Jump to content

Welcome to NikonForums.com
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!
Photo

Extermal filter usage


  • Please log in to reply
19 replies to this topic

#1
tonyowen

tonyowen

    New Member

  • Forum Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
  • Country Flag

External filters can be used to enhance a black and white film  image

I understand that such filters can also be used with digital camera

But, If I use, say a red external filter, then the resulting image on my D50 has  red cast

Converting that image to a monochrome image in ps gives a blurry image

However, If I  convert a non-filtered image using Photoshop's  Channel mixer and Photo filter I get an 'acceptable' monochrome image.

So can external B&W filters be used to enhance a monochrome version of a digital image?



#2
Merco_61

Merco_61

    Nikonian

  • Premium Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,588 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationUppsala, Sweden

Site Supporter

Filters can be used, but you need to set the correct white balance from the start and a red filter can throw the AF out, so you might need to focus manually in some situations. simulating the filter in post will usually give a better, more predictable result, especially with the CCD sensors in a D50 or D70 as you will need to raise the ISO to compensate for the filter factor using constant values for aperture and shutter. The CCD-s are, as you know, prone to noise artefacts.


  • Ron likes this

#3
Ron

Ron

    Nikonian

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,255 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationMagic City

I second what Peter said. With digital cameras it's always better to shoot RAW with no colored filters at all and then convert your images to B&W in post. Photoshop, for example, has an excellent B&W converter with options to replicate many common colored filter effects, including infrared. It works very well. There are other programs that can do similar operations. often with less manual input by the user.

 

--Ron 



#4
La Bikina

La Bikina

    Nikonian

  • Moderators
  • 1,113 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationMexican girl in Barcelona Spain

Site Supporter

I like to often use a lot of filters, but I like to use manual focus old lenses, so no problems for me. 70% of my lenses is this kind :P

 

I used Nikon D3X with Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8 AF and Auto white balance enabled and red and orange filters for monochrome enhancement to convert to B&W and no problem at all with ISO 100.

Furthermore, I think the conversion it's better than without filters.

 

 

The proof in Monochrome Mondays, permanent post :

 

Monochrome mondays, permanent post - Mini-Challenges, Member Contests, and Games - NikonForums.com



#5
tonyowen

tonyowen

    New Member

  • Forum Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
  • Country Flag

Filters can be used, but you need to set the correct white balance from the start and a red filter can throw the AF out, so you might need to focus manually in some situations. simulating the filter in post will usually give a better, more predictable result, especially with the CCD sensors in a D50 or D70 as you will need to raise the ISO to compensate for the filter factor using constant values for aperture and shutter. The CCD-s are, as you know, prone to noise artefacts.

In your 'Monday page' [monochrome-mondays-permanent-post/] you have a "The SEP recipe:" - what is this and where is it?



#6
Merco_61

Merco_61

    Nikonian

  • Premium Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,588 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationUppsala, Sweden

Site Supporter

I use Nik Silver Efex PRO for the conversion.
I still use the version that was free while Google owned the Nik suite of apps.
It is easier for me to just make a screen dump than to write down all the settings.

#7
Ron

Ron

    Nikonian

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,255 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationMagic City

I use Nik Silver Efex PRO for the conversion.
I still use the version that was free while Google owned the Nik suite of apps.
It is easier for me to just make a screen dump than to write down all the settings.
Unfortunately, I only have the PC version of that. I'd love to use it on my Mac, but I haven't been able to find anything but the Nik stuff online.

 

Unfortunately, I only have the PC version. I'd love to try that software with my Mac but, since DXO bought it from Google, the version you use is no longer available.... at least not on sites I'd trust to download from.

 

--Ron



#8
Merco_61

Merco_61

    Nikonian

  • Premium Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,588 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationUppsala, Sweden

Site Supporter

Ron, it should be downloadable through the Internet archive still.

Disclaimer: I haven’t tried the links.

 

NIK Collection of Filters (Mac/Windows) 1.2.11 : Google/NIK : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive


  • Ron likes this

#9
g4aaw pete

g4aaw pete

    Nikonian

  • Premium Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,756 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationBirchington, North Kent Coast.

Site Supporter

Ron, it should be downloadable through the Internet archive still.

Disclaimer: I haven’t tried the links.

 

NIK Collection of Filters (Mac/Windows) 1.2.11 : Google/NIK : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

 

There is more than one source for the 'free' version, but that one works & isn't a trial version.


