B&W with the M8

[hlockwood]

What is the typical workflow for B&W images with the M8? Is there a B&W mode, or does one shoot RAW (color) then convert in post?

And what is the effect of not using the IR cut filter on B&W images? Less sharpness due to chromatic aberration? Less noise due to more photons?

Harry

[dshfoto]

Shoot raw, and then use BibblePro:
http://bibblelabs.com/
It has a section to let you simulate various films, developers, and papers.
Plus, it is reasonably priced.

[Mattikk]

Adobe Lightroom is all you need.

[Mike Richards]

If I know I want B&W, I shoot in RAW with the Color Saturation setting on "Black and White." This give me the RAW file to work on and manipulate in Lightroom (or Photoshop), but the display shows the image in black and white, so I have a rough idea ahead of time of how the image will work out. And I agree about Lightroom. It's all you need for good B&W conversion.

[cmogi10]

Here's another vote for shooting raw and converting/tweaking with lightroom.

If you are shooting strictly black and white I doubt you'll notice a difference with an IR filter on or off in real world photography.
I like to have one on because there's always the possibility I'l use the image in color.

[martin-f5]

it's so easy in LR,
DNG with 75 'cron

[hlockwood]

Thanks to all; the responses are very helpful.

Harry

[sepiareverb]

Here is some jpegs in B&W mode, was shot as DNG/JPEG, the full color file exists for any other manipulations. I like the color of the B&W the M8 gives very much- reminiscent of old Seagull G in strong selenium.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff221/sepiareverb/tombstoneedge.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff221/sepiareverb/softmaple.jpg

[Gabriel M.A.]

Adobe Lightroom is all you need.

It's the best easiest route, I agree. Although I really really recommend ImagingFactory's B&W Converter Pro, a plug-in for Photoshop, which can be downloaded here (http://www.theimagingfactory.com/download/).

Unfortunately, he's not supporting it anymore (I *just* found this out).

The license is still worth it ($99), I very much recommend it; you can still buy it...but apparently that may change soon.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Here are a few I've processed with the B&W Convert Pro plug-in:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2351/2217155001_65ce313506.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielma/2217155001/)
Leica M8 + 35mm f/2 Biogon ZM

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/412652273_3e99b1314c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielma/412652273/)
Leica M8 + 50mm f/1.4 Summilux pre-asph E46

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1050/1245699884_2bba9f9244.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielma/1245699884/)
Leica M8 + 35mm f/2 Biogon ZM


It's not a mere desaturation plug-in; it mimics B&W film's response to color, and you can even mimic the use of colored filters, "paper contrast", etc. It has a handful of film profiles pre-set (including Tri-X); I now use my custom profiles. It works a lot better if you understand the "real darkroom" B&W film-to-paper process. And the filter is rather simple, really.

[zeitz]

RAW is definitely the way to go. Then there are hundreds of ways to convert. Desaturation leaves a lot to be desired. Capture One, Lightroom, Aperture and Adobe Camera Raw all give more control. Photoshop, as always, gives the most control. See the magazine Digital Phot Pro, May/June 2008, page 94. Lot's of poorly described steps in the article, but the results are spectacular.

[whitecat]

Nice shots. I use the plug in also but did not know they had a version 3. Do you use windows or mac?

[Photon42]

What I found to be helpful, was to desaturate in LR and then adjust the white balance until the image looks how I like it. Desat can be made a development shortcut, of course.

Regards
Ivo

[victoriapio]

M8 in Color RAW > PhotoshopCS3 > Nik Silver Efex Pro > very power combination in my opinion - especially the Nik Silver Efex Pro, my favorite B&W conversion filter for CS3.

[dshfoto]

For more confusion see:
Herr Dr. Puts
http://www.imx.nl/photo/leica/camera/M8/M8/page21.html
He recommends
postprocessing in Photoshop; only Channel Mixer to get BW images. Setttings here were: red at 80, green at 34 and blue at -14, adding to 100, as it should be.

[Gabriel M.A.]

M8 in Color RAW > PhotoshopCS3 > Nik Silver Efex Pro > very power combination in my opinion - especially the Nik Silver Efex Pro, my favorite B&W conversion filter for CS3.

That's a pretty good plug-in; just tried it a few minutes ago. The interface is nice, but it's a little bloated, code-efficiency-wise. Perhaps it's the trial version.

[tmfabian]

I shoot raw and convert in lightroom using some presets I made up.

[kuzano]

A good friend, art history professor retired and SW photographer in large format (4X5) reluctantly took up Digital to supplement his work a couple of years ago.

We got into a discussion about Black and White capture. For years he has shot black and white on film and developed his art by hand tinting with pastels.

I asked him (since he has used b&w film for so many years), whether he shoots his Canon digital SLR in black and white. His answer.... "why would I drive to a site, set up, shoot, pack up and drive home with less information than was visible in the viewfinder of the camera?"

