Which one? TrueGrain, SEP2, DXO film pack..

[bruniroquai]

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Well now that I've become fully digital (Monochrom), I'm trying to find the perfect tool.

 

I really love SEP2, but can't achieve what I've seen around the web from many of You guys.

 

Could You share a little bit about your post processing? I will appreciate any help.

[dj_61]

Could you elaborate a bit om what you are trying to achieve but can not?

[bruniroquai]

something like this:

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/giomagphotographer/

 

summilux.net • Afficher le sujet - fuji X100 edition spéciale noire contre ...

[250swb]

I cant' see why SEP couldn't do it.

 

Adjust Contrast, plus a bit of Smooth Contrast to make the image look less digital, a warm tone added, job done.

 

I see in some of the images in the link the photographer has used high ISO, and if you want 'grain' the digital noise of the MM is very good, so dial it up to 4000 ISO (and if necessary use an ND filter in daylight), but the increased DOF you can get by using a high ISO, good shutter speed, and small aperture makes zone focusing much easier, so you win both ways.

 

But a good way to get a handle how you achieve a certain look is to start with one of the film or creative presets in SEP, the nearest that matches your idea, then adjust that until it's right, then take a look at where the sliders have all ended up and save that as your custom preset. Adding your new custom preset to an image won't instantly make it correct because they will all have different starting points of tone and contrast etc. but you will be a step closer.

 

Steve

[bruniroquai]

Thanks Steve will try!

[horosu]

For me, the most film-like look I got was using DxO 4. It really is very close to a good 100 ISO film grain.

 

I read somewhere that Salgado used it (or rather version 3) for his latest book Genesis, to emulate Tri-X look (he shot the book on Canon DSLR's and Pentax 645 digital cameras).

[bruniroquai]

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For me, the most film-like look I got was using DxO 4. It really is very close to a good 100 ISO film grain.

 

I read somewhere that Salgado used it (or rather version 3) for his latest book Genesis, to emulate Tri-X look (he shot the book on Canon DSLR's and Pentax 645 digital cameras).

 

 

I saw the exhibition back in London, Natural History Museum, and some of the pictures looked very digital and HDR, I hope for that He used just CS jeje.

 

Thanks horosu.

[250swb]

I should have said 'Soft Contrast' not 'Smooth Contrast', but the concept is the same

[stunsworth]

I shoot colour, but I use Alienskin Exposure for all of my b&w conversions - almost everything I shoot ends up as b&w. The grain simulation is very good IMHO. There's a trial version available.

[bruniroquai]

testing the MM again, but this time I will give a chance at least a few months!

 

I'm trying TrueGrain, is a greaaat software, easy and fast, have You used it before?

 

let me show one with SEP2 and one with TrueGrain and DXO in this order, print screen, sorry the quality:

 

 

 

 

[250swb]

I don't think it is a great idea to compare software like this because all it does is show where the default settings are, not what it, and more importantly you can do. To make a personal statement it has always been the case that the photographer master their workflow, not let it decide on the outcome. And unless you can do that great images will come along that don't work with the default settings, and you won't know what to do with them. So choose the most expansive software, not the easiest trick, and learn how to use it, or you will be stuck in a rut of whatever the software designers say your images should look like.

 

Steve

[dj_61]

I am certain that I could get the TRUEGRAIN and DXO look in SEP 2. Adjust contrast, shadows and/ or curves.