maninahat wrote:
On import, pics often look ok then resolve into higher contrast, garish colour versions which are less pleasing - have I set a preference incorrectly or am I missing something else?
When you first import, you see the small embedded JPEG the camera generates. This matches what you see on the LCD but is based on having the camera do the conversions which you're not doing. LR therefore has to build it's own high quality previews but more importantly, that is based on it's current default settings using it's own engine. So just forget what you initially see, you'd not get that unless you set the camera for JPEG.
The key is setting up a custom default you prefer. You could pick a general DNG profile, move any of the sliders around etc and the, if you option click in Develop, the Reset button toggles to allow you to create a new default. From there you can of course adjust to taste. You'll still have to white balance and so forth but you should try to get a decent 'starting point' from Import on. For WB, might want to set the camera for Auto WB. Note this setting has no effect on your raw data! It's only a suggestion you can accept or alter. With Auto WB, you'll probably find more images come in looking closer to what you want then say forcing Daylight (which would look butt ugly IF those images were shot under Tungsten). Auto IS NOT PERECT by a long shot but since the setting doesn't affect the data, might as well try for something that gets you in the ball park.
Using any card to WB (and you should use a white, not gray card) again is often just another starting point. You seasson to taste using Tint/Temp. And of course, if you shot a scene at sunset and did this, you'd kill the color expected at that time of day. Bottom line is, when you capture raw, the WB can be anything you wish, anything you think looks good. That would not be the case with a JPEG. If you set it, you're then kind of stuck with that rendering.
Lastly, creating one or two custom DNG camera profiles can work wonders. Check out the X-rite Passport product. You'll end up with a really great target for balancing as well.