He has never considered black and white capture with his digital, after all those years of shooting Black and White film.

And another part of the story... he was delighted with the digital process for a while, but has shelved the Canon and is now back shooting medium and large format film.

[totifoto]

Here are a few I've processed with the B&W Convert Pro plug-in:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2351/2217155001_65ce313506.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielma/2217155001/)
Leica M8 + 35mm f/2 Biogon ZM

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/412652273_3e99b1314c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielma/412652273/)
Leica M8 + 50mm f/1.4 Summilux pre-asph E46

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1050/1245699884_2bba9f9244.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielma/1245699884/)
Leica M8 + 35mm f/2 Biogon ZM


It's not a mere desaturation plug-in; it mimics B&W film's response to color, and you can even mimic the use of colored filters, "paper contrast", etc. It has a handful of film profiles pre-set (including Tri-X); I now use my custom profiles. It works a lot better if you understand the "real darkroom" B&W film-to-paper process. And the filter is rather simple, really.


These are fantastic :)
The tones are amazing, where did you get that download? its for PS right? I´ve got the CS3.

[dcsang]

From a recent wedding - shot with the 75 LUX @ about f2 ( I think ) - Converted in Lightroom and then run through some of my own options in PS to get the grain etc. that I wanted.
http://www.chang-sang.com/photo/072108/L9990558.jpg

So ya.. like everyone else.. shoot in RAW - pick your fave RAW converter software - tweak further (if necessary) in PS.

Oh, and ETA: as an FYI: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61374 - that gives you an idea (out of the box) what Nik Silver Efex Pro, Alien Skin's Exposure2, Imagenomic's Real Grain and just a home made PS action can do..

Cheers,
Dave

[charjohncarter]

OK, I have three digital cameras, and I spent too much time trying to get a B&W image out of them. BUT when I was doing it, after 12 different methods that I tried, this is what I came up with:

Down load 'Photo-Plugins.com' B&W converter (free on the WWW) .

Use it to get your images as good as you want.

Then convert to B&W.

Check levels.

Use unsharp mask at 20-50-0 to pop the image a little, (as all digital images have a linear H-D curve, so you have to add something to make them not look like s........)

Now save and spend the next hour tweaking it.

OR use film.

[ali_baba]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/2707906538_f6c6af93d4_b.jpg
here's a recent one from yesterday.
leica m8
canon 0.95
processed in aperture.
enjoy.
the dj's name is daedalus.
Wicker Park Festival.
Chicago, IL

[jaapv]

A good friend, art history professor retired and SW photographer in large format (4X5) reluctantly took up Digital to supplement his work a couple of years ago.

We got into a discussion about Black and White capture. For years he has shot black and white on film and developed his art by hand tinting with pastels.

I asked him (since he has used b&w film for so many years), whether he shoots his Canon digital SLR in black and white. His answer.... "why would I drive to a site, set up, shoot, pack up and drive home with less information than was visible in the viewfinder of the camera?"

He has never considered black and white capture with his digital, after all those years of shooting Black and White film.

And another part of the story... he was delighted with the digital process for a while, but has shelved the Canon and is now back shooting medium and large format film.
Did his viewfinder show B&W when he shot film then?:confused::rolleyes:

[b&w]

well, i think we "look through a difference lens" when we want to shoot b&w...

i'm surviving on PS b&w conversion of my raw images. but having seen gabriel's pics, i think i should really think about investing in the B&W Convert Pro plug-in...

[KEH]

I'll put in a vote for Nik Silver Efex Pro. This example from Saturday:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/7216/20080726-_DSC0492.jpg

Evil Sony A350 Minolta 70-210 F4 (aka Beercan).

The key advantages of the Nik converter are (i) highlight and shadow protection, and (ii) extremely simple and intuitive dodging and burning, including contrast and 'clarity' adjustments (called 'structure' by Nik).

Best I have found so far for BW conversions.

Cheers,
Kirk

[b&w]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/2709926277_c86994293f.jpg

this shot was converted to b&w in PS, i would be interested to download the silver efex pro trail to see how the turns out from that.

[nksyoon]

I came across this tutorial on B&W in Lightroom in The Travel Photographer blog:
http://www.layersmagazine.com/create-stunning-black-and-white-images-in-lightroom.html

[napoleonesq]

INteresting link...I have to try it out one of these days.

[victoriapio]

M8 RAW Color> PS CS3> Silver Nik Pro

[jaapv]

Alien Skin plugin, Delta 3200 setting, adjusted in curves

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e32/jaapv/strike-2.jpg

[scho]

Nik silvereffex pro conversion for Acros 100 plus toning.
http://photos.schophoto.com/img/v1/p184375101-5.jpg

[usagisakana]

I use photoshop convert to black and white layer, then adjust contrast to suit, dodge and burn a little using curves and layer overlays, and voila, a black and white image. I really look forward to the day I can do this all in a darkroom.