G3 - Green is too saturated and unnatural

[cjoliprsf]

I recently got a Lumix G3 (it came with a lens I wanted to get) and thought I could use it rather than sell it.
However I find the greens really look unnatural, and I need to correct this in processing, which I find annoying.
I am wondering if this is a known problem and if there could be a setting I didn't see that would solve this.

My settings are very basic, shooting in JPG, AWB (auto white balance), Standard photo style.
Today I made a comparison with my GM5, using the same settings on both cameras, the greens are completely different, much nicer and more natural and accurate on the GM5; too much yellow in the greens from the G3

Examples follow, all Straight-out-of-camera-JPG, untouched except for resizing to 1600 pixels wide and lowering the JPG quality to 80.
First a squash, with the G3:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Same with the GM5:

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Second example, with some dahlias, first with the G3:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

And same with the GM5:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

I also have a GX80/85, where the colors are the same as with the GM5.
I am really puzzled by this, why do the G3 render the colors so differently?

 

[JLGF1]

You might check that I-Dynamic is set to either Low or Off. But, this may depend on which mode you shoot in (unknown).

 

[cjoliprsf]

You might check that I-Dynamic is set to either Low or Off. But, this may depend on which mode you shoot in (unknown).

You might have nailed it... I_Dynamic was set at Standard, while it is at OFF on my other cameras. I hadn't noticed this.
Will have to check tomorrow if it changes things.

What do you mean by "which mode I shoot in"?
(if you mean this, I shooted these in "P")

 

[JLGF1]

Mode: P,A,S etc. I think I-Dynamic only works in P-mode, but I'm not certain without checking a manual.

 

[retiredfromlife]

Mode: P,A,S etc. I think I-Dynamic only works in P-mode, but I'm not certain without checking a manual.

I thought you had to be in iAuto for those modes to work, but it is a long time since I read the manual.

The only time I see vivid colours on my G85 is when I am in the vivid profile or when I went to UK but there it was correct

 

[Brownie]

Maybe start with a reboot. Set everything back to default and go from there. Those comparisons looks like vivid or something else is turned on, it's not just the greens. Look at the redish bits of stems and twigs above the flowers in the second shot, back in the bush. Look at the rocks in the foreground in the second set.

 

[cjoliprsf]

Mode: P,A,S etc. I think I-Dynamic only works in P-mode, but I'm not certain without checking a manual.

From the manual, iDynamic works in P, A, S, M, C1, C2.

Unfortunately, after turning iDynamic to OFF, it didn't cure the problem.
Shot with G3:

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and same with GM5:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

I guess next will be a complete reset... (But first I need to recharge the battery.)

 

[cjoliprsf]

Maybe start with a reboot. Set everything back to default and go from there. Those comparisons looks like vivid or something else is turned on, it's not just the greens. Look at the redish bits of stems and twigs above the flowers in the second shot, back in the bush. Look at the rocks in the foreground in the second set.

Reset didn't cure... I did both reset options, namely:
- Reset Rec. settings
- Reset Setup/Custom parameters
to no avail.

I still have an overly yellow coloration in the greens with the G3:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Compare with GM5:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Brownie]

I wonder if Panasonic made some color changes between the G3 and G5?

So, maybe try the other way. Go into your iDyanamic/preferences etc. and turn things down to see if you can get to where you want them.

 

[doady]

Just seems like different white balance. G3 seems too yellow (red + green), GM5 seems too blue (cyan + magenta)? Both need tweaking of white balance. G3 actually looks more natural/neutral in the second example. Shoot RAW and maybe you will see different white balance set by each camera at Auto for the same scene. Maybe different Auto WB algorithms in the two cameras.

 

[cjoliprsf]

I wonder if Panasonic made some color changes between the G3 and G5?

I also start to think this is inherent to the G3, in the way it processes the colors. Possibly Panasonic improved their color algorithms with later models such as GM5 or GX85.

Anyone shooting with a G3 who could comment?

