What is the difference between using colored filters and converting color photos to black and white programmatically?

Question

Does it make sense to use filters for black and white photography, as opposed to using software to convert photos? As I understand it, photos that have been made in a natural way (using filters) are more highly regarded than ones converted in software? What can I do by using filters, and what can I not do by using a software converter?

Asked by garik

Answer

Photos made "in the natural way" may be more highly regarded by some, but that alone is no reason to go out and buy a set of filters. There some genuine advantages to working this way, however.

For example filtering the light before it enters the camera can prevent overexposure (and hence loss of detail) of one ore more colour channels. This can be important if a scene is dominated by one colour of light that you want to filter out, you could do it in post but to gain the correct exposure for the other channels you might end up massively overexposing one channel which can result in flare, loss of contrast, or sensor bloom.

Answered by Matt Grum

Check more discussion of this question.