Digital BW, The Print

Zone System frame of reference (ie the real world is 
> seen
> > in color when you shoot B&W film...I visualize B&W from real-world
> > color just as I do when I see color on a monitor and print B&W).
> > 
> > Djon
> 
> Djon,  I am not sure that I understand your comment. 

The world is full color. Employing the most basic Zone System, one
envisions the finished B&W print from that color (only incidentally
the negative) before exposure. 

Assuming Zone System experience, it's easy to visualize B&W prints
directly from color TIFFs, adjusting contrast and other factors in
color via Photoshop and then printing with QTRgui...

I know no technical or visual reason to convert to monochrome...
monochrome conversion apparently confuses the issue (evident
repeatedly on this forum), causing obsession with monitors rather than
prints. 
 
 
 stabalization:

When you say "reasonable," do you mean "as
> > good as shooting at 1/100? (ie do you gain two steps, the shutter
> > equiv of 2 full f-stops?). 
> 
> Yes, to my naked and unprofessional eye.  Canon claims you can gain 
> three stops, but I have not tied.

This means an f4 lens is equivalent to a 1.4 lens, but with far
greater depth of field! Sign me up! (though it's sayonara to "bokeh").

Djon