Re: [Leica] A Number One reason why NOT to switch to digital

["Dizel" <webmaster@fucha.pl>]

Hello, Austin :)

> > Tonal capacity of digital cameras is limited, compared to, say, Tri-X..
> 
> What do you base your claim on?  And, what, specifically, do you mean by
> "tonal capacity", overall tonal range, or the number of discernable tones?

Uhm.. It is a direct translation of Polish term, as I don't know English word
for it. This is a maximum brightness difference between brightest and darkest
spot of photographed scene, which emulsion (or CCD) can record.

Please look at Erwin Puts experimental results here:
http://www.imx.nl/photosite/technical/BWinfo/BW-1.html

According to them, a APX 100 in FX 39 1+9 can record scene with 8 EV contrast.
Plus-X in stock D76, Rodinal 1+100, FX39 1+9 can record 7 EV. Same Delta 100
in Rodinal 1+100, etc. And this is a base contrast capacity, please note 
that using Zone System techniques (overexposing and proper underdeveloping,
two-solution and water bath development you can extend this range at least
1-2 stops more. What is a digital camera performance here?

I don't remember the source, but as far, as I remember, EOS D-60 can record
about 6-7 f/stops contrast range. If someone have more exact data - I will 
be very grateful for sharing them with me.

I have a friend with D-30, working for Polish Press Agency,. and I was comparing
my Tri-X + Rodinal 1+75 photos with his shots of the same scene. Clearly Tri-X
gave noticeably more shadow detail than D-30 - but then after scanning on a 
Nikon LS-4000 images were more similar. It seems that major problem with
silver film is lack of good scanners :)


PS
I know and understand that digital is approaching the quality of 35mm and
will be preferred by many. New Canon camera someone wrote here about is a 
major step forward - it is nearly as good as 35mm one:

There are some good lenses, which can give a image so detailed that it can't 
be recorded on a 4000 dpi scanner (a good example is very underrated
Ricoh Rikenon-P 1.4/50). But let's settle for 4000 dpi as a maximum image
resolution 35mm can give. We then will have a 4000x6000 pixels scan from
35mm image. This means that to show this image we need 24 Mpx.
New, 11Mpx Canon camera is then definitely breathing into 35mm back.

But I simply cannot cope with computers everywhere - I am working as a 
webmaster and systems admin and simply don't trust in computerized
miracles. I don't like automation and plastic ^_^
Instead, I love the simple mechanical tools - like Leicas, old motorcycles - 
like mine, a '77 vertical twin - and want to be free :) To have the freedom
of going anywhere I want to, use camera without fear of water, power outage,
baterry availability.. I can judge exposure looking at light - using 
a slightly modified Sunny 16 rule (at our latitudes it is rather a Sunny 11
rule :), I can develop my film when I want to, enlarge to whatever size 
I want (and I prefer 30x40 or 40x50 cm - this is 11x14 and 16x20 in inches)
without resorting to buying a large format printer, make slides on Provia
and then take old, dusty Pradovit 1f from friend and cast them on wall,
view my photos anytime without fear of HDD crash or CD-ROMs which mysteriously
stopped working..

Yes, I know you can do everything I wrotre above with digital camera.
Digitalo just don't fit into my way of photographing and don't fit
into a space between me and person I am photographing. They are too slow - 
D-60 has three second delay between power-on and taking a first photo,
also is damn bulky and frightening in streetphoto or candid. In contrary - 
I can took my LIKE :) from a pocket, shoot in nearly the same moment
(f/11, lens set at 3 meters), and then smile to pretty young lady,
which just noticed what I did ^_^

Yes, it seems I am making up reasons why not to go digital way.
I will think about starting a 'machine destroyers' movement, like 
this in England centuries ago :))

Best light for you
- --  
                                St.
               (XS360 Diesel - Sampo Lappelil, BadMC)
                   http://www.familyofman2.com
       GH !d a- C--- E---- W+++ N+++ PS+++ !tv b+++ D++ e++ h* r%

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html