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Digital BW, The Print

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2004-01-28 by sceptre12345

Hi,

I've been printing some digital camera (6mp dslr) pictures lately and 
they all seem to have the same problem: the shadows posterize. This 
is one problem I have not had with scanned negatives.

I dont know where this come from. Is it noise or something else ? I 
have tried some noise software but it give the picture a plasticky 
artificial look.

Workflow: Open the file in Photoshop 7 with the RAW plug-in, convert 
to 16 bits and do all other adjustements in Photoshop.

Printer: Epson 1160, UT inkset and Paul's curve.

Thank in advance,
Andre

B&W with DSLR : Posterization problem

2004-01-28 by sceptre12345

Hi,

I've been printing some digital camera (6mp dslr) pictures lately and
they all seem to have the same problem: the shadows posterize. This
is one problem I have not had with scanned negatives.

I dont know where this come from. Is it noise or something else ? I
have tried some noise software but it give the picture a plasticky
artificial look.

Workflow: Open the file in Photoshop 7 with the RAW plug-in, convert
to 16 bits and do all other adjustements in Photoshop.

Printer: Epson 1160, UT inkset and Paul's curve.

Thank in advance,
Andre

RE: [Digital BW] B&W with DSLR : Posterization problem

2004-01-28 by Jake Hellbach

Hi,
Are you setting your camera to b/w mode or converting the color photo to b/w
in Photoshop?
I use a Fuji S2 and experimented setting it in b/w mode. The resulting
photos didn't have much contrast.
Now I keep the camera in color mode and RAW. The rest of my workflow is just
as yours, except I use a 1280. I convert to b/w in Photoshop and the prints
look great.
Jake

Jake Hellbach Photography
www.jakehellbachphoto.com
Show quoted textHide quoted text
  -----Original Message-----
  From: sceptre12345 [mailto:am1000@...]

  Hi,

  I've been printing some digital camera (6mp dslr) pictures lately and
  they all seem to have the same problem: the shadows posterize. This
  is one problem I have not had with scanned negatives.

  I dont know where this come from. Is it noise or something else ? I
  have tried some noise software but it give the picture a plasticky
  artificial look.

  Workflow: Open the file in Photoshop 7 with the RAW plug-in, convert
  to 16 bits and do all other adjustements in Photoshop.

  Printer: Epson 1160, UT inkset and Paul's curve.

  Thank in advance,
  Andre





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: B&W with DSLR : Posterization problem

2004-01-28 by sceptre12345

Jake,
Conversion to b&w is done in Photoshop only. No conversion is done in 
camera.

Anyone else getting great b&w prints from 6mb Canon DLSR ?

Thanks,
Andre


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Jake Hellbach" 
<jake@j...> wrote:
> Hi,
> Are you setting your camera to b/w mode or converting the color 
photo to b/w
> in Photoshop?
> I use a Fuji S2 and experimented setting it in b/w mode. The 
resulting
> photos didn't have much contrast.
> Now I keep the camera in color mode and RAW. The rest of my 
workflow is just
> as yours, except I use a 1280. I convert to b/w in Photoshop and 
the prints
> look great.
> Jake
> 
> Jake Hellbach Photography
> www.jakehellbachphoto.com
> 
> 
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: sceptre12345 [mailto:am1000@v...]
> 
>   Hi,
> 
>   I've been printing some digital camera (6mp dslr) pictures lately 
and
>   they all seem to have the same problem: the shadows posterize. 
This
>   is one problem I have not had with scanned negatives.
> 
>   I dont know where this come from. Is it noise or something else ? 
I
>   have tried some noise software but it give the picture a plasticky
>   artificial look.
> 
>   Workflow: Open the file in Photoshop 7 with the RAW plug-in, 
convert
Show quoted textHide quoted text
>   to 16 bits and do all other adjustements in Photoshop.
> 
>   Printer: Epson 1160, UT inkset and Paul's curve.
> 
>   Thank in advance,
>   Andre
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: B&W with DSLR : Posterization problem

2004-01-28 by Mark Hahn

Yes.  10D.  With either full jpeg -> b&w or RAW -> b&w.  You should 
have no problem.  The only thing I can suggest is that Paul's curves 
are not perfect and by doing minor curve adjustments you can 
sometimes shift critical transitions to better tonal regions and get 
better prints.  The other option is to choose a different curve set 
(ie. if you are using the original 1160 curves try using the new UT 
curves... since the difficult tranisitions are at different locations 
with each set it might fix it).  Shadows are always going to be the 
weakest point using your setup IMHO.

