Should I Have?

[Jonathan Cross]

I would like to do more B&W.  A monochrome camera appeals, but comments about the use of physical filters that are not needed with a colour conversion and the high cost of a Leica monochrome (M or Q) put me off. 

I have a Fuji X-T4 so in the LR develop module have numerous choices.  I have Adobe B&W presets in that menu, and both Adobe and Fuji B&W presets in the Profile tab.  I can also just click B&W in the Treatment tab and adjust the sliders.  I can adjust the colour version globally or locally before conversion. 

Another option is Silver eFex.  There have been various comments about the latest incarnation on this site, and, given the range of options I already have, I do not know whether it would be a good idea to have it as well.  It seems from the web that it is still possible to get it free, but do not know if that version would work as a plug-in for LR Classic.

Any views would be appreciated.

Jonathan



 

[TheNinth]

I am a big fan of Silver Efex Pro and would highly recommend it for black & white conversions. You can get Silver Efex Pro 2 for free from the time the NIK collection was owned by Google. It works as plugin for Lightroom and Photoshop, with the only caveat that non-destructive editing is only possible via Photoshop smart objects, not from Lightroom. If you use the old version from Lightroom you do your edit once and then it is set in stone.

That is also the main advantage of the new Silver Efex Pro 3 published by DXO, it has a non-destructive workflow that works out of Lightroom, so you can always go back and change your edit later. Otherwise I do not see anything that the DXO version does better, but for me personally the non-destructive workflow alone is worth the price.

Also be aware that if you use the non-destructive workflow via Photoshop smart objects and upgrade to the new version later, the new version will not be able to edit those smart objects. You‘ll need to keep the old Google version on the system to be able to do that.

[PeterAit]

I would like to do more B&W.  A monochrome camera appeals, but comments about the use of physical filters that are not needed with a colour conversion and the high cost of a Leica monochrome (M or Q) put me off. 

I have a Fuji X-T4 so in the LR develop module have numerous choices.  I have Adobe B&W presets in that menu, and both Adobe and Fuji B&W presets in the Profile tab.  I can also just click B&W in the Treatment tab and adjust the sliders.  I can adjust the colour version globally or locally before conversion. 

Another option is Silver eFex.  There have been various comments about the latest incarnation on this site, and, given the range of options I already have, I do not know whether it would be a good idea to have it as well.  It seems from the web that it is still possible to get it free, but do not know if that version would work as a plug-in for LR Classic.

Any views would be appreciated.

Jonathan

My 1.5 cents: I tried a Monochrom for a week and saw no evidence that its photos are superior to color converted to BW. In fact, it's less flexible because you cannot fine-tune gray tones based on color, which is easy in Lightroom. So I returned it.



 

[mcbroomf]

Try everything you have before spending any money.  I use LR and adjust the raw before anything else.

[TheNinth]

My 1.5 cents: I tried a Monochrom for a week and saw no evidence that its photos are superior to color converted to BW. In fact, it's less flexible because you cannot fine-tune gray tones based on color, which is easy in Lightroom. So I returned it.

Never tried the Monochroms, but from what I‘ve read about them I‘d agree. The additional resolution and dynamic range may be an advantage, but for most uses current color sensors are good enough in those regards. Not having the ability to influence the color to greytone conversion would be a loss to great for me. In analogue terms, getting a Monochrome feels like not only being stuck with black and white but also being stuck with a single type of black and white film.

[Paul_Roark]

I have never seen a good test of this, but my impression is that Topaz's AI Gigapixel (which, in my view, is a game changer in terms of sharpening) is more effective when color information is in the input file. 

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com