Digital BW, The Print

Hi Alan,

Thanks for your comments.  No risk of tossing my film cameras anytime 
soon.  I am perverse enough to enjoy lugging a Contarex Bullseye 
around with a couple of lenses!  Furthermore, scanning and PS really 
bring some of the older glass back into its own, given all of the 
control you have over contrast.  However, I do want to start 
experimenting with digital cameras and just want to make sure that 
any screw ups are my fault and not a function of inadequate equipment.

Steve

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "A. Huntley" 
<Alan.Huntley@c...> wrote:
> Hi Stephen,
> 
> Hope you don't mind my jumping in on this thread with a couple of 
> comments...
> 
> First, everyone understand that I have no interest in starting a 
film vs 
> digital war...again! But, Stephen, I suggest that you not toss out 
your film 
> cameras, yet. I've been, primarily, an avid B&W large format 
photographer --  
> mostly 8x10 and some 4x5 -- for about 20 years. I've been shooting 
digital 
> for about 4.5 years starting with a Nikon Coolpix 950, progressing 
rapidly 
> through the Canon D30 to my current Canon 10D. Try as I may, and 
I've tried 
> and tried again over the years, I cannot create a B&W print from a 
digital 
> camera that really sings for me. Most likely it's just me because 
Greg 
> Gorman, Ron Harris, and others create beautiful B&W that originated 
from 
> digital cameras. I believe both use the Canon 1Ds. Maybe, my 10D is 
the 
> limiting factor; not enough pixels. Maybe it's just that I've been 
looking 
> at large format work for too many years...I don't know.
> 
> To be honest, I really don't think it's a film/digital thing. I 
have not 
> been satisfied with scans from my medium format B&W work, either. 
But, I 
> don't have a first-rate medium format scanner or, drool...drool, an 
Imacon 
> so that my be the weak link in this chain. I can tell you 
this...just 
> yesterday I framed an 11x14 B&W image printed with IP 6.0 onto Moab 
Entrada 
> Natural which was scanned from an 8x10 Tri-X neg, and, IMHO, it's 
absolutely 
> BEAUTIFUL. As a matter of fact, it's really the first print I've 
produced in 
> 4 years of playing around in the digital lightroom that I'd be 
proud to hang 
> with ANY silver print. IMO it's better than any silver print that I 
was ever 
> able to pull off in the analog darkroom from this neg. I have 
several of my 
> digital B&W prints hanging in gallery style in my living room and I 
was 
> astonished to see how far my digital B&W printing has come over the 
years. I 
> called my wife over to see and she commented that she noticed the 
difference 
> from across the room. Damn, makes me want to go back and re-do the 
others, 
> now! <g>
> 
> My suggesstion would be to play around with digital B&W with 
whatever 
> digital camera you currently own. Hang on to the "old" stuff. You 
may be 
> back! As for me, I'm seriously considering breaking out the old 
8x10, buying 
> some Tri-X and hitting the countryside to see what new images await 
me.
> 
> Have fun! I'd be interested in hearing your comments regarding B&W 
from 
> digital once you get going with it.
> 
> Regards,
> Alan Huntley
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Stephen Kobrin" <kobrins@w...>
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 7:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] ditigal cameras for B&W (OT)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Ken and Paul,
> 
> I have been printing using MIS inks for a number of years and now 
use
> a 1280 with the UT2 inkset and am pleased with the results.  
However,
> to this point I have been scanning film.  My question really 
revolved
> around trying digital capture rather than film.  However, I think
> that you both provided enought information about cameras and the G2
> to get me going.
> 
> Steve