iPhoto 9.5 sharpening drastically affects red channel

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Level 1

11 points

iPhoto 9.5 sharpening drastically affects red channel

I have the weirdest bug: opening a photo into the "edit" window recalculates the edits and ties the "sharpening slider" to the photo's "red channel." There are no visible slider changes, but a beautifully edited photo is suddenly converted to peaked reds. This renders the sharpening slider and the editing panel more than useless – they damage the photo. I don't even have to enter the adjustement pane for the change to occur. Command + E is sufficient to recalculate, bringing my work to a standstill.

Everything since the last update has been working properly, at least until the latest "Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 5.01." I use a Sony NEX but only save JPEG and never RAW. The Sony Alpha NEX-5T is included in the update, but I'm shooting with a Sony NEX-5, which is an earlier generation model.

I've also confirmed the "sharpening/red channel" bug is present in Aperture v3.5 – RAW 5.01 – Build 718.1, and RAW Support 5010 – Build 91.8.

Is there a way to revert to the previous RAW build? Is there a patch? Am I just forced to wait on Apple?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8), Purchased August 2010

Posted on Nov 13, 2013 11:26 AM

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Answer 1

daveswallace Author

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Nov 15, 2013 11:44 AM in response to daveswallace

Anyone else? Apple, are you fixing it?

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

207,433 points

Nov 15, 2013 1:40 PM in response to daveswallace

As a test launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and create a new, test library. Import some photos and test to see if the same problem persists. Does it?

OT

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Answer 3

daveswallace Author

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Nov 18, 2013 12:25 PM in response to Old Toad

I just had my first baby. No way I'm running tests on my library when this thing is already broken and there's word going around that Mavericks is also wiping backup drives.

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Answer 4

Old Toad

Level 10

207,433 points

Nov 18, 2013 12:36 PM in response to daveswallace

Creating a new library will not jeopardize any of your other libraries in any way whatsoever. It's a new, empty, totally separate library and will indicate if the problem is limited to the libraries or an iPhoto or system issue.

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Answer 5

daveswallace Author

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Nov 18, 2013 1:07 PM in response to Old Toad

I tried rebuilding the library via Aperture, remembering that I had reparied permissions around the same time as downloading the new RAW profiles. This successfully (and unexplicably) repaired the issue.

Note there is still something wrong – cropping a photo reverts to the red channel issue during a crop, and once a photo is edited, "done" processes the photo showing the red channel error but then fixes it. Could this be a thumbnail issue?

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Answer 6

daveswallace Author

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Nov 18, 2013 1:09 PM in response to daveswallace

Scratch that – isn't fixed. The color profiles are just extrememly erratic now, and occasionally correct.

I can start over from the original to achieve pleasing similar results, but the edits are different than the original edits, which now result in bizzare washed out behavior.

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Answer 7

daveswallace Author

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Nov 18, 2013 1:32 PM in response to daveswallace

Here is the current bug – a photo edit on the original NEX-5 profile (the result of dealing with the red-channel issue) and a new edit on the same photo started from scratch, both using identical parameters:

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Answer 8

daveswallace Author

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Nov 18, 2013 1:38 PM in response to daveswallace

Another example:

My original edit (sadly the thumb is all that's left, but you can see the color):

The initial red profile error, initiated upon viewing:

Current incorrect profile translation in the edit pane (you can see from the edits this is incorrect):

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Answer 9

Old Toad

Level 10

207,433 points

Nov 18, 2013 1:45 PM in response to daveswallace

What color profile do these photos have?

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Answer 10

daveswallace Author

Level 1

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Nov 21, 2013 3:40 PM in response to Old Toad

sRGB IEC61966-2.1… wait, one of the broken modified says "Adobe RGB (1998)" ***?!!

Another photo from the same event which I don't believe has been broken yet says "Camera RGB Profile."

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Answer 11

Old Toad

Level 10

207,433 points

Nov 21, 2013 3:50 PM in response to daveswallace

The Adobe profiler generally produces darker images and, IMO, somewhat muddy compared to sRGB profile, partifularly when printed on an ink jet printer. I make it a rule to stay away from the Adobe profile and use the Canera RGB or the sRGB IEC611966-2.1 profile. Most of the RGB profiles are very close to being identical except for the Adobe profile.

You can run ColorSync Utility and see the differences. It will also check and repair any damaged profiles.

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Answer 12

daveswallace Author

Level 1

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Nov 21, 2013 4:06 PM in response to Old Toad

I've never changed any of these – I double checked and all of the photos edited in Photoshop CS5 maintained their originals profiles of "Camera RBG Profile," as do most of the original and modified photos not edited with the previous version of iPhoto. Then ALL the originals suddenly switch to "sRGB IEC61966-2.1" and the modified files show all 3 profiles.

What the **** happened?!

Also, I don't seem my camera color profile listed in color utility. What can I do about that?

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Answer 13

daveswallace Author

Level 1

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Nov 21, 2013 4:21 PM in response to daveswallace

Ran the utility – found no issues although it didn't list Adobe 1998 until afterwards.

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Answer 14

daveswallace Author

Level 1

11 points

Nov 22, 2013 1:01 PM in response to daveswallace

Per instructions elsewhere, I zipped the 1998 color profile (to save) and then deleted it. This returned the problem to what it was: sharpening controls the red channel again.

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Answer 15

daveswallace Author

Level 1

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Nov 22, 2013 2:04 PM in response to daveswallace

I noted in Preview that my computer appears to have 2 "sRGB IEC61966-2.1" profiles. Is this a problem? could it be contributing the issues or could one be corrupted?

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