Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/05/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Phong Don't go for colour under these circumstances - go for Kodak Portra 400 and then scan as colour, do all your normal work on them and then print them either as colour or convert to greyscale depending on your printer. My Canon is fine as colour but my Epson liked greyscale better. Gerry Phong wrote: > Gerry and others who work with B&W regularly, > > This question is very timely for me, as I have a portrait project > in mind that I'd like to do in B&W. > > What do you lose in the quality of the prints if you shoot in color > then convert to B&W in post-processing ? I have not done much in > B&W except for when I first learned photography years ago, > or the occasional roll of TMAX. I expect to scan the film, > post-process digitally (Photoshop). Final products should be > prints mounted on walls (from 11x14 inches, and up). > > - Phong > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gerry Walden" <gwpics@aol.com> > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> > Sent: Friday, May 30, 2003 3:44 AM > Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica] Re: Slightly OT: C-41 b&w films > > > > Interesting that you go back to silver for higher speed films. I have > > gone totally C41 and although I shoot 400CN for 400iso I now use colour > > C41 if I want higher speed and convert greyscale with no problems. I > > would use colour for everything, and then convert, but for some unknown > > reason I just can't get my head around having colour in the camera and > > 'seeing' in b&w - for the higher speeds I just have to! > > > > Gerry > > > > Peter Klein wrote: > > > > > To add my two cents to what others have said: > > > > > > I tried XP2, didn't like it. Grainy. Muddy shadows and high > contrast > at > > > 400. In fact, doesn't seem to really be a 400 film. Haven't used it > > > since. > > > > > > I love T400CN. Here's what I love most about it: > > > > > > - Almost grainless. ISO 100 quality in an ISO 400 film. > > > > > > - Scans beautifully, even at 2700 dpi. ISO 400 silver film has > grain > > > aliasing problems at 2700 dpi, it's smoother at 4000 dpi. > > > > > > - A great tonal range. You can capture the whole range in a "flat" > scan > > > and then tweak the curve to get really fine, smoothly-graded inkjet > > > prints. > > > > > > - Doesn't block up highlights with moderate overexposure. > > > > > > - You can shoot it outdoors at ISO 200 or 250 and get detail in > > > everything > > > from the not-quite blackest shadows to bright highlights. > > > > > > - Infrared dust and scratch removal (ICE, FARE) works with it, > unlike > > > silver film. > > > > > > - I don't have to develop it myself, just take it to any reliable > C41 > > > lab. They run off 4x6 prints instead of squinty contact sheets. > > > > > > Here's what I *don't* like about T400CN: > > > > > > - It isn't the world's best available light film. When you have > deep > > > shadows, you need to shoot it at 200 to have a prayer of getting > shadow > > > detail, otherwise they are grainy mud. Or to put it another way, > you > > > will > > > get detail several stops above your exposure, but anything more than > one > > > stop under is going to look lousy. Tri-X is much better here. > > > > > > - It's lower contrast than silver film. On dull days, things > look even > > > duller than they are, and you have to work harder in the image > editor > to > > > compensate. > > > > > > - If you even *look* at it harshly, it scratches. > > > > > > - Silver chauvanists have me filled with existential doubt that one > day, > > > the images will just fade away. > > > > > > Here's T400CN in bright desert light, shot at ISO 250: > > > http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/california2003/JoshTree35.htm > > > > > > And here's one in a concert hall with so-so lighting: > > > http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/currentpics/quartet.htm > > > > > > In the latter picture, the original scan has more detail in the > > > background > > > wood paneling and better separation between the performer's > jacket and > > > the > > > piano. But bringing out that detail brought out speckly mud, so I > > > "printed > > > it down." > > > > > > I once tried Portra 400 and got similar results to T400CN. The > latter > > > has > > > become a universal B&W film for me. But when I know I'm going to do > > > hard-core available darkness, it's back to silver. Neopan 1600, > > > Neopan 400 > > > or good ol' Tri-X. With Xtol, the ISO 400 silver films are not > *that* > > > grainy, especially when scanned at 4000 dpi. Grain is just a silver > > > molecule's way of letting you know it's working hard for you. > > > > > > --Peter Klein > > > Seattle. > > > > > > -- > > > To unsubscribe, see > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > > > > > > -- > > Gerry Walden LRPS > > www.gwpics.com > > +44 23 8046 3076 > > > > -- > > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- Gerry Walden LRPS www.gwpics.com +44 23 8046 3076 - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html