[Leica] R800 ramblings

[daniel.ridings at edd.uio.no (Daniel Ridings)]

I hate to just echo what we've all heard about digital printing ... but
you'll not find me in the darkroom again (processing film, yes, but not
printing). I'm paying my son to do the contact sheets.

I'm impressed. I can't print this well myself, so why would I bother with
the darkroom anymore?

I picked up an Epson R800 last week. Almost picked up the 2200 (2100 over
here), but decided against it. I'm pretty sure Epson will come out with an
A3 with the technology from the R800 before too much longer, so I'll wait
for that and let someone else print things bigger than A4 in the meantime.

If I use Ilford's paper (and their profiles) I get prints that look like
they are sligthly toned. Very slightly. You could almost say they were
printed on "warm" paper. I like it, but I'd like to know how to tweak out
a neutral print too. I'd be happy to hear of other experiences.

If I print on matt paper ... perfect neutral print (using Epson's own
profiles for their matt paper).

I'm a die-hard. I'll keep taking film but I expect that I'll take more
color now too, and then it will be digital. It's bargain days for us film
hold-outs. I picked up a Nikon LS-5000 scanner (their top of the line for
35 mm) at a 50% discount.

I've actually hated going into the darkroom. I don't mind the work at all,
but I don't feel I have hours to lock myself away from family and friends.
For me darkroom work always took hours. I won't miss that part at all.

Even the scans of Rollei negatives (with an Epson flatbed) look just
great.

This feels like a new page. I simply love to pull out a print so easily
instead of waiting until I can muster up the will to go into the darkroom.

Daniel