Beginner Lightroom - Difference between Basic tab sliders and Tone Curve

[DeadpanDodo]

I'm getting more and more to grips with LR, but there are some issues I still don't fully understand despite various guides and tutorials.

Is the Tone Curve essentially doing the same as the sliders and histogram controls in the Basic tab, just via a different interface?

I tend to work down each tab from top to bottom, and the oft recommended gentle S shape on the Tone Curve tab does give bit of extra impact, but I'm sure it isn't really doing anything that I couldn't have done with the tone and contrast sliders in the Basic tab. Am I correct in this or am I totally missing the point?

Thanks.

 

[droj]

I assume that the contrast slider gives a symetrical 's' curve result, whereas the tone curve can be manipulated in a way that targets areas of the tonal range more specifically.

 

[Deleted member 49549]

I think..
The tone curve is not an 'intelligent' adjustment. If you increase highlights in the basic slider and enable highlight clipping, you will see that there is less highlight clipping than increasing the highlights in the tone curve.

Historically, the tone curve was the place you went to for accurate contrast, highlight and shadow control, but personally, having learned the sliders in the basic panel, and see how much they have improved over the various lightroom versions, I find the speed and quality of output better than the tone curve.

 

[DeadpanDodo]

Thanks for the replies.

Rapscallion - I think what you say confirms my own thinking. I too prefer using the sliders in the Basic tab and using either the "clipping indicators" on the histogram or the "clipping mask" to avoid overblown highlights or losing detail in shadows and blacks.

Subsequently using the Tone Curve to add extra punch or contrast I think risks over processing an image. No matter what processing you have done in the Basic Tab, the initial Tone Curve starts as a straight diagonal line and this seems to almost encourage extra tweaking / tinkering. It is is just that you see many posts where people suggest "tweaking the curve" a bit which makes me think that the Tone Curve is the preferred way to adjust for tone, exposure, contrast, etc.

Still very interested in other peoples views.

Thanks.

 

[droj]

On most images (from RAW) I normally use the adjustment sliders only, as required. However when I want to adjust the tonal relationship (increase contrast, say) in a particular sector of the tonal range rather than the range overall, then I'll play with the tone curve ...