Photoshop Plugin Article

[lynnirwincamp]

Was wondering if there is an update on best Adobe plugin recommendations as the 2 of the 3 plugins recommended on this site do not support CS5 - 64bit.
Thanks!

[Richowens]

  Perhaps you could supply a little more information as to what article and what plugins.

[lynnirwincamp]

My apologies ... I was referring to the article on this website - Luminous Landscape . com

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/software/must-have.shtml

The article is titled:  Three Must-Have Photoshop Plug-ins

[KeithR]

Which 2 are you asking about? I have PK Sharpener 2 and NN both in CS5 64 bit and both are working fine. Have you gone to the websites(for the plug-ins) and downloaded the latest version?

[lynnirwincamp]

You are 100% correct ....... going back to see which two I found to be incompatible -- must have been old info as both Ninja Noise and PK Sharpener have CS5 64 bit compatible versions .........

So == it is just the B&W conversion recommendation that does not have new releases to support CS5.  Do you have a B&W conversion plugin that you prefer, or does Photoshop suite your needs?

BTW ... thanks so much for taking the time to clear this up for me!

[Richowens]

 Pk Sharpener 2 is the latest version, lot of nice improvements. It is available in 64 bit as is Noise Ninja.

 I believe that Convert To Black and White Pro is no longer available. The Imaging Factory shut down.

 Many people seem to be in love with Nik Software's B&W program  http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php

Rich

[lynnirwincamp]

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.  It what makes the Internet great as a research tool for those of us trying to learn!
Regards,
Lynn

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Pk Sharpener 2 is the latest version, lot of nice improvements. It is available in 64 bit as is Noise Ninja.

 I believe that Convert To Black and White Pro is no longer available. The Imaging Factory shut down.

 Many people seem to be in love with Nik Software's B&W program  http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php

Rich

I was a great fan of Convert to BW Pro, which worked fine for me up through CS4 (32-bit), even after the Imaging Factory shut down. The interface was highly intuitive, especially for those of us who spent many years in the chemical darkroom. When I got my 64-bit PC recently, I experimented a bit with the techniques that others have descibed for use in Photoshop or in Lightroom, and all of them seemed crude and awkward by comparison.

In some desperation I downloaded the demo of Nik's SilverEfexPro II, tried it a while, and bit the bullet and bought it. It is quite powerful, and I find myself usually using little more than the equivalent of Convert to BW Pro, but it seems the best current plugin for the purpose that I am aware of. The price is a bit high, but you can download a free trial. If you do, view their videos that show you the basic operations.

[PeterAit]

Have you played with the B&W conversion in LightRoom? You may decide that you don't need a PS plug in.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Have you played with the B&W conversion in LightRoom? You may decide that you don't need a PS plug in.

I tried it a couple of times and it didn't fit as well with the workflow I was used to with CBW-Pro or SilverEfex Pro. LR requires playing with eight different sliders separately rather than just one or two. It is certainly a lot easier than channel mixing in PS, and if you don't want to spend the money for SilverEfex Pro, I agree that LR is the best bet.

[john beardsworth]

LR requires playing with eight different sliders separately rather than just one or two.

No, it doesn't. The best way to do b&w conversion is to use the targeted adjustment tool - you keep your eye on the greyscale rendition while the sliders look after themselves.

[digitaldog]

Have you played with the B&W conversion in LightRoom? You may decide that you don't need a PS plug in.

Agreed, especially after seeing this video:
http://mulita.com/blog/?p=1244

[KeithR]

So == it is just the B&W conversion recommendation that does not have new releases to support CS5.  Do you have a B&W conversion plugin that you prefer, or does Photoshop suite your needs?

BTW ... thanks so much for taking the time to clear this up for me!

I tend to favor the opportunities that LR & ACR offer. That said, Topaz Labs has just brought out a new B&W plug-in. Pricing isn't available yet, but they seem to be reasonable priced based on a couple of earlier plug-ins I bought from them.
Here's a youtube video that they put out for a sneek peek:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1pR2ajQfOI&feature=youtu.be

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Agreed, especially after seeing this video:
http://mulita.com/blog/?p=1244

Thanks for posting that link, Andrew. George's presentation is indeed awesome, clear, and very informative.

He certainly makes a good case for using all eight sliders (plus the other LR or ACR tools). I may just give up using my SilverEfex Pro.

Eric

[davidh202]

 Thanks for the link Andrew,
  I  purcased Jeffs 'Real World Camera Raw' book but haven't delved into it yet, but have just viewed Georges video and his sample on the Basic Tab in ACR...Wonderful!
I happened to finish reading Jay Kinghorns ACR section from the book 'Perfect Digital Photography' today , in which he also explains how to get the most out of B&W conversion in ACR ... not too complicated at all.

David