Digital BW, The Print

Martin,

Thanks for your comments.  I tried it last evening.  I think you are
correct...Spectrocam doesn't read the low values accurately or consistently.

Mr. Tucker's comments regarding taking pictures rather than being so
techno-anal were well expressed and appreciated.  I am more than enough in
the ball park with respect to the curves I have made and the "out of the
box" ones from Paul Roark...I have finally settled on a paper, and now it is
time to get to work!!!

After a while, all this "what is blacker" and "what paper is sharper"
becomes very subjective.  IMHO, photography is more about the image than the
process...at least for me.

Best...Craig 
-----------------------------------------------------
http://www.craigsterling.com  "Photography with a Sense of Place"


> From: "Martin Wesley" <mwesley250@...>
> Reply-To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2002 00:43:23 -0700
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] My Spectrocam as a Densitometer
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Craig J. Sterling" <craig@...>
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2002 2:56 PM
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] My Spectrocam as a Densitometer
> 
> 
>> Greetings,
>> 
>> I have checked the Archives, but cannot find an answer.
>> 
>> I have a Spectrocam Photospectrometer that I use in conjunction with
>> ProFiler Pro software for generating colorsync profiles when printing from
>> my 7000.  I have just discovered how to measure densities using the
>> Spectrocam...WOW!
>> 
>> While I can read the densities of my gray scale step wedge printouts,
> these
>> numbers are sensless without a reference.  Any suggestions on how I can
> come
>> up with a set of "base-line" numbers or values for each of the steps on a
> 21
>> step grayscale?
>> 
>> Appreciate any advice you folks might have...Craig
> 
> Craig,
> 
> I am not sure what you are looking for as a base-line number. The Spectrocam
> is giving you Visual or Neutral density and this is an actual measurement in
> log form of how much light is reflected from what you are measuring. Density
> = log10(1/Reflectance)
> 
> As a guideline, paper white is usually in the range of 0.06 to 0.08. Silver
> fiber prints have a Dmax values ranging from 2.0 to as much as 2.8 depending
> upon brand, development and toning. Carbon pigment inkjet prints have Dmax
> values in the 1.4 to 1.9 range depending upon ink, paper and workflow. 1.6 -
> 1.7 would be a typical values.
> 
> A word of caution on the Spectrocam. It does not accurately measure
> densities above 1.7. Antonis did a comparison between a X-Rite 810, X-Rite
> Digital Swatchbook and a Spectrocam. Both the Spectrocam and the Swatchbook
> read low as the density exceeds 1.7. It may be that these hand held units do
> not have a bright enough light source to get good readings when the matte
> blacks get really dark.
> 
> Martin Wesley
> 
> http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html
> 
> 
> 
> 
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