Can Lightroom invert DSLR-copied film negatives, including color negatives?
Asked 7/18/2013
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I’m copying film negatives with a digital camera and would like to convert the RAW files in Lightroom. Is there a way to invert a negative directly in Lightroom, or do I need Photoshop or other software? I’m especially interested in color negatives, where simple inversion leaves a strong color cast from the film base.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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If you are using Lightroom 4 or greater, you have access to full RGB curves. These are fully featured curves, just like you might find in Photoshop, so you should be able to apply an inverse color negative reversing curve to the RGB curves, then switch back to the standard tone curve and have the ability to edit your inverted negative with your standard Lightroom technique.
I've provided some more detailed information about using curves to correct a color negative in this answer: Does a filter exist to color-correct color negatives when copying them with a DSLR?
Originally by user124. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user124
13y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—Lightroom can invert DSLR-copied negatives using the Tone Curve, so Photoshop isn’t strictly required.
In Lightroom 4 or later, go to Tone Curve, switch the Point Curve to Custom, then swap the endpoints of the curve: drag the lower-left point to the top-left and the upper-right point to the bottom-right. That inverts a black-and-white negative and gives a rough inversion for color negatives.
For color negative film, simple inversion is not enough because of the orange film base. Lightroom 4+ includes separate RGB curves, so you can use the individual red, green, and blue channels to build an inversion/correction curve for the negative, then continue editing normally. You can also refine the result with white balance.
So: Lightroom can do it, especially for B&W; for color negatives it’s possible but requires additional channel-curve correction to compensate for the orange mask.
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AI13y ago
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