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Can someone explain the FCE "Levels" Video Filter to me?

Hi,

I need help with the FCE "Levels" Video Filter - I cannot find any documentation anywhere which explains precisely what this filter does and how to use it properly (Googling 'levels "input tolerance" "final cut express"' yields no results!!).

There are five sliders (Input, Input Tolerance, Gamma, Output and Output Tolerance) but playing with them, it's not obvious what they do or how they compare with the Photoshop "Levels" filter for still images.

In particular, I would like to map settings on a Photoshop "Levels" filter to settings on an FCE "Levels" Filter to achieve the exact same results in terms of adjusting the underlying images.

If this can't be done exactly, does anyone know of an FCE Filter which replicates the Photoshop Levels Filter.

Can anyone help? Thanks.

G5 Desktop PPC 1.6 GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jan 14, 2011 4:22 PM

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Posted on Jan 14, 2011 6:44 PM

It's not a very useful filter, and is not directly comparable to the Photoshop Levels filter. There is no histogram, which I consider essential.

Input & Input Tolerance lighten the image (they work together)
Gamma adjusts midtones
Output & Output Tolerance darken the image (they work together)

Problem is, you have to drop the sliders off their default settings to get them to work at all. Start by dropping the Input and/or Output sliders to 20. Then adjust the companion Tolerance sliders down to see the effect.

I think you'll have more luck with the Color Corrector filter, which has sliders for Whites, Mids, Blacks & Saturation. Among other things, you will find the numeric levels sliders more comparable to the PS Levels controls.
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Question marked as Best reply

Jan 14, 2011 6:44 PM in response to Brendan Jones

It's not a very useful filter, and is not directly comparable to the Photoshop Levels filter. There is no histogram, which I consider essential.

Input & Input Tolerance lighten the image (they work together)
Gamma adjusts midtones
Output & Output Tolerance darken the image (they work together)

Problem is, you have to drop the sliders off their default settings to get them to work at all. Start by dropping the Input and/or Output sliders to 20. Then adjust the companion Tolerance sliders down to see the effect.

I think you'll have more luck with the Color Corrector filter, which has sliders for Whites, Mids, Blacks & Saturation. Among other things, you will find the numeric levels sliders more comparable to the PS Levels controls.

Can someone explain the FCE "Levels" Video Filter to me?

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