Converting to Greyscale

[mike goldberg]

Hi...
I have some familiarity with Photoshop and PS Pro 8. My favorite editing program for Resizing, contrast and minor color balance adjustments, is actually the free and excellent Irfanview v 3.99.

I'm wondering which of these is best for conversion to greyscale, as this is a kind of filter.
I'm shooting mostly Fuji Superior 200 with fairly decent dev and scan to CD.
Thanks, mike

 

[rogue_designer]

I typically convert to greyscale using the channel mixer built into photoshop. That gives me more control than doing a straight desaturation.

 

[charjohncarter]

Try Adobe Lightroom (free) and use their channel mixer (they call it something different) at R-38, Y-82, G-63, C-72, B-68, M-90 (like Tri-X). Then use their preset curves to taste or change the 6 slides in the previous sentence to taste. It is the same as cooking. The PS channel mixer dates from the dark ages as does their curves. Try it, you will like it. (I have some other presets for different films, if you are interested).

 

[mwooten]

Try Adobe Lightroom (free) and use their channel mixer (they call it something different) at R-38, Y-82, G-63, C-72, B-68, M-90 (like Tri-X). Then use their preset curves to taste or change the 6 slides in the previous sentence to taste. It is the same as cooking. The PS channel mixer dates from the dark ages as does their curves. Try it, you will like it. (I have some other presets for different films, if you are interested).

Please, publish your Lightroom recipies. I'm interested.

Michael

 

[willie_901]

I also enjoy Lightroom's grayscale conversion.

 

[chrish]

i change it to lab mode, delete the ab channels, and then convert back to rbg and adjust the curves to my liking.

 

[charjohncarter]

MWOOTEN,
Here goes, AGFA PAN APX: R-40, Y-90, G-62, C-61, B-35, M-83; ILFORD DELTA; R-52, Y-65, G-68, C-70, B-45, M-65; ILFORD FP4; R-49, Y-90, G-65, C-56, B-40, M-50; T-MAX; R-40, Y-71, G-87, C-76, B-82, M-90..... That's it. These are like everything else these days, my collection of info from the INTERNET and my playing with the sliders. I have also found (for my taste) that unsharp mask set at 20% amount, 50 radius, and 0 threshold give a little snap to conversions that are a little flat. Also, you can set the white point in levels PS (lightroom doesn't have it or I can't find it) at some point you want 255 white and then hit autolevels. these last two suggestions only are good some of the time.

 

[mwooten]

MWOOTEN,
Here goes, AGFA PAN APX: R-40, Y-90, G-62, C-61, B-35, M-83; ILFORD DELTA; R-52, Y-65, G-68, C-70, B-45, M-65; ILFORD FP4; R-49, Y-90, G-65, C-56, B-40, M-50; T-MAX; R-40, Y-71, G-87, C-76, B-82, M-90..... That's it. These are like everything else these days, my collection of info from the INTERNET and my playing with the sliders. I have also found (for my taste) that unsharp mask set at 20% amount, 50 radius, and 0 threshold give a little snap to conversions that are a little flat. Also, you can set the white point in levels PS (lightroom doesn't have it or I can't find it) at some point you want 255 white and then hit autolevels. these last two suggestions only are good some of the time.

Thanks! I'll play with those settings this weekend. By the way, amazon has the full (non-beta) version for about $199 as a pre-order. It'll release in a few weeks.
Take care,
Michael

 

[charjohncarter]

MWOOTEN,

You are welcome! My, (limited) experience has been that I get the best results for B&W CONVERSIONS are with: a well properly exposed B&W negative, developed by me. And the way I like it, then scanned by a competent scanner. Then I do my own post processing (no secrets, I'll tell what it is), AND then I send it to the lab (in my case COSTCO) for printing. I do conversions from color images by digital cameras (I have three) all the time, but they just are not the same as film to digital. You can look at the ONE image that I have on this forum. It is film to B&W though Lightroom to RFF