasting too many hours on this problem I removed Affinity Photo using Ashampoo Uninstaller (files and Registry entries removed) then reinstalled Ver 1.7.3.481

hoping this would solve the problem. There has been some improvement, after opening the RAW file it is now not as dark as it used to be, but is still dark, and now has an additional

problem, in that it appears flat, grey, washed out. See first two screen captures showing Develop Persona (as it was this morning - very dark, and it is now after reinstallation - dark and greyish, lacking detail).

The next two screen captures show the image in Photo Persona (as it was this morning, and now after reinstallation).

The RAW file is also uploaded (K3_0102.DNG)

My initial Affinity Photo installation was in Dec 2016, and has had updates applied as they became available. This is the first time I've had to totally uninstall it and reinstall.

K3__0102.DNG

[diethardw]

@BmrBird, having bought Affinity Photo only recently, I have a complete new installation, but obviously the same problem. 

[Gnobelix]

Hello @BmrBird,

from my point of view, Affinity-Photo opens the image properly.
It should be known that every RAW converter develops the images with its own parameters.
I opened the image in different converters.
All converters show that the shadows are cut off, see histogram.
the exif files say that the exposure compensation is set to -0.7.
see screenshot.

Affinity-Photo

DarkTable

RawTherapee

Photoshop 2020

 

Cheers

[GDPR-365024]

Opening the image in PS 2020 (Camera Raw) here's a screenshot. Note by default PS will do some correction - with this image the exposure has been lifted by 1.70 ev (almost 1.75 stops) plus has lifted the shadows +39 and whites +2. (no corrections by me have been done to this image).

As per my post above the Picasa screenshots histograms indicated under exposure ... confirmed by this screenshot.

I have opened the image in APh and the results are similar to PS (without PS default correction). Certainly I'm not getting the very dark image the OP has posted.

It's late here in Oz so will upload the APh images tomorrow ... 

It's still quite puzzling though why the OP's RAW's are dark as uploaded! (the issue of this thread).  

[GDPR-365024]

@BmrBird  Here's the result of my play with the image.

I wanted to spread the tones as much as possible without clipping - refer to the histogram (there's a small amount of tiny spot shadow clipping in the branch behind the bird and branch right side ... if I removed it the image would be too flat).

Other than using 16 bit RAW Output Format the Develop Assistant settings are the same as yours (as per your screenshot above).

The panels you can't see in the screenshot: Shadows & Highlights - both set to -100%. Output profile - Adobe RGB (1998). A small amount of colour noise reduction was applied.

Note, your results may differ from mine (applying the same settings) due to monitor calibration etc.

I saved the image as a .afphoto. I can upload it to my Google Drive account if you want it (172 MB).    

[walt.farrell]

What seems strange about @BmrBird's situation is that they were not having any problems with the RAW files being too dark for "most of 2019" and seem not to have changed any settings.

It is generally true that the Serif Labs RAW Engine will show RAW photos darker than some other RAW development programs, because it intentionally requires you to do more of the work, making fewer assumptions and applying fewer automatic settings than some other programs. But it is odd that BmrBird is suddenly having an issue.

 

[GDPR-365024]

27 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

But it is odd that BmrBird is suddenly having an issue

Yes I agree.

The reason I uploaded the above screenshot is so @BmrBird could apply the same (similar) settings as mine. If the image is far removed from my result then we need to look elsewhere for a cause/solution ...

[BmrBird]

Hi PedroOfOz, thanks for your reply.

I've opened the RAW file in Develop Persona and applied your settings, Exposure 4.7, Black -.10% etc.

The image looks quite unnatural with these settings, and the Histogram is much more left oriented than in your image.

My monitor was recalibrated only a couple of days ago using Spyder device and software.

I notice that diethardw is having 'too dark' issues with a Canon on Windows 10. My suspicion is that Affinity Photo is

doing something, perhaps based on PC hardware specifics, Windows 10, and becoming corrupted. Interesting that when

I uninstalled and reinstalled Affinity the problem went from extremely dark to just dark, clearly something is going wrong somewhere.

[walt.farrell]

2 minutes ago, BmrBird said:

My monitor was recalibrated only a couple of days ago using Spyder device and software.

If you have only recently recalibrated the monitor, and now things are not working, the recalibration and the setting of the monitor display settings in Windows become important to examine.

 

[GDPR-365024]

2 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

If you have only recently recalibrated the monitor, and now things are not working, the recalibration and the setting of the monitor display settings in Windows become important to examine.

I used to calibrate with Spyder (Pro 4) however I was getting inconsistent recalibration results. 

@BmrBird Can you revert back to your previous Spyder calibration profile?  Because of Spyder's inconsistent recalibrations I learnt (the hard way!) to save the new recalibration as another profile just in case I had to revert back.  

[BmrBird]

The problems were happening before monitor recalibration. It just happened to be the time of the month I usually recalibrate, and I've not noticed any change due to the timing of recalibrating.

[GDPR-365024]

I see in your screenshot the Profiles panel is unchecked.

If that is checked and Adobe RGB (1998) is selected does your RAW result become similar to mine? 

 

[BmrBird]

I was using Profile sRGBIEC61966-2.1(Linear). Changing to  Adobe RGB (1998) made no differenc.

[GDPR-365024]

1 hour ago, BmrBird said:

I was using Profile sRGBIEC61966-2.1(Linear)

In the Profiles / Output Profile panel in Develop Persona? The panel below the Shadows & Highlights panel in your screenshot.

The screenshot looks like the Profiles Panel is unchecked!

[BmrBird]

I've done it again to make sure I had the Profile Panel checked and using Adobe RGB , same result a before, the histogram is skewed much more to the left than yours, and image quite different.

[BmrBird]

I cannot revert to previous Spyder calibration (I haven't been saving previous calibrations).

[Chris B]

Hey BmrBird,

Can you try safely resetting your appdata? Follow these steps and then try again:

1. Go to %AppData%\Affinity\Photo\

2. Rename the folder 1.0 to 1.1

3. Relaunch the app and retest

There is an issue logged that needs addressing which is what I think is causing this. Let me know how you get on.

[BmrBird]

Hi Chris,

Here is the original RAW image that was the first I posted for this problem. As you can see both in RAW and PHOTO personas it is now much better (A01... and A02... images) than when I first posted the images on 25 Dec 2019.

Then I tried your suggestion and renamed the folder to 1.1, opened the same RAW file and it seemed just the same, no change apparent in RAW or PHOTO personas (B01... and B02... images).

At least since the start of 2020 images have been opening up without being excessively dark. I did uninstall/reinstall Affinity Photo  Ver 1.7.3.481 on 26 Dec 2019, and  uninstall/reinstalled Spyder4Express on 31 Dec 2019. It now seems to be usable and stable, but remains a mystery as to why the extra dark images started happening.

Thanks for your suggestion.

[Chris B]

The first screenshots are 32 bit and it looks like you were being affected by an issue where the nonlinear transform was not being applied in 32 bit when it should be. I'm not sure how the app gets in this state but we've seen it quite a bit. It is logged with the developers too.