Digital BW, The Print

I think the shift in camera gear is pretty easy.  I went from using mostly
large-format view cameras to 35 then digital.  If I can do it anyone can.
Once you learn not to blow out the highlights the digital camera is fine.
There are a number of Photoshop actions to convert the digital file to b&w,
or you can do it yourself in Channel Mixer.  The issue is really in the
printer.  You'll need to read some of the threads on this list which pretty
much lead to dedicating a printer to b&w inks and/or buying a RIP.

You can buy an entry level Canon Digital Rebel (300D) for $800 or less for
the body, plus some compact flash cards.  Canon prime lenses are around
$300-500 or so.  If you don't like the results you can always put it on
ebay.  However, everyone I know who has switched to digital has the same
response - it's as if you had taken a layer of grunge off the image.  You'll
want to use RAW capture, and if you have Photoshop CS it comes with a RAW
converter. Just one thing about the camera: The entry-level cameras have a
1.6x multiplier, so my 50mm lens is an 80, and so forth.  When I want to use
my 15mm it's back to film.  Same thing in some very low-light situations
where a RF film camera can be better.  Anyway, hope this helps a little.  If
you get an entry-level SLR, and start off using a printing solution that
does not involve using the Epson drivers to mix color inks to b&w, you
should get a fair trial and not that bad a learning curve.  Anything less
will probably lead to disappointment.

Regards,

  --Ken Carney
    www.kencarney.com 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen Kobrin [mailto:kobrins@...] 
> Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 3:37 PM
> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Digital BW] ditigal cameras for B&W (OT)
> 
> 
> 
> While I would like to experiment using a digital camera to 
> produce B&W, it is a bigger step for me than most as the 
> cameras I use are all manual rangefinders and slrs from the 
> 50s-70s.  (I do not have a camera with auto-focus and do not 
> own a zoom lens.)  Given the recent exchanges on this list, I 
> realize that producing a reasonable B&W print from a digital 
> camera involves a reasonably steep learning curve and that it 
> will take considerable effort.  While I am certainly willing 
> to invest the time, I want to make sure the equipment I use  
> is capable of giving me reasonable results -  say more or 
> less equivalent to what I now get from scanning negatives 
> produced with a Canon FTb.    I have access to a Canon G2 and wonder 
> if that will do it.  If not, what would it take?  I assume 
> that there is something on the market other than the pro 
> digital slrs that is capable of producing reasonable results. 
>  I just don't want to spend all of the time and effort 
> learning to use a digital camera and then trash the idea 
> because I had the wrong equipment.
> 
> Please respond to me off-list if you feel that this question 
> is not of general interest.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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