Leica MM and silver effects pro

[stump4545]

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With Leica MM files, does silver effect pro still work great??

 

Silver Effects Pro2 does great color conversions but without the need to convert from color what is to expect from silver effects pro?

[250swb]

Well yes you can't use the colour filters because you aren't starting with a colour image. But that aside Silver Efex Pro (if that is what you mean) offers a massive amount of post processing that can be done in minutes, where it either couldn't be done in Lightroom at all, or it could be done in CS6, but only with a long and intricate workflow. I don't use it with a Leica MM, but I do use Silver Efex Pro for B&W post processing with my M9 and all my B&W film photography. If anybody says they can do it all in CS6 I'd say how long did it take and couldn't you have done better and quicker with Silver Efex, and I know they couldn't do it better.

 

Steve

[stump4545]

not sure how to phrase this but i heard that aperture 3 cannot "read" dng files form the leica MM.

 

is that right?

[sanyasi]

I have been doing the basic conversion in Lightroom, and then making adjustments in Silver Effects. What I like in Silver Effects is:

 

The brush adjustments (control points) are easier to implement than in LR. So dodging and burning is easy to do on a very localized basis.

 

I like experimenting with the different film types. Often I leave it neutral, but there are about 3 of the film types that occasionally produce an interesting result. I have used these enough that I can generally tell when one will work well before trying it.

 

I like the frames that you can ad at the end of the process--e.g., jagged or rounded edges.

 

I also like the basic controls: brightness, structure, contrast.

 

There are also a couple of the presets that prove interesting on occasion.

 

When I am converting from a color photo (things will change when the Monocrom arrives), I prefer the color adjustment offered by LR to those offered in Silver Effects. I seem to have more control in LR.

 

I also feel that I have a little more control over toning in LR.

[snooper]

not sure how to phrase this but i heard that aperture 3 cannot "read" dng files form the leica MM.

 

is that right?

 

That is right.

 

I downloaded SEP along with LR4 as they give you a key for both with the purchase of a MM. I could not see any pros to use SEP2 with the MM DNGs, as whatever comes from LR4 is much cleaner.

 

Unless you want to go for some "effects" and push the sliders all the way, of course.

 

But the export right out of LR4 looks very decent.