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Author Topic: Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.  (Read 6345 times)

SeanBK

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« on: July 25, 2008, 10:21:45 am »

Has anyone is used "Silver Efex Pro" by Niksoftware? Other than my own evaluation for 30days, I thought some of the expert can enlighen me with fine art of B&W, which can or cannot be achived by this software. Thanks much.
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francois

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2008, 10:28:05 am »

Quote
Has anyone is used "Silver Efex Pro" by Niksoftware? Other than my own evaluation for 30days, I thought some of the expert can enlighen me with fine art of B&W, which can or cannot be achived by this software. Thanks much.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
There's just a short discussions for B/W printing [a href=\"http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=26590&mode=linear]here[/url].

Edit: also find a short article on OutbackPhoto website (here).
« Last Edit: July 25, 2008, 10:30:01 am by francois »
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Francois

CynthiaM

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2008, 10:48:34 am »

Quote
Has anyone is used "Silver Efex Pro" by Niksoftware? Other than my own evaluation for 30days, I thought some of the expert can enlighen me with fine art of B&W, which can or cannot be achived by this software. Thanks much.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I was a beta tester and although I didn't put it through its paces as much as some of the others, here's my two cents:
1-it does as good a job if not better than any other B&W conversion, but I'm not sure if it is worth the purchase price.
2-the upoint technology is nice, but it would be even better if there were a slider to control saturation so that you could selectively leave in one color.
3-the structure slider is worth exploring. It will bring out detail or soften it.
4-some of the alternative process pre-sets are interesting.
5-It has smart filter capability. Just make certain to convert the layer for a smart filter before running Silver Efex

If you download the trial version, download the additional preset: [a href=\"https://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php?view=intro/styles.shtml]https://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/u...ro/styles.shtml[/url] and watch the video tutorials: https://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php
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Cynthia Merzer
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Arizona

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2008, 04:21:11 pm »

It is the best B&W conversion software to date. The Structure slider is amazing for the detail enhancement.

The list of B&W film responses can be used with or without the grain structure and they can make a big difference in the final look. You can quickly mouse over the films to see the result, then click on what you want.

The colored filter presets are nice for quick previews and then you can fine tune that feature with a slider.

The toning panel is very well though out with various presets and sliders for both silver toning (the dark portions of the image) and paper toning (the light portions). This gives complete control when adding a tone.

One can burn separate edges or vignette the whole image with great control.

Any feature can be checked on or off to see how it effects the whole.

It has U-point.

However I disagree with Cindy that it should have a feature to leave in one color. That is not B&W, is is selective color with B&W surroundings, a thing that I see as a misuse of B&W. I don't like those images where you see everything as B&W but one yellow flower or the like. No, just leave that out. LOL

Nik writes software like nobody else. It is not inexpensive but I am over the money spent and very impressed with what it does for imaging. I ran a lot of older images through it in the first five days of the demo and then dropped the two bills with no further question. All one can do is demo it for yourself and then decide. It is free to check out. I have their Color Efex 3.0 and Viveza but have yet to get any of the other programs though they should be nice as well.
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Glen

plugsnpixels

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2008, 10:13:56 pm »

I included a page on Silver Efex Pro in my latest ezine (issue #12). The presets reminded me of Corel's Paint Shop Pro X2's, but of course SEP offers much more control.

Glen, thanks for the heads-up on the downloadable Custom styles (I hadn't caught that).

To date I have seen over 35 B&W conversion apps! Everything new is old again...
« Last Edit: July 26, 2008, 11:36:59 pm by plugsnpixels »
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john beardsworth

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2008, 04:24:13 am »

I do a lot of black and white and felt it was very nicely designed, has a good and pretty convincing set of features, but is significantly overpriced.

If you know how to do b&w in Photoshop CS3, I don't think Silver Efex Pro adds much at all unless you routinely add exactly the same filters AND clarity / wide area sharpening AND grain AND can't figure out actions, layers etc. I don't think the end results are  better in an absolute sense - it's just nice having a bunch of b&w-oriented controls bundled together.

If you don't know how to do these things in Photoshop, then it's a nice shrink wrapped solution that will have you going round proclaiming "you can't do that in Photoshop, you need a dedicated solution". Hm.

I felt the grain was particularly attractive, though with these b&w apps I always wonder about how accurate the film recipes actually are - is that HP5 in ID11 or Perceptol or how about Rodinal? Maybe these recipes are spot on, and maybe there is some creative sense to mimicking film....

Overall, I just didn't think it was good value for money. But the earlier poster was right - "All one can do is demo it for yourself and then decide".

John
« Last Edit: July 27, 2008, 04:28:57 am by johnbeardy »
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Arizona

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2008, 10:39:57 am »

It is true; there are a lot of B&W apps out there and for good reason. It is one of the most exciting and powerful mediums to work in.

I have worked with the various methods in Photoshop, have The Imaging factory’s Convert to BW Pro, DXO’s Filmpack, Tiffen DFx which has a wonderful B&W app under Special Effects- B&W Looks and several other methods and apps.

I like Silver Efex above all other methods. The preset Styles are interesting but everything can be done quickly and very easily in the control panel for each individual image so I have hidden the Styles panel in my app. If you want to you can save your own Styles. For me though, on top of any B&W work, it is important to incorporate Photoshop’s Layers and Luminosity masks to use with Curves for the finest tonal curve adjustments throughout the image.
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Glen

capkell

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2008, 07:45:13 pm »

In Photoshop, since I have a pretty good idea of where I want to go with a particular image, I also already often know which paper will be used. So I like to work with the image "soft-proofed" with that particular paper's profile.

Let us say one plans to use Harman FB AI Warmtone, and selects that paper View -> Custom etc

Will the Nik plugin apply that paper profile while one works on the image?
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mikeseb

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Silver Efex Pro by Nikspftware.
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2008, 05:00:01 pm »

Interesting thread folks.

I've done my B&W conversions in a variety of ways, but most frequently in either LR or before that, in Alien Skin's Exposure plugin for Photoshop. Not blown away by any of them.

Would be interesting to get feedback from someone who's used both Nik Silver EFX and Alien Skin Exposure.

Gonna give the trial a trial.
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michael sebast
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