Looking at two photos now, one from a digital and a second from film 
scan and see that the posterization in the shadows does appear more 
obvious in the digital, but I believe it is only because the digital 
is so much smoother.  The grain pattern in the shadows of the film 
scan kind of breaks up the posterization and make it less obvious.  I 
have never been entirely satisfied with quadtone shadow detail 
though, I think it is just a limitation to the 
printer/ink/driver/paper combination...

To see the limitations of your printer space I would suggest printing 
out a 4x6" smooth gradient from black to white... it really surprised 
me how wavy the tonal space of my 1160 really was and that I was able 
to still get so many good prints out of it... also made me realize 
why heavily textured images printed out so much better than some with 
smooth tonal gradiations...  "a man's gotta know his limitations" 
[Clint Eastwood] :)

mark



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "sceptre12345" 
<am1000@v...> wrote:
> Jake,
> Conversion to b&w is done in Photoshop only. No conversion is done 
in 
> camera.
> 
> Anyone else getting great b&w prints from 6mb Canon DLSR ?
> 
> Thanks,
> Andre
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Jake 
Hellbach" 
> <jake@j...> wrote:
> > Hi,
> > Are you setting your camera to b/w mode or converting the color 
> photo to b/w
> > in Photoshop?
> > I use a Fuji S2 and experimented setting it in b/w mode. The 
> resulting
> > photos didn't have much contrast.
> > Now I keep the camera in color mode and RAW. The rest of my 
> workflow is just
> > as yours, except I use a 1280. I convert to b/w in Photoshop and 
> the prints
> > look great.
> > Jake
> > 
> > Jake Hellbach Photography
> > www.jakehellbachphoto.com
> > 
> > 
> >   -----Original Message-----
> >   From: sceptre12345 [mailto:am1000@v...]
> > 
> >   Hi,
> > 
> >   I've been printing some digital camera (6mp dslr) pictures 
lately 
> and
> >   they all seem to have the same problem: the shadows posterize. 
> This
> >   is one problem I have not had with scanned negatives.
> > 
> >   I dont know where this come from. Is it noise or something 
else ? 
> I
> >   have tried some noise software but it give the picture a 
plasticky
Show quoted textHide quoted text
> >   artificial look.
> > 
> >   Workflow: Open the file in Photoshop 7 with the RAW plug-in, 
> convert
> >   to 16 bits and do all other adjustements in Photoshop.
> > 
> >   Printer: Epson 1160, UT inkset and Paul's curve.
> > 
> >   Thank in advance,
> >   Andre
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [Digital BW] Re: B&W with DSLR : Posterization problem

2004-01-28 by D. Hill

I have good experience in printing methods from files
generated with my 6MP Canon 10d - 

Black Only w/ Eboni.  Excellent prints without
problem.

Additionally, I have used the Piezography driver
printing on my 1280 for full quadtone printing - the
prints were flawless without posterization.

Currently I am learning to print with UT2 via 1280.  I
have been getting exceptional prints following Paul's
instructions and using his stock curves for Epson
Enhanced Matte, but printing on Epson Heavyweight
Matte.

I can't comment on the posterization yet with UT2 -
however the Piezography driver provided excellent
results.


--- sceptre12345 <am1000@...> wrote:

> 
> Anyone else getting great b&w prints from 6mb Canon
> DLSR ?
> 
> Thanks,
> Andre


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RE: [Digital BW] B&W with DSLR : Posterization problem

2004-01-28 by Paul D. DeRocco

> From: sceptre12345 [mailto:am1000@...]
>
> I've been printing some digital camera (6mp dslr) pictures lately and
> they all seem to have the same problem: the shadows posterize. This
> is one problem I have not had with scanned negatives.
>
> I dont know where this come from. Is it noise or something else ? I
> have tried some noise software but it give the picture a plasticky
> artificial look.
>
> Workflow: Open the file in Photoshop 7 with the RAW plug-in, convert
> to 16 bits and do all other adjustements in Photoshop.
>
> Printer: Epson 1160, UT inkset and Paul's curve.

I don't use that workflow, so I don't know the ultimate cause. But noise
won't cause posterization--indeed, it will tend to mask it. If you denoise
an image, either by blurring or with 3rd party noise filters, that's when
you're most likely to see posterization creep in.

--

Ciao,               Paul D. DeRocco
Paul                mailto:pderocco@...

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