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Question on Color Efex 3.0: B/W Conversion
#1
I have just purchased a copy of Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 for Capture NX2. I like it since it has a lot of nice filters designed for use with NX2. However, I encountered a problem when I tried the B/W conversion filter: The default conversion always resulted a too dark image. If you check the histogram, you will see that the shadow is always clipped too much, while there is a large blanck area in the high light end. In other words, the b/w image looks as if it is highly underexposed. I know that there is a way to fix it: just move the "Protect Shadows" slider to the right (often quite large amount is needed) to recover the shadow details (moving the Brightness slider to the right cannot recover shadow details, it simply makes the image brighter). This can be very boring if I need to do it for every b/w conversion. My question is: is this a common problem? Or did I do something wrong?



In this regards the B&W converter within the NX2 is better: it just sometimes clipps both shadows and high lights which can often be fixed by moving the contrast slider to the right; and it does not clip that much shadows as the Color Efex 3.0 b/w converter does. However, I don't like its color filter: the color filter of the B&W converter in NX2 is just not strong enough and is sometimes not very accurate.



Comments and responses are welcome.



Frank
#2
Hi Frank,



Yes. the B&W conversion option in CE3 (and 4) tends to result in too dark an image indeed. In order to get around this, without having to fiddle, you need Silver Efex, neutral setting.



HTH, kind regards, Wim



P.S.: Edited, I read Silver Efex 3 somehow at first.
Gear: Canon EOS R with 3 primes and 2 zooms, 4 EF-R adapters, Canon EOS 5 (analog), 9 Canon EF primes, a lone Canon EF zoom, 2 extenders, 2 converters, tubes; Olympus OM-D 1 Mk II & Pen F with 12 primes, 6 zooms, and 3 Metabones EF-MFT adapters ....
#3
There is no "correct" way to convert to BW. The standard BW conversion of Color Efex Pro 3 indeed is dark. Many BW photos from the past that grab you do like shadows (iow: lots of black) and the standard BW conversion settings are geared towards that look. You do have to make rather light exposures to get nice results with it standard settings.



I prefer the tonal enhancer method in the BW conversion, and it gives 3 pre-sets to choose from. Probably they will be more to your liking?
#4
[quote name='wim' timestamp='1321616450' post='13025']

Hi Frank,



Yes. the B&W conversion option in CE3 (and 4) tends to result in too dark an image indeed. In order to get around this, without having to fiddle, you need Silver Efex, neutral setting.



HTH, kind regards, Wim



P.S.: Edited, I read Silver Efex 3 somehow at first.

[/quote]



Thanks Wim, so it is normal for CE3 (and 4). Yes, I have checked the Silver Efex, but it seems that the Silver Efex does not support the NX2. Most of time I use NX2 to process my photos, that is why I purchased the CE3 instead of the CE4.



Frank
#5
[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1321618371' post='13026']

There is no "correct" way to convert to BW. The standard BW conversion of Color Efex Pro 3 indeed is dark. Many BW photos from the past that grab you do like shadows (iow: lots of black) and the standard BW conversion settings are geared towards that look. You do have to make rather light exposures to get nice results with it standard settings.



I prefer the tonal enhancer method in the BW conversion, and it gives 3 pre-sets to choose from. Probably they will be more to your liking?

[/quote]



Thank you for your explanation, Brightcolours. Today I tried the tonal enhancer method in the BW conversion and indeed it can give better results for my taste.



Regards,

Frank
  


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