CS Negative+ Convert Tools v1.2

with SpectraCOLOR™ for Adobe CC

From CineStill

Features

Product Details

Version 1.2 now available!

We’ve already made some major updates based on valuable user feedback, including new Color Models and Tools optimized for basic white light sources like video lights and light boxes/panels.

Converting your negatives doesn’t need to be complicated or time consuming. Our CS Negative+ Convert Tools are designed to make film conversion easy, accurate, and enjoyable. Inspired and informed by the characteristic spectral sensitometric curves of traditional RA-4 darkroom prints and motion picture cinema projection prints. Built utilizing our SpectraCOLOR™ technology, developed over years of research to help improve digital camera scanning. These tools are designed to match the unique spectral dye-density curves of color negative print films to the RAW digital photography workflow, preserving the natural beauty of film as originally intended.  

These FREE negative conversion tools live and work in the presets panel of Adobe Camera Raw in Bridge or Photoshop and in all current versions of Lightroom – including Lr Mobile (which is FREE to use with cloud shared photos, or imported raster bitmap/JPEG/TIFF/HEIF and DNG/ProRAW files) – allowing for quick, integrated and non-destructive access to multiple color models and intuitive tools, while completely preserving native editing controls as well as all original RAW file data. This allows images to be easily shared or opened again in any Adobe CC applications at any time for further editing.

Please also consider selecting an option from the “Download” drop-down to make a contribution to help fund continued R&D and support for these tools as well as developing (pun intended) new technology to make digitizing your film easier and better!

Includes:

The CS Negative+ Convert (START) presets group offers all of the Color Models to choose from which convert the negatives to positives and set the -+ Tools to their best starting points.

• The “PRINT” Color Models are optimized for working with a “COOL” (9000ºK+) light source – like a SpectraCOLOR light source, the CS-Lite on the “COOL” light mode, or any white light source paired with our CS-LiteBrite+ and the included Color Negative Calibration Sheet – to match traditional RA4 and cinema projection prints. The “PRINT” models allow for the better use of native “Edit” adjustment tools in Adobe CC resulting in higher fidelity and increased color accuracy with color negative print film.
• The “SCAN” Color Models may allow for easier conversion of color negatives scanned using cooler (6000-9000ºK) white light sources, and are designed to emulate commercial lab film scanners (which emulate traditional darkroom prints). These color models have many of the “-+ TOOLS” already applied to some extent to help reduce the orange mask in color print film and compensate for color crosstalk caused from high-CRI LEDs.
• The “CONVERT” Color Models are optimized for warmer (below 6000ºK) white light sources – like basic light boxes/panels and video lights – and also help to reduce color casts in highlights and shadows, caused from poor quality light or oddball/expired/poorly exposed films. These color models have even more of the “-+ TOOLS” already applied including COLOR “Filters” and have a more subdued color pallet, reminiscent of Noritsu, Pakon or home film scanners.

The CS Negative+ Tools (PROCESS) presets group offers more fine adjustments of the color model chosen for your negative conversions, many of which have been already applied to some extent in the CS Negative+ Convert (START) color models.

The CS Negative+ “BASIC” Convert Tools presets group is a combination of the SCAN and CONVERT Color Models and Tools from the above preset groups for a quicker workflow or those just getting started.

The CS Negative+ “LITE” Convert Tools presets group is a refined and more robust combination of 3 Standard Color Models and Tools for a simple workflow with a little more control.

Sample DNG raw files and exported JPGs to practice with.

Four LUTs which can be used with a compatible monitor or software to allow for live previews for “PRINT”, “SCAN”, “CONVERT” and “SILVER” color models.

Rich Text Format instructions with descriptions of all tools. 

A download link will be provided to your email at checkout.

Installation:

For Adobe Camera Raw in Bridge (Br) or Photoshop (Ps), Lightroom (Lr), Lightroom Classic (LrC), and Lr Mobile (FREE with standard bitmap JPEG/TIFF/HEIF or DNG/ProRAW files) :
Open any raw photo and go to the “Presets” (two circles overlapping) panel (this is where the -+ CS Negative+ Convert Tools will live), click on the ellipses “…” and then click “Import Presets.” Select the .ZIP file (located in the folder you downloaded) starting with “-+” and import.

Alternatively…

For Lightroom Desktop (Lr) or Lightroom Classic (LrC):
Simply go to File and select “Import Profiles & Presets.” Select the .ZIP file (located in the unzipped folder you downloaded) starting with “-+” and import. Now you can locate your RAW files you wish to convert in Lr or in Br. These tools will live in the “Presets” (two circles overlapping) panel in all Adobe software.

To use:

1. Select your image(s) and go to the “Presets” panel tab (two circles overlapping in Lr, Lr Mobile & Camera Raw in Br and Ps). In Br, select your RAW files and choose “Open in Camera Raw”. Open any RAW files in Ps and they will open directly in Adobe Camera Raw.

2. Convert: Choose your preferred “-+ Convert” Color Model START point from the options beginning with “-+”. You can reset the Color Model at anytime by selecting one again.

You can also favorite (*) any Color Model to be able to easily access its develop settings directly in Br, or the Favorites group in Lr.

