Curves vs Levels

I've always adjusted levels when processing my photos, but I've been toying around with the curves function lately and they seem to come out a lot better than the level adjustments. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm more of a 'trial by error' person rather than a read about it and see what it does. I am curious though, what's the difference between curves and levels and which is typically better to use? Thanks!

I usually use Levels for slight "exposure" changes on JPGs/TIFs, when the RAW isn't available or when the adjustment is so minor that it's not worth going back into the RAW to correct.

I use Curves for contrast adjustments. I think the control you have in curves over the whole general image is much more intuitive and allows you to utilize standard "rules", whereas Levels seems to be, for me, a much more case-by-case basis kind of deal.

I guess, in a sense, I use Levels for "Brightness" and Curves for "Contrast", since I never end up using Brightness/Contrast for anything (they basically remove information, from my understanding).

I end up using levels layers for all of my blending layers, though. I find that the adjustments I can make in levels for these layers ends up giving me more flexibility and more of what I want in my end result, whereas I could probably achieve the same thing with curves... it would just take me longer.

zanyzach37 wrote in post #3588737
I usually use Levels for slight "exposure" changes on JPGs/TIFs, when the RAW isn't available or when the adjustment is so minor that it's not worth going back into the RAW to correct.

I use Curves for contrast adjustments. I think the control you have in curves over the whole general image is much more intuitive and allows you to utilize standard "rules", whereas Levels seems to be, for me, a much more case-by-case basis kind of deal.

I guess, in a sense, I use Levels for "Brightness" and Curves for "Contrast", since I never end up using Brightness/Contrast for anything (they basically remove information, from my understanding).

I end up using levels layers for all of my blending layers, though. I find that the adjustments I can make in levels for these layers ends up giving me more flexibility and more of what I want in my end result, whereas I could probably achieve the same thing with curves... it would just take me longer.

Have a look at one of my previous posts on this very same topic:

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=2742818&po​stcount=10

Levels is a subset of Curves. If you put just three control points on a curve - one at each end and one in the middle - and limit their movements to left, right, up and down, you would have Levels. Since, however, with Curves you can create numerous control points and move them in any direction (or not move some, thus limiting the editing to a certain tonal range) you can create endless curves and have very fine control.

Im just learning about curves as well.
Im finding LR to help with this as when you make adjustments to shadows, hi lights etc you can see the curves changing. I find its a good way to see whats happening and what areas of the curve effect what parts of the image.

I find that using the target adjustment tool under the Tone Curve in LR as the simpliest and most strait forward method of making changes to an image and for getting a nice S curve.

Mike

I just wanted to point out i dont actually use LR on my RAW files. I much prefer to use C1 Pro but i have messed around in LR and like i said, it did teach me a thing or two about curves.