Silver Efex--any Opinions?

dovi · 03-15-2012

The recent talk of higher film prices and discontinuations has me wondering about Silver Efex.

Any one like it, or hate it ?

Anyone know where to get a good Price on it?

tbarker13 · 03-15-2012

I like it a lot. All of my B&W conversions are done with that program.

dovi · 03-15-2012

Nice Work!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbarker13

I like it a lot. All of my B&W conversions are done with that program.

hteasley · 03-15-2012

I like it OK, but I find I can mimic most of the adjustments I like quite easily in Lightroom, without much trouble.

jsrockit · 03-15-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by hteasley

I like it OK, but I find I can mimic most of the adjustments I like quite easily in Lightroom, without much trouble.

I feel the same way. I've also decided to let digital be digital...even in B&W. If I want the film look, I'll shoot film.

jippiejee · 03-15-2012

The local adjustments by using control points are just really intuitive to use. I vote yes.

swoop · 03-15-2012

I used it a lot in the past. It merged seamlessly with Apple Aperture 2. Then I switched to lightroom and it wasn't as smooth and ran painfully slow. So something is amiss, but as for its usability and adjustments, it creates beautiful B+W images out of sterile digital files. I just wish Nik had an all in one film simulation plugin like Exposure 3.

dovi · 03-15-2012

SO far I see BH has it for the best Price...

celluloidprop · 03-15-2012

I use it for my B&W conversions, but I can rarely use anything other than the Agfa and Neopan film profiles. Everything else seems to blow out highlights and lose shadows quickly. The structure tool and local controls for dodging and burning are amazing.

---f · 04-24-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by celluloidprop

I use it for my B&W conversions, but I can rarely use anything other than the Agfa and Neopan film profiles. Everything else seems to blow out highlights and lose shadows quickly. The structure tool and local controls for dodging and burning are amazing.

I noticed this too, I tend to flatten contrast a bit in lightroom before using Silver Efex or Exposure so it doesn't come out too contrasting after conversion.

whitecat · 03-15-2012

I vote yes, you can download the trial for 30 days to try it.

Gerry M · 03-15-2012

I'm just finishing my 2 week trial and really like it. Enough that it may cut down on my film use. I plan to purchase.

Lauffray · 03-15-2012

I'm a film only guy and I vote yes, I've used it when I had a DSLR and I absolutely loved it

Benjamin Marks · 03-15-2012

I really like it. I tried some canned Photoshop actions. Didn't like it. I tried Alien Skin Exposure. Liked it OK, but didn't love it. Tried Silver Efex Pro. Ahhhh. Just right. I think it does a good job with its default conversions. I tend to choose the film emulsion emulator that works for a particular picture rather than choosing Tri-X all the time. For me, it really hit the sweet spot and I had been looking for a particular result for a long time.

nightfly · 03-15-2012

I bought it and use it a bit but not thrilled. I wish it were truly integrated with Lightroom and didn't create a whole 'nother file. Would prefer something that was just an intuitive set of non-destructive actions within lightroom.

Generally I prefer just shooting film for black and white but barring that it looks the best of what I've seen. I usually leave my digital images color for some reason or use the straight out of the camera high contrast black and whites from the GRD 3. I think I just have a film mentality.

seakayaker1 · 03-15-2012

Silver Efex is an excellent tool, great results with ease.

Others have commented they get same results using Lightroom but that has not been my experience. Nor has it been when using Aperature standalone. Perhaps it is the ease that I found using Silver Efex and I have not put much effort into attempting to duplicate the results with other software.

Horses for courses . . . . . .

. . . . . good luck with your decision.

David_Manning · 03-15-2012

I think it's an incredible program. It gives more malleable results than scanning a negative and then trying to squeeze tonality out of the resultant scan. You can also dial down the grain, or add it...whatever your end result requires.

And...it pays for itself in film rather quickly.

jbielikowski · 03-15-2012

I tried both Silver Efex and latest Exposure 4 (I find it great for color) but after all for B&W I can do same thing with a free plugin and curves.

intheviewfinder · 03-15-2012

I agree that one is pretty hard pressed to have LR emulate what the Nik software does. The control points alone are worth the price...

Br(ightnes), Co(ntrast), St(ructure), A(mplify) W(hites), A(mplify) B(lacks), F(ine) S(tructure), and S(elective) C(olor).

You can copy them. You can gang them together. Way more useful.

And as others have mentioned, the drawback is it does not work with a DNG or Raw file it creates a TIFF.

Teuthida · 03-15-2012

Its great. As noted, the control points are really wonderful tools for selective exposure control, and the ability to selectively burn corners is great, as is the film emulation.

Johann Espiritu · 03-15-2012

Another +1 for Silver Efex. I used to use Alien Skin Exposure for my BW conversions, but have switched to Silver Efex for the past few months (I still use Exposure for color, though).

I find that it does a pretty "close enough" job emulating film and de-sterilizing digital images form my M9, if you give yourself enough time to learn how to use it.

Some samples:

Bunny [+Honey] by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

Spared by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

Dear Catastrophe Waitress by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

A Symbiotic Relationship by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

sleepyhead · 04-23-2012

Johann, nice examples, thanks.

How did you implement those "sloppy borders" in some of your example images? Are they part of Silver Efex?

If not, what software/actions?

THANKS

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johann Espiritu

Another +1 for Silver Efex. I used to use Alien Skin Exposure for my BW conversions, but have switched to Silver Efex for the past few months (I still use Exposure for color, though).

I find that it does a pretty "close enough" job emulating film and de-sterilizing digital images form my M9, if you give yourself enough time to learn how to use it.

Some samples:

Bunny [+Honey] by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

Spared by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

Dear Catastrophe Waitress by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

A Symbiotic Relationship by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

AndrewNYC · 04-24-2012

Johann, great feel to those. Can you share your process or settings in AilverFX?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johann Espiritu

Another +1 for Silver Efex. I used to use Alien Skin Exposure for my BW conversions, but have switched to Silver Efex for the past few months (I still use Exposure for color, though).

I find that it does a pretty "close enough" job emulating film and de-sterilizing digital images form my M9, if you give yourself enough time to learn how to use it.

Some samples:

Bunny [+Honey] by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

Spared by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

Dear Catastrophe Waitress by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

A Symbiotic Relationship by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

River Dog · 03-15-2012

+1 for SFX, the Neopan setting and control points. Can be very subtle.

Warren T. · 03-15-2012

another +1 here.

Yes, it's possible to get the same results in LR, but not as quickly or easily. It's got a short learning curve, and IMO, it's well organized and it feels intuitive, like it was designed by photographers for photographers.

I use it it as a LR plug-in.

--Warren