Digital BW, The Print

Tom Baker writes:

> I sense that you use of the term "true b&w" is just emotional.

No.  True black and white is original capture that records image
information as a function of a spectral sensitivity curve (usually a
continuous curve over the entire visible spectrum and perhaps beyond)
and the emission or reflectance curve of the original scene.

"Non-true" black and white would be a simulation of the above using much
more limited information, such as a conversion from RGB to black and
white.

Emotion has no part in this.

> What IS "true b&w"?  Seems to me that if the final print is b&w,
> that's true b&w.

It is, but many kinds of black and white photos can be produced only
with black and white capture of the original scene.