  • Ron likes this

#10
Brian

Brian

    Forum Veteran

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 559 posts
  • Country Flag

M1015730.jpg

Leica M8 (color camera), 28mm lens, Yellow filter and custom Demosaic Software, written in Fortran.

 

L1005037.jpg

Leica M Monochrom, 35mm lens, yellow filter.

 

A yellow filter cuts out most of blue, and much of the lower portion of the green spectrum. SO- a bit more contrast.

 

Using color filters is common with a monochrome camera, not so much with a color camera.

 

But- I had to find out how the two compared.

 

 


  • Ron likes this

#11
Merco_61

Merco_61

    Nikonian

  • Premium Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,588 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationUppsala, Sweden

Site Supporter

I did a blog about using colour filters for black and white back in August.

Using the colour wheel to select filters for black and white - NikonForums.com



#12
Ron

Ron

    Nikonian

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,255 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationMagic City

Ron, it should be downloadable through the Internet archive still.

Disclaimer: I haven’t tried the links.

 

NIK Collection of Filters (Mac/Windows) 1.2.11 : Google/NIK : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Thanks, Peter. Someone else mentioned the Internet Archive as a possible source but I have been lerry of downloading from sites I'm unfamiliar with. Maybe I'll take a chance with this one. 

 

BTW.. which version of Mac OS are you using? I'm currently on Mac OS 11 (Big Sur). Procrastinating about jumping to Ventura. 

 

--Ron



#13
Merco_61

Merco_61

    Nikonian

  • Premium Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,588 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationUppsala, Sweden

Site Supporter

I'm on Monterey.
I am reluctant to jump to Ventura as there are some reports of some of my older apps not working properly on Ventura on an Intel Mac.

The Internet Archive is just one of the wayback machines.

#14
La Bikina

La Bikina

    Nikonian

  • Moderators
  • 1,113 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationMexican girl in Barcelona Spain

Site Supporter

Yes, Peter, your blog is useful.

I read before, great work. ^_^



#15
tonyowen

tonyowen

    New Member

  • Forum Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
  • Country Flag

Ron, it should be downloadable through the Internet archive still.

Disclaimer: I haven’t tried the links.

 

NIK Collection of Filters (Mac/Windows) 1.2.11 : Google/NIK : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

An early version is nikcolection-full-1.2.11 I downloaded yesterday and used without problems

- I think there is a Mac version



#16
tonyowen

tonyowen

    New Member

  • Forum Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
  • Country Flag

An early version is nikcolection-full-1.2.11 I downloaded yesterday and used without problems

- I think there is a Mac version

Version 1.2.11 runs okay on win7

But how to save the monochrome version generated by Silver Efex Pro 2???

I looked everywhere but cannot see a save option



#17
Merco_61

Merco_61

    Nikonian

  • Premium Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,588 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationUppsala, Sweden

Site Supporter

2023-04-04.png

If it looks anything like this screen dump on Win 10, you should have a save button in the lower right corner.



#18
tonyowen

tonyowen

    New Member

  • Forum Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
  • Country Flag

attachicon.gif 2023-04-04.png

If it looks anything like this screen dump on Win 10, you should have a save button in the lower right corner.

Panic over - I was using it as a plug in for Photoshop.CS2 which neither saved the modified version or modified the original image

 

However If  Silver Efex Pro is opened as a stand-alone program then a file can be opened, modified , then saved by whatever mane you want

regards



#19
tonyowen

tonyowen

    New Member

  • Forum Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
  • Country Flag

DSC-0962.jpg

test01.jpg

 

If  Silver Efex Pro is opened as a stand-alone program then a file can be opened, modified , then saved by whatever mane you want

 

see attached colour ad monochrome images [I hope]



#20
Brian

Brian

    Forum Veteran

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 559 posts
  • Country Flag

100% crop, Leica M9 using a simulated Red filter:

 

50673183937_813d708215_o.jpgchimney_m9_converted by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

 

Leica M Monochrom, Red filter.

50673098986_db901a973c_o.jpgchimney_monochrom by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

 

Both with the same lens, 35mm F1.7 Ultron, at F4.

 

50673098921_194ae1b04e_o.jpgMt_Vernon_Ultron_Red_filter_Monochrom by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

 

From a test I did 10 years ago, the M9 and M Monochrom have the save sensor, the latter with no color mosaic filter.

 

Using a Simulated Red filter, or Simulated Blue leaves about 1/4 of the pixels with large contributions - and can get artifacts at edges as shown above.

 

Simulated Yellow leaves 3/4 of the pixels with a substantial contribution.