[87Duckfan]

Hi everyone,

Did some searching, and did not find any posts in the K70 forum.

I'm curious what you have found to be the best way to shoot black & white with the K70? Do I apply digital filters before taking the photo, or is it best to shoot in color and convert in post?

I don't currently have high end software (just PaintShop Pro 2021 that came with the K70), so curious if using in-camera filters produce good results? Maybe someone can share some examples of this?

TIA!!

---------- Post added 03-09-21 at 05:16 PM ----------

Also, with the K70, seems like there are 2 options.

1. Set Custom image to "BW/Monochrome".
or
2. Set digital filter to "extract color" or "Bold Monochrome"?

Which method works best?

[pschlute]

Hi everyone,

Did some searching, and did not find any posts in the K70 forum.

I'm curious what you have found to be the best way to shoot black & white with the K70? Do I apply digital filters before taking the photo, or is it best to shoot in color and convert in post?

I don't currently have high end software (just PaintShop Pro 2021 that came with the K70), so curious if using in-camera filters produce good results? Maybe someone can share some examples of this?

TIA!!

Applying digital filters in the camera is post-processing. Your camera takes the same image irrespective of those settings. It takes a colour image and uses the raw data to produce a jpeg. If you select digital filters they are applied when the jpeg is produced.

I am sure PaintShopPro has plenty of tools for creating a b+w image. I would suggest you shoot raw DNG files and edit from those to produce a jpeg

[AggieDad]

You want your image to be a RAW file so you can work with all the information. As pschlute wrote above, don't use any camera filters – just your white balance, shutter, aperture, and ISO.

With most post-processing software, with the B&W setting come red, blue, green, and yellow filters – just click through the filters for look you want. Also the B&W setting will give you a "color mixer" which will allow you to lighten or darken individual color groups (e.g. adjust the blue slider to adjust the sky in your black and white image). With these two tools you can create any number of looks for your monochrome images.

[87Duckfan]

OK, I have the camera set to take RAW + JPEG.

On the K70, what do you set the "Custom Image" to? Looks like you have to chose a setting. Just leave it on "Auto"?

---------- Post added 03-09-21 at 06:29 PM ----------

I also typically leave WB set to "Daylight". Is Auto better?

---------- Post added 03-09-21 at 06:30 PM ----------

For WB, I have it set to Daylight when I'm shooting outside...

[Paul the Sunman]

WB matters for jpeg, not for Raw. If you are shooting jpeg, Auto will generally do a reasonable job, and save you the hassle of setting it for each shot. But if you have an important shot, or a several shots in the same conditions, setting to the correct option can be worthwhile.

On the other hand, shoot Raw and don't worry. With Raw, you can adjust WB to whatever you want in post.

[DeKay]

You could always try RawTherapee to process your RAW files. It is free and cross platform.
If you setup Film Simulation HaldCLUT it has some awesome B&W film simulators that do a great job.
Take a look here Film Simulation - RawPedia

[kypfer]

Hi everyone,

Did some searching, and did not find any posts in the K70 forum.

I'm curious what you have found to be the best way to shoot black & white with the K70? Do I apply digital filters before taking the photo, or is it best to shoot in color and convert in post?

I don't currently have high end software (just PaintShop Pro 2021 that came with the K70), so curious if using in-camera filters produce good results? Maybe someone can share some examples of this?

TIA!!

---------- Post added 03-09-21 at 05:16 PM ----------

Also, with the K70, seems like there are 2 options.

1. Set Custom image to "BW/Monochrome".
or
2. Set digital filter to "extract color" or "Bold Monochrome"?

Which method works best?

The in-camera adjustments (Digital Filters) are very good for an "in the field" preview, but I use the supplied Digital Camera Utility (on the CD with the camera) for my final adjustments.
The nice feature of the Pentax software is that it uses the same terminology as the camera, so if you find yourself consistently applying similar adjustments in "post" you can easily transfer these settings to the camera
Nevertheless, I always save a colour original, usually in JPG, but sometimes in RAW, (for a difficult subject), as I find it difficult to fully assess an image on the rear screen of the camera, especially in bright light.
As to "which method works best?" … the method that gives the results you like! Again, save in colour and try the alternatives later. I find using an HDMI cable from my camera to my computer screen almost essential to assess the in-camera effects that aren't available in the Digital Camera Utility.
I am aware of the multitude of after-market programs, both freeware and pay-ware, that will do a similar job, but how much time do you want to spend learning different programs?
Good luck

[Dale H. Cook]

I shoot with my K-70 in B&W mode and use colored filters in front of the lens just as I did when shooting Tri-X or Plus-X 35mm film. The big advantage of doing this with the K-70, rather than with 35mm, is that I can see exactly what the filters' effects are on the B&W image as seen in Live View. I prefer to capture the best image in-camera and use as little post as needed.

I have created a set of filters using samples of theatrical lighting gels that I can easily hold before the lens to evaluate, say, the effect that each of my three red filters (23A, 25, 29) has on the B&W image and choose the right filter for that image. That is a lot faster than screwing and unscrewing filters to evaluate them. My "Filter Flip Book" has gel samples carefully selected for the best match with each of my 16 colored filters - see:

Star City Photos - My Filter Flip Book

as well as the graphs (including a brief description of my method and links to comparison polar graphs) of the filters and gels at:

Star City Photos - Filter and Rosco Graphs

Although theatrical gels are not suitable for taking photographs they can be, if properly selected, extremely useful (and fast) in determining which filter I want to use.

---------- Post added 03-10-21 at 08:18 AM ----------

With Raw, you can adjust WB to whatever you want in post.

