Quickest B&W conversion in Photoshop:

1. Add new adjustment layer - Hue & Saturation. Sat = -100
2. Change layer blend mode to "Color"

Just switching the blend mode gives a more realistic conversion.

Then:
3. Add new adjustment layer - Selective Color
3a. Select "Whites" and adjust the black content to taste
3b. Select "Blacks" and adjust the black content to taste
3c. (Rarely) Select "Grays" and adjust the black content.


Matt

Just to add to this point...
It also depends a lot on exactly how you calibrated your display, and the quality of your monitor (and primarily its black point)

For example, my Tosh laptop has a terrible black point - it's not black, but grey! Displayed in Photoshop it looks great, but goes a bit "off" when saved for web. Infuriated me for several years

Turns out Photoshop does Black Point Compensation (ie takes into account the measured black point of the ICC/ICM file for the monitor). It'll apply a kind of curve so you can see all shades. However, even colour managed apps like Firefox (when enabled) don't do BPC and so the image looks different

I recently found out how to calibrate and produce a cLUT ICC/ICM table (rather than the simpler matrix/shaper ICC/ICM profile). Now the difference is far less... but there are still subtle differences between applications.

A good start is looking at a 16-step wedge (ie from black to white) in each application and checking that you can see all wedges distinct


Do remember that viewers on the web often do not have colour management, nor do they have calibrated or profiled displays - so you can never be 100% sure how others will see your images

Hope that makes sense!
Matt

Mike,

Quick look - the first has no colour profile, the second is tagged as sRGB. On your monitor they'll probably look the same. However, on mine they don't

It'll be a good idea to check your Color Management preferences in CS3 - I'd suggest setting AdobeRGB as your preferred space and warning you if different (Then at least you can tell the difference between an untagged image and a tagged one!)

Matt

You should use the Photoshop option "Save for Web". This displays the image without colour management. The resulting image should match what you see in IE.

If you haven't enabled Colour Management in Firefox then FF should be the same as IE. However, if you've enable CM with the about:config options then FF will be applying a matrix/shaper curve.

The reason that different colour managed apps will display differently is down to the fact there are two different methods of handling a calibration ICC/ICM file for the display. Some apps can only do matrix/shaper, others can handle cLUT (the second type), and Photoshop/Lightroom add a third option by employing black point compensation.

From what I can tell it's mainly down to the poor black point of LCDs.

I had exactly the same frustration on my Toshiba M200 Tablet display and didn't know where I was. In the end I used ArgyllCMS to produce a decent cLUT calibration file for the monitor (quite a lot more long winded). Now I have pretty much consistent results between colour managed apps

(It's taken me literally years to work that out!!! :shock

PS: Yes, colour management is a bottomless pit of information and problems!!

Hope that helps!
Matt

Have fun Steve!
Matt

Just checked SRS... Nice prices for Olympus E3 + lenses
Hope you find what you're looking for Tel
Matt

Had a quick go on tubes... it's a little odd.
Firstly, you obviously have to switch to MF - either on the body or on the lens. If you don't then the "MF" indicator flashes like mad in the viewfinder.

Aperture linking all works fine, and it's perfectly usable.

Oddly though, there appears to be no focus confirmation Using the 50/1.4 it appears, but doesn't appear with either the DA17-70 or DA*50-135.

Results look promising though. Will try and get something to show for it later!
Matt

Ok have the DA*50-135
Wow! This thing is incredible! Even at f/2.8 it is frighteningly sharp. Only had chance for 15min around the local graveyard - but the images really pop! Even without tubes this thing rocks!!

I'll try and get some tube shots done later, as well as some regular ones (probably after the weekend)....


Matt

Wowza! Not just ultra fast... that's a really neat piece of optical trickery.
Really appreciate the link!
Matt

My little package of DA*50-135 arrived almost first thing this morning ... oooooh! Just about perfect proportions and weight.
Can't wait to get out and try it!
Top marks again to SRS
Matt