Yesterday, I headed out to do a walk around Win Hill in the Peak District. I’ve done this walk in the past or tried to. It’s supposed to be around 6 miles but last time it turned into 12 because I thought I knew the route but didn’t.
This time the weather looked promising, so I packed the Panasonic G9 together with a Panasonic 14-140 lens. This is new lens for me, which I recently purchased used from MPB Photo. I bought it as a trekking lens so thought this would be a good opportunity to try it (I’ll share my thoughts another time)
My plan, besides testing the lens, was to photograph the heather at the top and around Win Hill. If the heather looked good, I would return one evening to capture the scene in better light. As it turned out, there was very little heather other than the flower buds, and it looked like it was a couple of weeks off flowering.
The walk was though a good opportunity to do something else that’s been on my list for a couple of years. Calibrate my G9 camera. If I’m completely honest, I’ve always struggled a little to get my colours to look the way that I want them to so I was hoping this would help.
In the past I’ve used an Xrite (now Calibrite) ColorChecker Passport to produce bespoke profiles for my cameras. I haven’t used this for quite a few years (it’s over 10 years past it’s change date) but I decided to try it. The process involves photographing the colour target in sunlight and shade. You then use the Xrite software to generate a custom profile from the two shots.
Incidentally, if you want to do this a little cheaper, you can download the software for free from the Calibrite website and use it with the Calibrite Mini colour target (which is cheaper). The benefit of the ColorChecker Passport is that it’s in a plastic holder which protects it.
After downloading and installing the latest software, I generated a new G9 custom profile. Here’s the difference the new profile makes to one of my test RAW files.
The Image on the left is the unadjusted RAW file in Lightroom, using the Panasonic Standard profile. The image on the right is identical, except I’ve changed to the new custom profile. As this made such a difference to the image colour, I decided to reprocess one of my Peak District heather shots from a couple of years ago.
Having reprocessed the shot, I’m now much happier with the colours in the scene. The colours appear strong but at the same time clean. Previously I would correct one colour and it would send something else out. Whilst I’m not entirely happy (yet), the new profile is an improvement.
Colour is also the subject of this week’s YouTube video which looks at how to get better colour in DxO PhotoLab.
I hope that you find something in my rambling helpful and have a great weekend.
The Lightweight Photographer 
It’s interesting that you’re using a Panasonic 14-140 lens. I remember around 10 years ago that you tried one then and returned it after being totally unimpressed by it.
I recently bought one but haven’t used it much in anger so haven’t yet formed an opinion on the IQ. I look forward to reading your comments on how your new copy performs.
You have a good memory. Yes, I bought the MKI lens when it was first released and it was dreadful. I ended up sending it back https://thelightweightphotographer.com/2013/12/01/the-lens-goes-back/. This lens although second hand is the MKII which is smaller and lighter. I must admit to thinking hard before I made the purchase. It was only because MPB had a good policy and the lens came highly recommended by my friend Steve O’Nions that I took the plunge. So far, I’m impressed and the lens is very versatile.
Going Back to Simple Colour
Hi Robin
Saw your comments on the colour not being as you would like using the G9, and using various remedies to try to fix it.
Also noticed that the colour was not quite right on a number of images in the past you have placed on your website.
Have you tried taking a simple old Kodak 18% grey card along with you, and photographing that in one corner of your shots ? Then when back in photoshop open levels (CMD+L), zoom in to the card on your chosen image, choose the centre eye drop picker from levels, and just click on the grey card ? A small grey card with a crocodile clip attached, can be clamped onto a nearby bush ! This should in theory now make the grey card absolutely grey, and all other colours in the image fall into line and be correct ! It may get you a little closer to what you want with little expense.
No 18% grey card ? You can buy them at Wex, they fold up @ £21. Or cheaper still, I printed ane on A4 matt paper, a 20% one after selecting the 20% swatch in Photoshop and filling the sheet. Just stick it to a bit of spare mounting board cut down to A5-A6, to cart around with you, it works !
I personally have used the SpyderX Studio kit by Datacolor for years, and always had very acceptable results. They have just brought out a Spyder X Mk2, I think I paid about £300 for the Mk 1 at the time. I make sure the monitor is profiled, (most important) and the printing paper/ink combination used are profiled. I have never bothered with camera profiles though. Like you I use Fuji kit, although not the Panasonic.
Hope this helps,
Kevin James