[Leica] Nik software

[kcarney1 at cox.net (Ken Carney)]

I would just say learn how the control points work and what areas they 
cover.  They are powerful and the best feature of SEP imho.  If you are 
fortunate to have had darkroom b&w printing experience they will fall 
right in, like PS burn and dodge layers.  I have not had any luck with 
any of the SEP presets and don't use them.  I do like slightly warm-tone 
images, and the SEP toning option for sepia, very slightly applied, is 
very good.  It's pretty easy to see when you've gone too far since it 
will look...sepia.  Versace also has a PS warm-tone action on his site 
that I like.  Also as I mentioned using SEP as a smart object will save 
some time.  That's about it, I just had to experiment a lot.

Ken

On 6/5/2016 4:50 PM, Peter Dzwig wrote:
> I'd add that I am beginning to use it, but find some of the film simulation
> modes poor, eg Tri-X 400, BW400CN.
>
> I have a sort of so-so feeling about it: that if I understood it better I 
> would
> get results closer to what I am after. Perhaps that means it's time for 
> some
> reading! I don't find the online help answers my questions. Does anyone 
> have any
> SEP-specific recommendations in addition to Versace's book?
>
> Peter
>
> On 05/06/2016 00:55, Ken Carney wrote:
>> I'll second that.  Steve Barbour mentioned Vincent Versace's book on b&w
>> conversion ("From Oz to Kansas"), so I bought it and the video.  It 
>> contains
>> numerous b&w conversion techiques for PS, but...the best part was 
>> suggestions on
>> using SEP Pro, of which I believe he was one of the developers.  I use 
>> SEP as a
>> smart object in PS, so if desired I can go back and change things.  It is 
>> also a
>> LR plug-in.
>>
>> Ken
>>
>>
>> On 6/4/2016 11:52 AM, Jayanand Govindaraj wrote:
>>> Nathan,
>>> There is no comparison between the Nik tools and what is available in
>>> Lightroom, which IMHO, is basic in comparison. Silver Efex Pro is an
>>> integral part of my B&W workflow, as are Color Efex Pro and Viveza for
>>> other workflow. Then, again, I have been using these tools for a very 
>>> long
>>> time, since Nik first introduced them in Nikon's Capture RAW converters
>>> (before Nik started selling them as stand alone tools), in fact, so I am
>>> quite conversant with all that can be done. It is not a shallow learning
>>> curve, but rather a steep one, and just the advantage of being able to 
>>> work
>>> on a small part of the frame at a time, via what are called "Control
>>> Points", itself is worth the price you pay in learning to use the suite
>>> properly. I am very comfortable with using this software, mainly because
>>> the slog is behind me, whether you find it worthwhile or not is something
>>> only you can decide. My advice would be to give it a fair go before
>>> deciding one way or another.
>>> Cheers
>>> Jayanand
>>>
>>> On Sat, Jun 4, 2016 at 11:02 AM, Nathan Wajsman <photo at frozenlight.eu>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks Jim. But that is what I do in LR itself too, so I fail to see the
>>>> advantage of the extra software (and the additional image file that
>>>> results).
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>> Nathan
>>>>
>>>> Nathan Wajsman
>>>> Alicante, Spain
>>>> http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/>
>>>> http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/>www.greatpix.eu
>>>> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <
>>>> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ 
>>>> <
>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/>
>>>> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <
>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator>
>>>> YNWA
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On 04 Jun 2016, at 07:23, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> 
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I seldom use one of their presets.  I work with the sliders and menu
>>>> choices until I find something I like, and then come back to that 
>>>> recipe as
>>>> a starting point for the next image.
>>>>> Jim Nichols
>>>>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>>>>>
>>>>> On 6/4/2016 12:16 AM, Nathan Wajsman wrote:
>>>>>> I stand correct. Tried Silver Efex Pro on an image, using Fuji Acros 
>>>>>> as
>>>> the preset. Still not sure I like it. When I compare the original image
>>>> with the Silver Efex image, the latter seems harsh. Will have to play 
>>>> some
>>>> more, I guess.
>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>> Nathan
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Nathan Wajsman
>>>>>> Alicante, Spain
>>>>>> http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/> <
>>>> http://www.frozenlight.eu/ <http://www.frozenlight.eu/>>
>>>>>> http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/ <http://www.greatpix.eu/>>
>>>> www.greatpix.eu <http://www.greatpix.eu/>
>>>>>> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <
>>>> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws> <http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <
>>>> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>>Blog: 
>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ <
>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/><http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/
>>>> <http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/>>
>>>>>> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <
>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator> <
>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <
>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator>>
>>>>>> YNWA
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 04 Jun 2016, at 06:55, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> 
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Nathan,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Analog Efex Pro2 is not the same as Silver Efex Pro2.  Look around 
>>>>>>> for
>>>> Silver Efex Pro2.exe.
>>>>>>> Jim Nichols
>>>>>>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 6/3/2016 11:51 PM, Nathan Wajsman wrote:
>>>>>>>> I have downloaded the Nik suite from Google and have tried out the
>>>> Silver Efex Pro (now called Analog Efex Pro).
>>>>>>>> Am I the only one who finds the resulting images to have an
>>>> over-processed, over-sharpened look to them? I did not tweak any 
>>>> settings,
>>>> just went with the automatic ones.
>>>>>>>> I think I prefer my own adjustments in LR.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I will play with it some more, and try Dfine as well for noise
>>>> removal, but I suspect I will end up uninstalling this software.
>>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>> Nathan
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Nathan Wajsman
>>>>>>>> Alicante, Spain
>>>>>>>> http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/>
>>>>>>>> http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/>www.greatpix.eu
>>>>>>>> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <
>>>> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ 
>>>> <
>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/>
>>>>>>>> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <
>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator>
>>>>>>>> YNWA
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
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