On 2011-07-16 02:15:34 -0700, Johan W. Elzenga said:
Savageduck <savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me.com> wrote: On 2011-07-15 14:47:02 -0700, mel7777 said:
Several books I’ve consulted say that Camera Raw’s conversion is better than using the Image/Adjustment/Black and White method in Photoshop.
Do you agree?
Mel
Not really.
ACR gives you a "Convert to Grayscale" check box, and that is what you get, a conversion to grayscale. That does not necessarily produce the best B&W conversion.
ACR gives you much more than just a checkbox. After you’ve checked that box, you have lots of possibilities to tweak the resulting conversion by using sliders for each color. Go to the HSL tab. Apparently you’ve never noticed that. The options in ACR are very much like the options in Photoshop. In fact, there is little difference between your options in Photoshop and in ACR. In both cases you can adjust each individual color to get the result you want.
See what you think;
< http://homepage.mac.com/lco/filechute/GS-BW-comp-02.jpg >
That example merely shows that you’ve never taken the time to find out what you can do in ACR.
Actually if you read, and retained my entire response rather than snipping the two sentences following the one you retained and reacted to, you might have noticed I conceded that there was more to ACR than the grayscale check box. That check box is one I choose not to use. Here is what you edited so justify your response.:
"Once you have made your ACR work flow adjustments (without going to grayscale) and opened in Photoshop you have a bunch of more effective methods available.
I would consider using the B&W Adjustment layer which does an adequate job, particularly after you have made any other adjustments, to curves, levels, saturation, shadows/highlights, etc. (of course those can be made in ACR)."
Now in my case the work flow adjustments I usually make in ACR are, Camera Profile, enable Lens Profile, WB, an adjustment to the other nine elements of the basic panel as needed. Then depending of the demands of the image I will straighten and crop. From time to time I use the ACR Gradient tool, Noise reduction, & Post Crop Vignetting. For thee most part I am well aware of the possible remaining ACR adjustments I have not listed, including the "Grayscale" check box in the HSL/Grayscale panel, I just choose not to use them, which is not the same as your assumption that I "have never taken the time to find out what you can do in ACR."
As I remarked there are many ways of getting things done in CS5, and no one way is the best, but some are better than others.
—
Regards,
Savageduck