I am new to LF, but I suppose my questions here deal with film selection generally. I plan to develop my own B&W sheet film and send out for transparency processing, but then scan in either type at low res. for web use and 'positive' evaluation. Those that show particular promise will be sent out for drum scanning and ultimately printed digitally. I have only occasionally played with B&W photography, but hope to get into it more. I can't remember the last time I used color negative film. My main interests are landscape and floral photography w/ Velvia and Provia.
My first question deals with peoples' experiences with B&W from color images. TMAX is WAY cheaper to buy and deal with than desaturating color film, but have people found it to be preferrable to starting with a color image and mixing channels? I would be scanning the film in either case to prepare it for printing, so is going w/ TMAX (or whatever) worth the reduced control one has over relative tonal values when compared with working with RGB channels in Photoshop? At least in the latter case I could eliminate a few color filters from my field kit...
Secondly, given a digital workflow post-development, are there any benefits left to shooting transparencies? I've shot Velvia for several years, but for scanning wouldn't color negative film make more sense? Scans from color negs could have their saturation selectively boosted to more closely mimic Velvia or whichever emulsion was desired, and since it will be scanned the benefits of having a 'positive' for evaluation, previously afforded only to slides, would be present as well. Above all, I would think the extra tonal range of negative films would afford more leeway in Photoshop. So why shoot slides if one plans on ultimately scanning their film?
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