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The Definitive Sony B&W Images Thread

Thx for both compliments and suggestions! In return, I admired your tonal achievements in the 'Driveway' shot you just posted.

I think I've done what you wanted to see in the print – more local contrast and also more emphasis on shadow detail (light application of Silver Effex Structure to midtones and shadows, but not highlights; and a bit of the Local Contrast Enhancement described on Luminous Landscape years ago). I didn't crop it, though.

And thx also for noticing the curvature and drawing that line! I've been playing with this and decided to leave it in this one to raise just the question you asked – is it distortion, or a building bending with age?

I've been converting A7rII and RX1rII files from uncompressed ARWs into DNGs, which supposedly offer smaller files with lossless compression – and also the advantage of dismissing any automatic lens corrections. Then it's easy to toggle Enable/Disable in LR or later in PS. With the Sony lenses that offer the boldest distortion, for example 28 f2 or 35 f2, I like to look at files both ways to see whether or not I appreciate the barrels & pincushions. This one was a hard call, so I made a work print of each. As you quickly detected, I initially thought the uncorrected version was more interesting, though perhaps that's too much. If it's too noticeable, I can go back to the straightened version or else aim right in between.

Thx again; I appreciate your taking such a close look,

Kirk

PS, another point of agreement: to my eyes over-sharpening is the most prevalent and least enjoyable of digital processing sins. I find that if I leave it all out – usually even the default capture sharpening in LR/ACR – then the results look more 'photographic' to me, or more like grainless film.
 
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mediumcool

Active member
Thx for both compliments and suggestions! In return, I admired your tonal achievements in ‘Driveway’ shot you just posted.
Thanks; I also like what I achieved in a bridge shot (made the same day); I find it easier to obtain pleasing monochrome results with the a7 than with my Olympus E-M5, as that camera rolls off the highlights too much for my taste. I will have to do some tripod-bound testing at varying exposures—slight under-exposure should make for less “slope-y” highlights (Hurter and Driffield have a lot to answer for!).



I think I’ve done what you wanted to see in the print—more local contrast and also more emphasis on shadow detail (light application of Silver Effex Structure to midtones and shadows, but not highlights; and a bit of the Local Contrast Enhancement described on Luminous Landscape years ago).
I use no third-party add-ons, as Capture One does not do plug-ins to my knowledge.

And thx also for noticing the curvature and drawing that line! I’ve been playing with this and decided to leave it in this one to raise just the question you asked—is it distortion, or a building bending with age?
Any unwanted tilt or curvature drives me nuts!

I’ve been converting A7rII and RX1rII files from uncompressed ARWs into DNGs, which supposedly offer smaller files with lossless compression—and also the advantage of dismissing any automatic lens corrections. Then it’s easy to toggle Enable/Disable in LR or later in PS. With the Sony lenses that offer the boldest distortion, for example 28 f2 or 35 f2, I like to look at files both ways to see whether or not I appreciate the barrels & pincushions. This one was a hard call, so I made a work print of each. As you quickly detected, I initially thought the uncorrected version was more interesting, though perhaps that’s too much. If it’s too noticeable, I can go back to the straightened version or else aim right in between.
I use Capture One as already noted—I find Lr slow and frustrating, and consider its output less impressive (though I rent it, along with Ps). You can download a light Sony version of C1 for FREE, and it is quite inexpensive to upgrade to the ‘full’ Sony version—a mere €50! And there’s a 30-day full-featured demo available too.

PS, another point of agreement: to my eyes over-sharpening is the most prevalent and least enjoyable of digital processing sins. I find that if I leave it all out—usually even the default capture sharpening in LR/ACR—then the results look more ‘photographic’ to me, or more like grainless film.
Over-sharpening is rife here and elsewhere—I think that many photographers use one sharpening setting (for prints) for all their output, even pictures at say 900 pixels heigh, which is my standard online size. I should make a sharpening preset just for output to screen from Capture One (I am saving up for an Epson P800 as don’t have a decent printer—there are lots of images ready for printing!).
 

DanielDuarte

Active member
Thanks; I also like what I achieved in a bridge shot (made the same day); I find it easier to obtain pleasing monochrome results with the a7 than with my Olympus E-M5, as that camera rolls off the highlights too much for my taste. I will have to do some tripod-bound testing at varying exposures—slight under-exposure should make for less “slope-y” highlights (Hurter and Driffield have a lot to answer for!).





I use no third-party add-ons, as Capture One does not do plug-ins to my knowledge.



Any unwanted tilt or curvature drives me nuts!



I use Capture One as already noted—I find Lr slow and frustrating, and consider its output less impressive (though I rent it, along with Ps). You can download a light Sony version of C1 for FREE, and it is quite inexpensive to upgrade to the ‘full’ Sony version—a mere €50! And there’s a 30-day full-featured demo available too.



Over-sharpening is rife here and elsewhere—I think that many photographers use one sharpening setting (for prints) for all their output, even pictures at say 900 pixels heigh, which is my standard online size. I should make a sharpening preset just for output to screen from Capture One (I am saving up for an Epson P800 as don’t have a decent printer—there are lots of images ready for printing!).

I'm in the same boat. I'm in the middle of my MFA and we have three 9900's, two 7900's, a bunch of 4900's, and a Xerox Phaser.

I'm in heaven but after graduation next year I'm back to my home "studio" with no printing solution.
 

Knorp

Well-known member
Thanks; I also like what I achieved in a bridge shot (made the same day); I find it easier to obtain pleasing monochrome results with the a7 than with my Olympus E-M5, as that camera rolls off the highlights too much for my taste. I will have to do some tripod-bound testing at varying exposures—slight under-exposure should make for less “slope-y” highlights (Hurter and Driffield have a lot to answer for!).
Hi there Ian,

I'm sure you are already aware of this but please check the 'Base Characteristics / Curve' setting for your imported E-M5 images.
I noticed that in my case 'Curve' was set to 'Auto' resulting in more 'slope-y' shoulder and toe areas. I'd prefer 'Linear Response' for smoother and more graduated tones.
But then, what do I know ... :eek:

Kind regards.
 

UHDR

New member
Just came back from Malta and Gozo :grin:

_DSC7257.jpg

[A7r /Voigtlander 15mm F4.5/ Heliopan 10 stop ND / 25s / F6.3 / iso 320]
 
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