Digital BW, The Print

Jeff,

While I cannot add anything to this discussion, I would just like to 
say that the woman whose face graces your home page is absolutely 
stunning! Just my $0.02

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "jsinger986" 
<jsphotos@t...> wrote:
> Reading an old thread on levels and grain I had some questions...
> 
> Regarding the difference between levels and curves... aren't they 
doing exactly the 
> same thing, just with different interfaces?  Additionally, curves 
gives you more 
> flexibility than levels (although levels has some features curves 
doesn't)... but, the end 
> result as far as the manipulation that is done to the image is 
identical.  So, one should 
> not be "better" than the other WRT image degradation and grain.
> 
> So if I was to put a quantitative number to the amount of contrast 
I need to add to an 
> image... lets say 20 points of contrast (whatever that may be).  If 
I add 20 points of 
> contrast on an image using levels and 20 points of contrast in 
curves on a copy of the 
> same image, one image isn't going to be less degraded or less 
grainy because I used 
> curves instead of levels.
> 
> Am I correct on this?  This is why I'm not sure I understand why 
people say levels is 
> more destructive and causes more grain than curves.
> 
> Shouldn't the main point be to have as much contrast or do as much 
manipulation in 
> levels or curves, making sure not to clip information unnecessarily?
> 
> Jeff
> http://www.jeffsingerphotography.com