[Leica] Re: Leica answer

[luisripoll at telefonica.net (Luis Ripoll)]

Thanks Henning for your detailed response,I'm used to be to see the
classical Baryta quality, and this one is of course different of the digital
prints that they can be very good too, maybe is simply a question of
preferences and practical sense on the life, I've spend hours on the
darkroom, and it is much more comfortable work with a computer and a good
printer. IMO, color reach a great digital quality in digital, my point of
vue is principally on B&W. The advantatges of digital are clear, one camera,
no film, and you can do everything at a lower cost..., this is just the big
argument, I perfectly understand the decision of the professional
photographers to work with digital. On my case I ask my self...., honestly
waht I prefer, take pictures or use the lovely classical cameras?..., today
morning I've do a little walk around my home with my Rolleiflex and my MP
with the Elmar-M 2,8/50, and I really enjoy to use these tools..., I think
more than an M8, that is great, OK! But with the only purpose to take
pictures. I hope you understand what I mind or I intend to explain.

Saludos cordiales
Luis

 

-----Mensaje original-----
De: lug-bounces+luisripoll=telefonica.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+luisripoll=telefonica.net@leica-users.org] En nombre de
Henning Wulff
Enviado el: s?bado, 01 de septiembre de 2007 1:56
Para: Leica Users Group
Asunto: RE: [Leica] Re: Leica answer

At 1:23 AM +0200 9/1/07, Luis Ripoll wrote:
>Henning,
>
>I find very interesting your comments, just one of my questions is if I 
>had an M8, should I continue using my film cameras?, (I think yes). The 
>other point, about quality, for me we should differenciate colour and 
>B&W, and when we talk about B&W, it should be compared with a darkromm 
>print and not with other digital cameras, on this case I continue 
>asking me, even the digital quality (B&W) has been improved, if is 
>better or not than a Baryta print.
>
>Saludos cordiales
>Luis
>

Hi Luis,

My quick answer would be: for B&W, the digital M8 and film M prints are
different, rather than one being 'better' than the other while in colour I
would say that the M8 prints are almost always 'better'.

I'm not giving up on 35mm B&W film. It's easy for me to do, I'm very
comfortable with it and I like the look of it. If I want to shoot in low
light, I'd use the M8 as it really makes things so much easier. 
The quick review of tricky lighting situations makes me a lot more confident
about the shots I'm taking, and even though the M8 has noisier high ISO
images than a Canon 5D, it still puts film to shame. 
So no more Neopan 1600, or heaven forbid, Tmax 3200.

I still have a bunch of HP5+ that I'll shoot, but that will also probably
not be replaced. That leaves basically Delta 100, which I shoot at 160 to
200 and Acros, which I shoot at 100 or even slightly less. Those two have
looks that I can't really duplicate in digital, and they show enough detail
to be competitive or better with digital.

I love slides, but Kodachrome is history and the other stuff just doesn't
grab me the same way. Making prints from slides, even with scanning, is a
lot of work, and as I mentioned doesn't become competitive with digital
until you have a really well exposed slide scanned on a high end scanner,
which is a lot of money. And it still leaves you with a distinct dynamic
range deficit compared to digital. 
That leaves colour negative. Yes, it does have more dynamic range than
digital, but in general not more useable range, and things like crossover
problems come up which can be hard to fix even in Photoshop, and the
resolution is really not that good compared to the M8. Also, the colour
films are expensive. So I only buy and use colour film in larger formats, or
odd pieces like the Roundshot.

So for 35mm, there is no compelling reason to shoot colour film except if
you want to produce a slide show, and that is something I now might like to
do for myself but nobody will pay me to do it. The cost is also prohibitive
now, and I need my photo dollars to keep upgrading my digital gear. :-) I am
waiting though for a good high quality and affordable digital projector!

-- 
    *            Henning J. Wulff
   /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
  /###\   mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com
  |[ ]|     http://www.archiphoto.com

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