Digital BW, The Print

> What is the realtionship between Portra and TCN 400??

    I don't know, other than the Portra being sold only in a box of five
(35mm and 120).  If you ever plan to print on photo paper, I recall that
Portra is intended to print only on color paper.  I have used a lot of both
and like both.  The Portra may have a little better tonal range.  It does
seem to be a true 400 speed.  In so far as I know, neither is "archival".
They are basically color neg films and not at all archival in the sense of
silver b&w film.

> There is one  other disadvantage of chromogenic films -- you are dependent
on a
> processing lab.  I just spent 15 minutes "cloning" scratches out of a
> file.  It reminded me that one of the reasons I use standard B&W
> films is that I can develop them myself.

    Absolutely.  I have mine processed by a pro lab with a dip and dunk
line.  Machine processing, for me, has pretty much been a disaster.   BTW,
regarding cloning, it just dawned on me that the Healing Brush in PS7 is the
fastest way yet of spotting out dust.

Regards,

  --Ken Carney
    www.kencarney.com