Any decent image processing software that can display the RAW (.PEF) images (I use the latest version of the Digital Camera Utility provided for the camera) should show WB and other settings displayed in the RAW image so that you can, if needed, adjust those settings before saving the image as a JPG.

[Kerrowdown]

B&W Process

The way I've always worked for years is... to think and pre visualise in B&W, shoot my normal colour RAW (DNG), then convert in LR/PS to B&W.

Does any of that make any sense... well I know what I mean, but perhaps failing to put it in suitable words.

[87Duckfan]

The in-camera adjustments (Digital Filters) are very good for an "in the field" preview, but I use the supplied Digital Camera Utility (on the CD with the camera) for my final adjustments.
The nice feature of the Pentax software is that it uses the same terminology as the camera, so if you find yourself consistently applying similar adjustments in "post" you can easily transfer these settings to the camera
Nevertheless, I always save a colour original, usually in JPG, but sometimes in RAW, (for a difficult subject), as I find it difficult to fully assess an image on the rear screen of the camera, especially in bright light.
As to "which method works best?" … the method that gives the results you like! Again, save in colour and try the alternatives later. I find using an HDMI cable from my camera to my computer screen almost essential to assess the in-camera effects that aren't available in the Digital Camera Utility.
I am aware of the multitude of after-market programs, both freeware and pay-ware, that will do a similar job, but how much time do you want to spend learning different programs?
Good luck

Thank you everyone! I will probably give this a try.

I still have just one question:

On the K70, what do you set the "Custom Image" to? Looks like you have to chose a setting. Just leave it on "Auto"? This is in the Menu pages, on page 1. Other options are: Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Flat, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome, or Cross Processing.

[kypfer]

I shoot with my K-70 in B&W mode and use colored filters in front of the lens just as I did when shooting Tri-X or Plus-X 35mm film. The big advantage of doing this with the K-70, rather than with 35mm, is that I can see exactly what the filters' effects are on the B&W image as seen in Live View. I prefer to capture the best image in-camera and use as little post as needed.

I tried this approach, having dug out my old filters, but found using the in-camera "mono with colour filter" effects to be very similar and a lot more convenient to use … the bonuses being I could use the effects with a lens with a large filter thread and no light-loss through the filter

---------- Post added 03-10-21 at 02:52 PM ----------

I still have just one question:
On the K70, what do you set the "Custom Image" to? Looks like you have to chose a setting. Just leave it on "Auto"? This is in the Menu pages, on page 1. Other options are: Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Flat, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome, or Cross Processing.

I'll admit to leaving it on the default "bright", simply because I like the results, but this is one of those areas where sitting down with the Digital Camera Utility and a selection of pictures can be really educational. Open an image, go to "Laboratory" then open the "Custom Image" menu … lo and behold, there's all the in-camera settings available for you to jiggle with
Theoretically one would work with a RAW image rather than a JPG for maximum flexibility, but the software is remarkably capable and well worth spending time with.
BIG HINT : Have the Help File open at the same time. There's no labels (or mouse-overs) on the controls or buttons in the software, so you'll need the Help, at first, to learn what everything does
Once you get a feel for it, you can take the settings directly from the software and apply them in-camera, should you wish - both use the same terminology
Even the guys at Pentax admit that the documentation is a little "wanting", but if you open this Japanese-language page ???????RAW??????????Digital Camera Utility 5 ?1??????? | PENTAX official in your favourite on-line translator there's a lot of useful information there from the guy who wrote the program!
Sorry about the messy-looking link, that's the forum software trying to be clever (and failing!)

[87Duckfan]

I tried this approach, having dug out my old filters, but found using the in-camera "mono with colour filter" effects to be very similar and a lot more convenient to use … the bonuses being I could use the effects with a lens with a large filter thread and no light-loss through the filter

---------- Post added 03-10-21 at 02:52 PM ----------


I'll admit to leaving it on the default "bright", simply because I like the results, but this is one of those areas where sitting down with the Digital Camera Utility and a selection of pictures can be really educational. Open an image, go to "Laboratory" then open the "Custom Image" menu … lo and behold, there's all the in-camera settings available for you to jiggle with
Theoretically one would work with a RAW image rather than a JPG for maximum flexibility, but the software is remarkably capable and well worth spending time with.
BIG HINT : Have the Help File open at the same time. There's no labels (or mouse-overs) on the controls or buttons in the software, so you'll need the Help, at first, to learn what everything does
Once you get a feel for it, you can take the settings directly from the software and apply them in-camera, should you wish - both use the same terminology
Even the guys at Pentax admit that the documentation is a little "wanting", but if you open this Japanese-language page ???????RAW??????????Digital Camera Utility 5 ?1??????? | PENTAX official in your favourite on-line translator there's a lot of useful information there from the guy who wrote the program!
Sorry about the messy-looking link, that's the forum software trying to be clever (and failing!)

Thanks for all this info! Great stuff!

What is the name of the Utility program that came with the camera? Not sure I received it with mine, but assume I can download if for free somewhere?

[kypfer]

Thanks for all this info! Great stuff!

What is the name of the Utility program that came with the camera? Not sure I received it with mine, but assume I can download if for free somewhere?

The program is called "Digital Camera Utility" and is on the "S-SW168" CD supplied with the camera (when new).
Downloads are available, but they're configured as an "update" and need to be "fiddled" to install if you don't have the original software on your computer. I wasn't sure if I'm allowed to post that info here, but apparently it's OK … see https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/32-digital-processing-software-printing/...tallation.html . Get the program from http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/download_digital.html , put it on an SD card or USB-stick labelled S-SW168 and it should install fine