Adobe RGB vs sRGB camera raw file which should I use?

[George]

Hi
I'm just starting and I noticed that when I open a Canon RAW file which was created in Adobe RGB colour space, Paintshop Pro X4 appears to convert it to sRGB. I am using Adobe RGB because I thought it had a wider colour space. Should I just be using sRGB? Perhaps a Canon user could help me out here. Thanks George

[Smakar]

I am a novice Canon user (Rebel XS) and I was taught that, if possible, to use the Adobe RGB 1998 setting, which is what I set in both PSP X3 and now X4 (in X4, File --> Color Management --> Color Working Space). For some reason, both PSP and even Photoshop default to sRGB and the setting has to be changed.
And I am VERY happy with the results!

[George]

Thanks very much. I went to my photo lab and they basically said the same thing - shoot in Adobe RGB, but convert to jpeg in sRGB for their small printer and convert to jpeg in Adobe RGB for their poster size printer. Thanks for the tip about the default in X4 to sRGB, I think that is my problem. George

[George]

Still having trouble, when I do File - Colour Management - Colour Working Space my only two choices are sRGB Colour Space Profile and CNZ005. How do I get to Adobe RGB? George

[JStanley]

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[George]

Thanks a lot. George

[df]

Not only do printers typically print well using sRGB, most pro printing services convert whatever you give them to sRGB. Also the vast majority of web browsers do not suppport Adobe RGB. So if you want to display or print your images you'll likely want to convert your aRGB to sRGB. Unfortunately neither PSP nor Canon's DPP make it particularly easy to do that (don't know about Photoshop).

[JStanley]

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[Tim Morrison]

Hi
I'm just starting and I noticed that when I open a Canon RAW file which was created in Adobe RGB colour space...

Strictly speaking, your Canon raw file doesn't have a colour space (except in the little thumbnail that is included). A raw file is just a record of the output of the image sensor's elements, which isn't in any particular colour space, just as it doesn't have a colour temperature or a resolution, and isn't an image.
As well as the sensor information a digital camera raw file contains metadata. This extra data records the camera settings - like colour space and colour temperature - in a few bytes that is usually contained in the header area of the file. When you convert the raw data to an image (in a good raw converter) the conversion uses this metadata to determine the look of the image.
But it doesn't matter what you have set for the colour space... the raw data is exactly the same. Likewise, it doesn't matter if you choose another colour space later in the raw converter, because the image produced will reflect whatever you choose, whether it is the default recorded at the time you took the photo, or another colour space you choose later.
If you have Adobe RGB selected in the camera, then change it to sRGB in the raw converter, the image produced will be identical to one made from a raw capture that had sRGB recorded in the file's metadata.