UV/IR or not UV/IR for B&W with M8

[henning]

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For B&W I generally leave the IR cut filters on; not particularly for the sharpness issue, but because so often the red channel highlights blow out and are not reasonably recoverable. Reducing the red component and raising the green part is sometimes OK, but other times I'd rather have a larger red component.

 

On the other hand the extra flare and ghosting often bothers me, and I do find that I sometimes take the filters on and off a lot if I'm working slower and have time for such.

 

Henning

[DaveSee]

I'm glad Walt, Sean and others have put in on this topic for their experience and views most welcome... I, however, do not set out for B&W or color--having one body only--so the decision is to keep the UV/IR on, except when I know(regardless of palette) that the filter will introduce artifacts. As Walt has posted much earlier, IR may have play in the tone of images received on the sensor... a "magenta" black is grey, not black... and yet the kinds of "black" that would belie their synthetic, that's not really "black", now is it?

 

So, "back to you", and your image wants... me, I'm not keen on lens tweaks, other than aperture or focus Filters work well most often.

 

rgds,

Dave

[sean_reid]

Again, there are many ways to skin a fish and I'd urge photographers (who work primarily in BW) to simply spend some time experimenting, with and without filters, and printing. Then....trust the eyeballs.

 

I convert to BW straight from RAW (using the JFI profiles). Often, I never even see color versions of my pictures. David Adamson, on the other hand, who is a very skilled printer, converts to BW after the RAW conversion. It can work out well either way and the important thing, I believe, is not so much what's technically "best" but what is visually best to the eyes of the individual photographer.

 

I myself, BTW, need to know which medium I'm working in (BW or color) before I start making pictures. I'm primarily a BW photographer and choose color only for certain projects (which use color for specific purposes) or for commericial work because clients want or need it. If I shoot for a magazine, I normally make color pictures (as opposed to just capturing in color) because that's what they use. When I shoot architecture and interiors, I shoot almost exclusively in color. But when I shoot a wedding, I make BW pictures, and my clients know this, even though they will get the edit in two sets (one in BW and one in color). A color picture and a BW picture are two very different things. One is juggling a very special extra pin by introducing color into the equation.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[pklein]

Great thread, everybody!

 

Sean: I'm finding that I shoot color more often with the M8, even in situations where I might have used B&W before. I know what you mean about "seeing" the shot in B&W at exposure time. But I find that from shot to shot, whether I want (or need) B&W may vary, so I'm glad to have the choice.

 

Many indoor pictures are just plain better in B&W, due to wonky mixed light that will look awful in an image. But once in a while, the color can be magic. That may be one reason why I've opted to keep the filters on all the time. That way I can use color where it enhances, and not when it detracts.

 

I often know when I squeeze the shutter that "this is going to be a B&W shot." But its nice to have options. Now, as an amatuer shooting as I please, I may have luxuries the pros don't.

 

--Peter