The “PRINT”, “SCAN” & “CONVERT” color models each have their own unique looks and simple workflows:

• The “PRINT” Color Models emulate the true colors and process of a darkroom paper or cinema film projection prints and are best if you want to preserve maximum fidelity using the native “Edit” tools. This model performs best with a COOL light source (9000K+), like the CS-Lite on the “COOL” light mode, or with a white light source with our CS-LiteBrite+ and the included Color Negative+ Calibration Sheet, which helps reduce the orange mask to get a neutral start point.
• The “SCAN” Color Models allow for cooler (6000-9000ºK) white light sources and emulate the results from film lab scanners.
• The “CONVERT” Color Model is designed to help reduce color casts caused by warmer (below 6000ºK) white light sources, oddball/expired film, overexposure, or poor processing and emulates film scanners.
• “LOG” gives a flat invert start point for cross processed slides and “odd” or “difficult” negatives, especially high contrast films like Phoenix. This Color Model requires that more of the “TOOLS” below be applied manually instead of having them already applied like the other Convert start points. More of a raw option due to more manual edits.
• “SILVER” is for black and white conversions of color or black and white negatives. The ”TOOLS” below can be used to adjust exposure, contrast and tones, but the color dependent “TOOLS” should not be used.

3. Density Check: After selecting your “Convert” Color Model, you may need to EDIT the native “Exposure” setting (which will adjust the brightness of your light source to a usable density) if the image appears too dark or too light. (Exposure and WB should always be set after choosing your color model.)

4. Next, set your initial WB and adjust the Color Temp, Tint and Exposure to taste. There are two basic methods for setting your initial white balance after selecting your START point:

With WB on “PRINT” color models:

• Initial white balance may be set by using the White Balance eyedropper (”W” or “I” keyboard shortcut) on a neutral mid-tone and then balanced further using the Basic (Light and Color) “Temperature,” “Tint,” and “Exposure” sliders in the native Develop/Edit Panel. The image can then be fine tuned to taste by using the native develop tools and/or by continuing to the “-+ CS Negative+ Tools” (Basic -+ & Color -+) in the Presets panel to fine tune (PROCESS) the color model. 

*Note: If your image is still too cool after setting WB, try increasing the “COLOR -+ 85/Warming Filter” TOOL to warm up the image and consider purchasing our “CS-LiteBrite+” with the Color Negative+ Calibration Sheet.

With WB on “SCAN” & “CONVERT” color models:

• The quick and easy way is to set your WB within the SCAN color models is by going directly down to the “-+ CS Negative+ Tools”, selecting “BASIC -+ Auto WB Adjust” and using the slider for a rough WB start point. Your color model can then be fine adjusted as needed using the “BASIC -+ Fine Adjust…” tools below.

• Alternatively, if you wish to more easily switch between SCAN color models without resetting your color balance, WB may be selected in the native Develop/Edit Panel by either choosing “White balance: Auto” or using the White Balance eyedropper tool (”W” or “I” keyboard shortcut) on a dark shadow point. WB and exposure can then be fine tuned to taste by using either the Basic (Light and Color) sliders in the native Develop/Edit Panel and, if additional fine adjustments are needed, continuing to the “-+ CS Negative+ Tools” and using the “Basic -+ & Color -+” tools in the Presets panel.

*Note: If your image is too warm after setting WB try reducing the “COLOR -+ 85/Warming Filter” TOOL (this is turned on by default with the “SCAN” models) or switch to a “PRINT” color model.

A more “advanced” or “controlled” workflow for the “SCAN” color models:

• After setting a general WB using either method above, the “Exposure” and “Contrast” sliders in the native Develop/Edit Panel behave a bit differently in these color models so that “Exposure” can be used to set your shadow point and “Contrast” to set your highlight point, similar to Levels in Photoshop. With this approach, the “BASIC – Neutral Density Fine Adjust” -+ TOOL can be used to set your mid-tone point without clipping any highlights or shadows. This may be a preferable workflow for some.

5. Final Review: At this point, you may be done but, if not, now is a good time to review and confirm which “SCAN” or “PRINT” color model you prefer to work with from the ”-+ CS Negative+ Convert” group or proceed to the rest of the “-+ CS Negative+ Tools” in the group below to fine adjust your color model. Also, feel free to use any of the native Adobe Raw “Profiles” in the Develop/Edit Panel to match the color profile of your choice. “Adobe Color” and “Adobe Portrait” are quite nice for certain images.

For batch editing you can always "Sync" adjustments across many photos to match a scene or lift your customized -+ color model edits by Copy and Pasting the Develop/Edit Settings from any photo. Just be sure to copy ALL settings including "Masking" (Exposure, WB and Crop are optional) and select “Replace” if prompted. Always check the exposure and WB for each image after batch editing. You can then continue to tweak each image as needed using the -+ TOOLS or settings native to Lr and Camera Raw.

-+ TOOLS Notes:

• A description of each -+ Tool is available in Adobe Camera Raw for Br or Ps by right clicking it and selecting “Preset Info.”
• You will notice that with most negatives, the native “Exposure“ Lr tool effects the red bias of the image a little (this is normal with the color curve of negative film) but the “BASIC – Neutral Density Fine Adjust” -+ TOOL, color remains neutral when adjusted.
• The “Basic -+” Temp and Tint Fine Adjust -+ Tools are just more fine tuned and inverted correctly.
• If desired, you can now continue to customize your conversion with the rest of the “-+ Tools” provided to make more custom fine-tune edits (or if you prefer the native tools in Lr) as you see fit. These “-+ Tools” can be especially helpful with underexposed, extremely overexposed, pushed and expired film.