B&W question

[Herman]

I always shoot in color with the G1.
If I need one or more B&W image(s) I convert the color images with Picasa.
The G1 has a B&W film setting.
So I wonder, what will give best B&W result(s):
Color shooting, then convert into B&W
or...
Shooting at B&W setting

Comments are welcome, thanks in advance.

 

[Vidar]

Hello Herman! I don´t use the G1 and I don´t use Picasa. BUT since no one answered you I can tell what I do. But I use the E-P1 and Lightroom...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vidargrov/4976910122/" title="Yo! by VidarFoto, on Flickr"> View attachment 149970 "240" height="180" alt="Yo!" /></a>


The E-P1 has a decent BW setting, but I find that I have MUCH more controll with the end result when shooting in RAW and then converting to BW in LR..

I would guess this would be the case with the G1 too, but here the G1 shooters and Picasa users needs to respond!

Good luck and have a nice weekend Herman!

 

[ricseet]

Hi Herman, i recall reading from another forum that people got good B&W results by using Dynamic B&W Film Mode.
For PPing of B&W Isabel recently recommended me to check out Silver Efex

Nik Silver Efex Pro review

good luck

ric

 

[photoSmart42]

For OOC JPEG I use Dynamic B&W in my GH1 - primarily to check composition and to see what the final post-PP image might look like as I'm shooting. For the final photos I use the RAW and convert with ACR/PS in PP. I'll try Silver Efex at some point as well. If I really, really want nice B&W I shoot film.

 

[Vidar]

If I really, really want nice B&W I shoot film.

 

[Gwendal]

...currently working on my B&W conversions, and reading the excellent "Black & white in Photoshop and Lightroom". Shooting in color gives you much more power over the final result if you are ready to spend a little more time on PP'ing - plus, if you finally decide your image would be better in color, no regrets... why discard so much potentially useful information when storage is so cheap ?

 

[Streetshooter]

I shoot raw only. I have my screens on my cameras set to dynamic B&W. This let's me see the graphics of the image and the emotional quality.
In LR after converting to DNG I Auto WB and take the image into Silver Efex with a straight tone curve line.
In Silver Efex I then work the magic but hardly ever use the supplied presets.

The image then returns to LR and there, you can work it more if needed.
LR itself now has a great converter and maybe with patience, you could get a great conversion. It's really becoming a great processor.

What's cool about Silver Efex is ... You can set up your Zones and adjust the Tone Curve to place each Zone where you want. No other converter allows that... It would be guess work.

 

[Herman]

Thanks for replies / advice which is highly appreciated.
I will set the G1 to RAW. Not sure though whether PICASA does support RAW.
I'll give it a try.

 

[Streetshooter]

Herman my friend,
Do you have LR or Aperture?

 

[Grant]

If you are shooting Black and White in JPEG you will be shooting in 8 bit and your software will show exactly how your camera made this conversion.

If your are shooting in RAW with a B&W setting you will be shooting in colour although your camera and some entry level software will directly convert it to B&W. If you are using high end software such as Aperture or Photoshop and I suspect Lightroom the image will be imported as either 10, 12, 0r 14 bit colour (often lumped together as 16 bit). This will give you 2x, 4x, 8x more information that jpeg gives you. Of course you will have to process your image to B&W and this will reduce the final image to 8 bit but you have the choices and therefor much more latitude to maneuver. High-end programs are out stand in doing this procedure either natively or with extra plug ins.

If you are still a bit worried shot in both RAW and JPEG and have your camera set to B&W mode. This will give you one image in B&W (JPEG) and one image in colour (RAW) Depending on what software you are using you can import either/or or both. Sort of like belt and braces as my English friends say.