Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., frank@c... wrote:
> Martin's Gigabit film link is certainly a curious offering.  Have 
you
> tried the film, Martin?

Frank,

No I haven't given it a try. I haven't seen a US source or any 
pricing on it either. It is available through Lotus View Camera in 
Austria but you need to contact them by e-mail. Looks interesting 
though and from the illustrations in the article has much nicer tone 
ramp than technical pan. 

> 
> My experience with film scanning shows an unnoticeable difference
> between pyro and traditional film development. My tests were done 
with
> 8X10 HP5 and TriX negatives.  I also decided that the silver print
> results of Pyro vs. HC110 or TMax developers were not of 
significance
> for my work.  Although I shoot 8X10, I'm not of the "spectacular
> landscape" school of photography.  I make pictures of people and
> cultures so my tolerances may be wider than the "red filter over the
> gathering storm clouds" crowd.  I like great landscapes, I just 
don't
> photograph them.

Almost all my work is outdoors and the pyro has been invaluable to me 
for keeping the highlights open. I always seem to bring home many 
more "minus" development sheets than normal. In 4x5 and smaller the 
HP5 and TriX grain structures never appealed for some reason. 
> 
> I shoot HP5 for most everything.  I like that "old school" dark and
> grainy look but the newer C-41 b/w films are easier to scan.

I have tended toward a grainless or near grainless look myself. The C-
41 process negs are probably easier to scan because they are a 
combination of stain and silver like pyro. <<g>>

Martin

(snip)