Digital BW, The Print

I've used Kodak Portra and Ilford XP2 - and am now finding that the 
best of all is the Kodak  T400-CN. It seems to me to be cleaner and 
sharper than the others. The scan always looks grayer than the other 
films, but juicing it up with curves and levels takes care of that.
I'm be interested in other's perception of this film.
Best to all, Arlene

Arlene,

>I've used Kodak Portra and Ilford XP2 - and am now finding that the
>best of all is the Kodak  T400-CN. ...

I've been shooting T400CN and Tech Pan recently.  Lots of photographers seem
to like to avoid Kodak, but my tests show that, for example, XP2 just does
not have the resolution or (relatively) fine grain of T400CN.

I usually just use the T400CN when I am doing hand-held shots -- usually
with the Fuji GA645 Zi.  When I have that camera and find a landscape that
really needs finer grain, I find that on a tripod I can "multi-sample the
scene" and get rid of most of the grain.  I take 3 quick shots and combine
them in Photoshop.  The grain in the sky simply disappears.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

At 01:42 PM 10/3/03 -0700, you wrote:
>Arlene,
>
> >I've used Kodak Portra and Ilford XP2 - and am now finding that the
> >best of all is the Kodak  T400-CN. ...
>
>I've been shooting T400CN and Tech Pan recently.  Lots of photographers seem
>to like to avoid Kodak, but my tests show that, for example, XP2 just does
>not have the resolution or (relatively) fine grain of T400CN.
>
>I usually just use the T400CN when I am doing hand-held shots -- usually
>with the Fuji GA645 Zi.  When I have that camera and find a landscape that
>really needs finer grain, I find that on a tripod I can "multi-sample the
>scene" and get rid of most of the grain.  I take 3 quick shots and combine
>them in Photoshop.  The grain in the sky simply disappears.
>
>Paul
>http://www.PaulRoark.com


Paul,

"Multi-sample"!  That's a new one on me.  I'd love to hear more 'bout 
that.  Is there a shot on your web page that was done that way?

AZ

Build a Lookaround!
The Lookaround Book, 2nd ed.
NOW SHIPPING
http://www.panoramacamera.us

Alan,

"Multi-sampling" in shooting has the same effect as in scanning (or
astronomy).  The idea is that while the intended subject matter is the same
in each shot, the random noise is not.  So, the more shots you take, the
more the random noise just gets averaged down.

I'd only do this on a tripod, but since the sky is where the main problem is
for most landscapes, one could do it hand held.  The problem with that is
that aligning the shots in Photoshop for later combining is a pain if the
images are rotated.

Assuming you are on a tripod, then the multiple shots can be aligned fairly
easily.  Keeping the images together on an un-cut strip of film for scanning
should assure that they are rotationally in line.

I use the clone tool to do the combining.  I find a small, bright feature in
2 frames and enlarge them to 1600 for alignment.  Then the first 2 images
are combined at 50% opacity.  For this, I used a non-feathered 999 clone
brush and do the combining all in one step.

The 3rd image is added the same way but at 33%.  The fourth at 25%, etc.

I usually do 3 samplings.

Realistically, the sky is where the big improvement occurs.  I have seen
some details also improved, but usually alignment is not perfect, so I pull
the detail from a single frame.

This is obviously something I'd like not to bother with.  However, if I have
a relatively grainy film in the camera and see a shot the I really want to
enlarge without grain showing, multi-sampling does work and is not that hard
to do.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Zinn [mailto:AZinn@...]
Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2003 8:26 AM
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Digital BW] B&W film for scanning


At 01:42 PM 10/3/03 -0700, you wrote:
>Arlene,
>
> >I've used Kodak Portra and Ilford XP2 - and am now finding that the
> >best of all is the Kodak  T400-CN. ...
>
>I've been shooting T400CN and Tech Pan recently.  Lots of photographers
seem
>to like to avoid Kodak, but my tests show that, for example, XP2 just does
>not have the resolution or (relatively) fine grain of T400CN.
>
>I usually just use the T400CN when I am doing hand-held shots -- usually
>with the Fuji GA645 Zi.  When I have that camera and find a landscape that
>really needs finer grain, I find that on a tripod I can "multi-sample the
>scene" and get rid of most of the grain.  I take 3 quick shots and combine
>them in Photoshop.  The grain in the sky simply disappears.
>
>Paul
>http://www.PaulRoark.com


Paul,

"Multi-sample"!  That's a new one on me.  I'd love to hear more 'bout
that.  Is there a shot on your web page that was done that way?

AZ

Build a Lookaround!
The Lookaround Book, 2nd ed.
NOW SHIPPING
http://www.panoramacamera.us





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