Setting levels first is a good practice. This helps define the color points you want to hit. It also is good for your eye to view because your eye is more sensitive to luma than it is to chroma. This is also why you should always check masks in black and white rather than in color during composites, secondary correction, keys, etc.

I am unable to read the article you point to.

However, my preferred method, especially with 8-bit (read low quality) data (which Vegas uses exclusively), is to do EVERYTHING with ONE curves. Now this is not always possible, and rarely easy, especially if you are new to curves. But anything that you can do with Level can easily be done with curves.

The fewer filters you apply the less posterization or other artifacts you will encounter due to the limited range, and rounding involved with 8 bit data.

Saturation adjustments may be better made (or much more easily) using a separate filter.

But, as BillyBoy said, definitely nail the exposure first, color second. Color printing 101 for we photographers.

BB & Spopt . .Thank you! . . . DO LEVELS first .. . I'm gonna nail this slogan above my bed . .better still above my Edit Screens . . What an amazing difference! ! ! ! DON'T touch that brightness or contrast . . so obvious when you think about it AND what Spot said about one's own eyes . . .yes . .

THIS is most likely why my DVDs were "washed" out .. . why I've been giving myself such "uphill" . .. . Yes I do use an external option to monitor . .not quite the pro monitor Spot would like me to have .. . put for the present it'll do . . .this job I'm doing may just provide a bit more surplau for a Sony or equiv monitor . .. Yes Spot, I promise I will get one . . ! ! ! !

. .. I've got a supplemental question .. . I'll start a new thread . .

Grazie

So should i desaturate (make them B&W) the image first to get the levels right?