Digital BW, The Print

Anthony,

> Color negative film has the advantage of low density range; that is, the
> range in density of the film between clear film and the darkest
> part of the
> negative is quite small.

Quite small?  Not necessarily.  Portra has a density that goes up to 3.

> This makes it easy to scan.  It also limits the
> tonal gradations visible on the film, but you can't have it both ways.

No, that is absolutely wrong.  There are MORE tonal gradations (as in it has
a higher dynamic range) on negative film than there are on slide film, it's
just a property of the type of film and how it responds to light.  Slide
film has a higher DENSITY range, but NOT a higher DYNAMIC range.  Density
range and dynamic range of the film are two entirely different things.

> Conventional B&W film usually has a very broad density range,

What film is that?  Tri-X has in fact a narrow density range, like 1.8 to 2.

> often so broad
> that it exceeds the scanning capabilities of many scanners.

Nonsense.  Go look at the Kodak data sheet for Tri-X.  It gives a density
range of 2.0.

> It also
> provides extremely subtle tonal gradations (the flip side of
> having a broad
> density range).

No, as I said above, tonality (dynamic range) and density are two different
things.

Austin