Digital BW, The Print

In a message dated 9/27/2004 2:41:19 AM Pacific Daylight Time,  
DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com writes:

B&W  film . . . as pointed out it has a mucher greater tonal range (10+) 
stops as  opposed to colour, and the grain structure IS appealing . .  .
I used a 4x5 Stouffer step wedge (10 stop density range) in contact with  VPS 
III 4x5 film and exposed with a studio flash though a 210mm symmar. I then  
plotted the "curve" using Phil Davis' Beyond The Zone System curve plotting  
software. The film was a Contrast Index of 0.5 and straight as an arrow. So I  
blasted another shot with about 7 stop more light.
 
What I got is a shoulder beginning about 15 stops out there (density of  
2.3). So I don't understand why you say B&W film has greater tonal range  unless 
you specify the Contrast Index to which it was developed.
 
I think if you develop to a Contrast Index of 0.5, like the color film, the  
resultant density range would represent a similar luminance range, depending 
on  the emulsion. Tmax 100 would certainly qualify, but not all films would.
 
This makes the above statement sometimes false, and thus incorrect in a  
general sense.
 
You are right about the grain.
 
Claude


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