What color space should I use for shooting? My camera options are sRGB and Adobe RGB. Also, I read somewhere that color profiles are not embedded in RAW files at the camera level. Is that true?
raw files do not have and can not have a color space. raw files are not images. Color space only has meaning full once you have an RGB image. You can choose the color space when you convert the image. The setting on the camera is just there to tell the raw converter your intent but does nothing to the raw image.
There is a trade off. A wide color space like Abodbe RGB covers a wider range but it uses wider "steps". A narower space like sRGB has smaller steps. The number of steps is fixed by the number of bits. At 8 bits per channel you have 256 steps. Just like steps in a house. If the number of steps is fixed they must each be taler if the floors are 12 feet apart than if they are 9 feet apart. But if you are using 16-bit images the step size is very small no mater what color space.
The best workflow is to keep the image in raw format or in 16-bit color depth and Adobe SRB
until you need to export a JPG then pick the color space based on where you will be sending the mage. It it is going to most on-line printers or the web it will have to be in the "standard" sRGB color space.
Many people will argue that if you must convert to sRGB for export you may as well just use that as your working color space. This makes sense for some people. But it depends on an "if".
I think the answerdepends on
- if you keep your archive in RAW or 16-bit RGB or in JPG
- if you work mostly for print and web output
- how much you post process your images
- How much hassel you are willing to put up with
For example if you shoot JPG and then make prints directly from camera files then you want sRGB but if you shoot raw and then convert to PSD 16-bit per chanel format Adobe RGB is a better color space but you will have to remember to convert the color space when you create JPG versions for export.