Levels vs. Curves in Photoshop

richtersl

Can someone please explain to me when one should use curves over levels or vice-versa? Or direct me to a thread where this is discussed? I tried a search and could not find one where that was discussed. :dunno

Just curious! :scratch

DavidTO

You should always use curves, IMO. Levels is just curves dumbed down. You could start with our Pop Tutorial, also check out our Curves and Layer Masks tute. Heck, all of our tutes are worth checking out!

richtersl

DavidTO wrote:

You should always use curves, IMO. Levels is just curves dumbed down. You could start with our Pop Tutorial, also check out our Curves and Layer Masks tute. Heck, all of our tutes are worth checking out!

Thanks, David! I've seen both tutorials and now that I have PS, it'll behoove me to review them again.

It seems odd that PS keeps Levels around instead of ditching it in favor of Curves.

Duffy Pratt

The midpoint adjustment on Levels is not exactly the same as moving a midpoint in Curves. There are some people who are very good who still use levels for some things. When I'm making a mask and want to bump contrast, I might pick levels or curves. And in that situation, levels might be faster.

PS typically keeps old tools in place, even when there are new ones that supplant them. There are 5 sharpen filters, for example -- and USM makes at least 3 of them redundant. And there is still the contrast adjustment, which makes levels seem like a genius of sophistication by comparison.

Duffy

colourbox

In CS2 I still use a Levels adjustment layer for endpoint setting because it has a clipping display option and a histogram. Then I add a Curves adjustment layer for the fine tuning.

But in CS3, the Curves dialog now includes both, meaning that in CS3 I will probably never see the inside of the Levels dialog again.

wxwax

colourbox wrote:

In CS2 I still use a Levels adjustment layer for endpoint setting because it has a clipping display option and a histogram. Then I add a Curves adjustment layer for the fine tuning.

Roger that, it's a first step recommended by many, no?

Duffy Pratt

wxwax wrote:

Roger that, it's a first step recommended by many, no?

Yes. But there are lots of things recommended by many that are less than optimal. Levels will work on many images, and it can be faster than curves. But there are images where you need to do better than levels can give you. Lets say in RGB that you set the endpoints at (10,10,10) and (245.245.245). With a curve, that gives you some leeway in each of the channels about how to get to those endpoints, which will in turn change the contrast. This flexibility can be very important in many images, and you lose it when you use levels.

Duffy

claudermilk

I look at it this way: levels is a sledgehammer, curves is a scalpel. If a sledgehammer will get the job done, then use levels; otherwise curves is where it's at. Usually I find a scalpel is the more appropriate tool working on images.