Silver Efex Pro 2 questions

back alley · 07-01-2012

does it work with photoshop elements?
what do you like about it?
what don't you like about it?
did you try it and stop using it? why?

i'm wondering if i should go ahead and buy it, if it is worth it for my style of shooting/processing...i like that keep it simple approach...

i plan to download the 15 day trial offer soon.

LTN · 07-01-2012

It's a great piece of software, but I had trouble getting it to work with Photoshop Elements so I now use Lightroom. And, to be honest, i normally process my B/W pictures in Lightroom and don't use the Silverefex plugin. It is useful for special applications. Bottom line is, it's probably worth the money in the long run... Good luck.

astro8 · 07-01-2012

does it work with photoshop elements?
Not quite sure, as I use CS4, but expect it does.

what do you like about it?
It's pretty intuitive with good control. Easy to perform 'what if's' and to get a good idea of where you might want to take your image processing wise. Cycling through the presets is fast, virtually no lag. I like the control points for dodging & burning etc...

what don't you like about it?
The canned film settings are a bit too contrasty for my taste. I usually start off with a 'neutral' setting and go from there.

did you try it and stop using it? why?
No...the more I use it, the more I use it.

Gerry M · 07-01-2012

Joe,
I use it with PS E9. Also used it with E7. I like it a lot. I shoot b&w film and digital for color. To my eyes, the digital color files, when processed with SFX2 are the equal to b&w film. If it wasn't for the fact that I enjoy using film bodies, I probably would switch to 100% digital.
I should have added that it works with CS2 as well.

back alley · 07-01-2012

i have pse 8 and 9 installed...but i mostly use 8.
i understand the pull of film bodies....i prefer digital these days but still like the old bodies.

back alley · 07-01-2012

did you try it and stop using it? why?
No...the more I use it, the more I use it.

interesting...my fear of new software has led me to not buy lightroom after trying the trial period...

Gerry M · 07-01-2012

The only reason I bought E9 was that E7 would not open RAW files from my G1. Otherwise, SFX2 worked fine with E7. As mentioned above, it is a very intuitive program. Easy to try various approaches to get the effect you are after.

ChrisN · 07-01-2012

Joe - just for interest there is a workaround that lets you use SEP2 as a stand-alone program. (This is for Windows - don't know about Macs.) Install the Lightroom version of the program, which installs on your computer the SEP executable program. Locate the executable (Silver Efex Pro 2.exe) and create a desktop shortcut. Now open the folder with the image file that you want to edit, select the file, then drag-and-drop the file onto the SEP2 shortcut. The program should open with the file to be edited.

Remember that SEP2 makes permanent changes to your files, so always work on a copy, preferably a high-quality tiff format copy.

back alley · 07-01-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerry M

The only reason I bought E9 was that E7 would not open RAW files from my G1. Otherwise, SFX2 worked fine with E7. As mentioned above, it is a very intuitive program. Easy to try various approaches to get the effect you are after.

i bought 8 for raw on the x100...and then traded the x100 away...

Gerry M · 07-01-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by back alley

i bought 8 for raw on the x100...and then traded the x100 away...

It seems that you have settled back into your realm with the RD1 kits.

ricnak · 07-01-2012

I only have LR.

I like Silver Efex Pro it because it is simple. You can see the effects as you go.

The presets are a bit drastic for my taste. I like some of them, but don't feel quite right using them. I start with neutral and tend not to do much. I don't even look at film types.

I will keep using it because I like having a border.

I started with the trial version.

back alley · 07-01-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerry M

It seems that you have settled back into your realm with the RD1 kits.

yes...peace at last.

ReeRay · 07-01-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisN

Joe - just for interest there is a workaround that lets you use SEP2 as a stand-alone program. (This is for Windows - don't know about Macs.) Install the Lightroom version of the program, which installs on your computer the SEP executable program. Locate the executable (Silver Efex Pro 2.exe) and create a desktop shortcut. Now open the folder with the image file that you want to edit, select the file, then drag-and-drop the file onto the SEP2 shortcut. The program should open with the file to be edited.

