Digital BW, The Print

> All of this sounds really great! However, it seems that in order to 
> make full use of the system you need a densitometer, is that correct?

I'd say so, Steve - though you can go a fair distance without one assuming 
you have a good printed scale and a starting profile (like the ones shipping).


>  So does anybody feel they know enough about them to gives us a 
> quick primer on densitometers, particularly which types/models are 
> useable for this application?

The good news is you don't need anything more than an old-fashioned bw 
densitometer, no color, no colorimeter or even transmission model needed. I 
have an X-Rite 810 (from eBay), and hear that these go for under $500  these 
days. It is of course a color instrument, but I use it on "visual", meaning 
grayscale.  The only thing to watch out for is that the instrument  you buy can 
read well into the higher dmax numbers and that it comes with its own 
calibration plaque. Some of the little  colorimeters (like X-Rite's Swatchbook 
and the like) may not have a robust enough lighting system to read shadows 
reliably. 

If you also happen to be into Pyro, apparently the X-Rite 361T is just the ticket 
according to View Camera (March '03).

Antonis