[Leica] Digital musings

[drodgers@nextlink.com]

Mike

>>I have been using the new Kodak Portra 800 to good effect over the last
few weeks. Holds a highlight in bright sun better than the Fuji 800 and
scans a treat on a Coolscan III.<<

I've had had very good luck with 160 and 400 Portra films. The negs seem to
scan remarkably well. I hardly ever have to adjust colors in the scanned
images. I didn't know that 800 was available.

Since I've been scanning (bought an LS-30 last fall) I've been shooting
much more neg film. It's been quite a while since I've gone through a brick
of E100. Part of the reason is cost. I can get neg film processed for $1.50
per roll at a very good lab with 1 hour turn around. I can hook my laptop
up to my Sony 36 inch Vega Trinitron TV and imitate a slide show with
Vueprint software. It certainly doesn't have the same ambiance as a slide
show, but it's more convenient than setting up the Ektagraphic.

Convenience is important. Sometimes I'll look at a series of photographs a
dozen or more times over a week's period. I like to get over my initial
reaction which may over emphasize technical aspects which have little to do
with the overall value of an image. It's interesting how my feelings
regarding certain images change with time. Slides may never make it off the
light board. Or I may project them once and store them away. Further, is it
possible we'll see more "digital magazines" in the future?

Right now there are lots of good reasons for using slide film. And it's
probably a neccessity for stock photography.But photography is for me a
hobby and shall remain that way. I made a good living at it years ago but I
burned out and didn't touch a camera for 6 years. I don't want to go back
there. I sell enough work (all digitally processed) to cover my expenses,
and that's all.

I like the Portra films, and I use them quite a bit. But recently I've been
shooting Gold 200. I get it for under $2 a roll, and it's very good film.
It, too, seems to scan well, though I find myself having to adjusting
colors more often. For a while Kodak was offering rebates that made it less
than $1 per roll.

Though my heart is really in b/w I'm finding that I'm scanning color neg
film and changing to greyscale for digital processing. I feel a bit
handcuffed, though, when I get an image I really like because darkroom
printing isn't an option.

I've seen some very nice output from some of the new printers with archival
b/w inks. Times certainly are changing. I still like working in my
darkroom, though. I don't see it as "digital" OR "conventional". I like
both, depending on the situation.

I'd like to hear "if" and "how" other Leica users have incorporated digital
processing, and if things (materials they use) have changed a little or a
lot.

Dave