Remember that SEP2 makes permanent changes to your files, so always work on a copy, preferably a high-quality tiff format copy.

It does indeed work on Macs which is how I use it. Great software.

astro8 · 07-01-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by back alley

did you try it and stop using it? why?
No...the more I use it, the more I use it.

interesting...my fear of new software has led me to not buy lightroom after trying the trial period...

I don't use lightroom either, don't like it.

I use photoshop, sometimes epson raw along with mediapro for file management.

mrtoml · 07-01-2012

I recently downloaded the trial of silver efex pro and the trial of alien skin exposure 4 to try side by side. I liked both, but they are quite different. There were elements of efex that I would have liked in exposure and vice versa. In the end I bought exposure. It might be worth trying exposure as well, but it is more expensive.

greyelm · 07-02-2012

Have a look at Snapseed, also by Nik Software, includes a B&W module, works stand alone or as a plugin and best of all only costs $20

kuvvy · 07-02-2012

Joe, I just got SEP2 a few weeks ago and I like it although I don't use it on every shot. I use LR3 mostly though I do have PS as well. SEP2 is quite slow to open an image and some of the presets are quite harsh. Sometimes though if I can't get the result in LR3 then SEP2 can often show me an alternative way to achieve a decent image. The few shots I've posted so far on Flickr usually have the word 'edit' at the end if you wanna see my examples.

Paul

sevres_babylone · 07-02-2012

I like it very much. I use it with Photoshop.

I like what they call u-points (I think) for selective adjustments. I was never an expert at making masks for corrections in Photoshop, and find the selective adjustment facility in SEP very helpful.

I also like the fact that the pre-sets can be used just as a starting point, from which you can then adjust curves, colour filtration, etc.

f16sunshine · 07-02-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by greyelm

Have a look at Snapseed, also by Nik Software, includes a B&W module, works stand alone or as a plugin and best of all only costs $20

I like snap seed as well. But only for iPhone or iPad.
The files coming out are quite compressed and not worthy of printing larger than 5x7.
For internet use it's great and a very cool easy to use app for iPhone camera companion.

Like SEP 2 very much. It works well as a Plug in for Aperture 3. Worth the $200 for someone like you Joe who shoots only digital.
The local control points are very useful and intuitive. It's like dodging/burning and using ing Contrast filters in the wet darkroom once you get the hang of it.
The film presets IMO are only starting points. I've never been satisfied with any of the presets used as they are. Always tweaking and usually that involves lowering contrast and adjusting "grain".

Jobin · 07-02-2012

Isn't it like an expensive instagram?

f16sunshine · 07-02-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobin

Isn't it like an expensive instagram?

No, it's a real editing program. Not just preset filters. There are presets as well but much more thoughtfully designed and completely adjustable.

greyelm · 07-02-2012

The desktop version of Snapseed (Mac & Windows) doesn't appear to compress files excessively. A 20mb raw file when saved from Snapseed as a tif file becomes 18mb. This was after a B&W conversion.

Murchu · 07-02-2012

Nice piece of software, and have to say always happy with the results I get. Don't use it with Elements, as I prefer to use it from within Lightroom, so can't help you there. I don't like the way it creates an extra Tiff file when roundtripping it from Lightroom though, and to be honest have gotten used to non-destructive editing, and find it hard to have a file where I cannot see what steps I took to get there, as well as having the flexibility to tweak it later. In any case, my preference for a uniform black and white look, and my stubbornness to be able to get good black and white results on my own, have meant I have not used Silver Efex in a good while.

CK Dexter Haven · 07-02-2012

re: Silver Efex "I will keep using it because I like having a border."

Silver Efex is great. But, also consider the latest version of Exposure. It also has a lot of B&W film presets, plus customization capabilities. And, the latest version has borders and some pretty cool 'aging' effects. Silver Efex, though, does have the very useful 'u-point' feature.

Try the trials for both. I have both and don't really have a favorite. At this point, though, if i HAD to choose one or the other, i'd go with Exposure. It's more versatile with both color and BW (plus Polaroid, cross-processing, vintage, etc.), and the new engine/effects are really nice.