 

[DeeJayK]

I had a G3 for some time (just recently passed it along to another forum member). I didn't shoot a bunch with it, but I never noticed any discrepancies or big differences in color rendering compared to other bodies (although I'm probably not the best resource on the topic). I also don't recall seeing anything in reviews of the G3 or G5 that called out any stark differences in rendering.

That makes me think that these issues might be down to your particular example more than anything inherent to the model itself. You might also take a look in this thread of G3 images to see if you notice anything similar to what you're experiencing.

- K

 

[RichardC]

I recently got a Lumix G3 (it came with a lens I wanted to get) and thought I could use it rather than sell it.
However I find the greens really look unnatural, and I need to correct this in processing, which I find annoying.
I am wondering if this is a known problem and if there could be a setting I didn't see that would solve this.

My settings are very basic, shooting in JPG, AWB (auto white balance), Standard photo style.
Today I made a comparison with my GM5, using the same settings on both cameras, the greens are completely different, much nicer and more natural and accurate on the GM5; too much yellow in the greens from the G3

Examples follow, all Straight-out-of-camera-JPG, untouched except for resizing to 1600 pixels wide and lowering the JPG quality to 80.
First a squash, with the G3:
View attachment 901733
Same with the GM5:
View attachment 901734

Second example, with some dahlias, first with the G3:
View attachment 901735
And same with the GM5:
View attachment 901736

I also have a GX80/85, where the colors are the same as with the GM5.
I am really puzzled by this, why do the G3 render the colors so differently?

Do you have both cameras set to the same colour space? For example Adobe RGB 1998.

Could you post comparison images, preferably taken with the same lens, in full resolution RAW and JPEG to Dropbox?

 

[RichardC]

The shadow end of the blue channel is consistently clipped on the G3 images. It would be really interesting to see the RAW files

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[cjoliprsf]

Do you have both cameras set to the same colour space? For example Adobe RGB 1998.

I think so...
I will check next week (I am away for a few days)

Could you post comparison images, preferably taken with the same lens, in full resolution RAW and JPEG to Dropbox?

Yes I can do that. Nest week I could shoot in RAW+JPG a few test shots with the G3 and the same scene with another camera, and upload the files to my Google drive space.

The shadow end of the blue channel is consistently clipped on the G3 images. It would be really interesting to see the RAW files

This is very interesting. It has helped me to make a profile under RawTherapee that brings the colors to a more natural state, and much closer to what I get with other cameras.
This makes me wonder if the UV filter could be in cause, as such filter cuts some wave lengthes. However this is a good quality B+W filter and I would be surprised if it could alter the colors that much in the visible spectrum.

 

[RichardC]

I think so...
I will check next week (I am away for a few days)


Yes I can do that. Nest week I could shoot in RAW+JPG a few test shots with the G3 and the same scene with another camera, and upload the files to my Google drive space.


This is very interesting. It has helped me to make a profile under RawTherapee that brings the colors to a more natural state, and much closer to what I get with other cameras.
This makes me wonder if the UV filter could be in cause, as such filter cuts some wave lengthes. However this is a good quality B+W filter and I would be surprised if it could alter the colors that much in the visible spectrum.

I couldn't get anywhere near a 'match' between the two cameras with colour temperature and tint alone (this is usually enough) - but life gets much easier if you lift the shadows on the blue channel and then start to play with the colour temperature sliders.

I asked about colour spaces because I wasn't sure whether or not the JPEGs would be straight out of both cameras or one RAW and one JPEG, or both JPEGs, loaded into an image editor (with possibly a much larger working colour space such as Prophoto RGB) then converted back to SRGB for output as a more compressed JPEG? At least one of your JPEGs has no colour profile embedded.

RAWs are easiest to compare because they are what they are.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[cjoliprsf]

At least one of your JPEGs has no colour profile embedded.

Yes, this is probably because on the GM5, for some shots I forgot to change the setting to JPG (as I usually shoot in RAW with this camera). So these JPGs are actually from the embedded jpg in the raw file. This also probably explains why these don't have exif information (which I just noticed).