Digital BW, The Print

Martin Wesley wrote:

>
>
> Truman,
>
> None of the modern films has a shoulder to speak of and density is 
> linear to
> exposure. However there are other limiting factors and experience tells me
> that the thinnest possible negative that retains all the desired detail
> yields the better print. There is latitude but I think that this may still
> hold for digital as well and is a function of the chemical nature of film.
> The toe does remain though but I wonder if PS doesn't give us a way to
> straighten out a good portion of it.

PS will allow you to strighten out the toe if the scanner has enough 
levels so the quantization effects don't become an issue. I think all in 
all the minimal exposure for the details and develop to expand into the 
highlights into the full dynamic range of the film is still the best - 
wet or digital. After all the zone system just wraps numbers and 
procedure around this simple concept.

Truman