Originally Posted by
David Luttmann
For the stitched images at Rodney's gallery, the resolution between the two systems would be similar. As to "punch"...that would be up to how the digital files were processed. You can "punch" up a digital file to such an extent that Velvia would look muted in comparison. There was probably more "punch" in the film image as the dynamic range of the digital file was in the area of 5+ stops better....in other words, far more range to work with.
If we are talking a single P65 vs 8x10....then yes, the 8x10 would slaughter it in a large print. But a 5 image stitch from a p65, in portrait, to create a panorama, assuming a 25% overlap in each image, would yield a file over 25,000 pixels wide. In other words, the 8x10 would need to have 2500ppi of real information to even begin to compete. I say begin because digital pixels are much cleaner and maintain acutance better than film.
As such, on an 80 inch print, the digital file resolution would greatly exceed 300ppi. In other words, the resolution between both systems would be similar....but the "look" between them would be different. That "look" is up to personal taste. But claiming the digital file was resolution limited compared to the film is simply wishful thinking....as both source systems exceed the resolution capabilities of the printer he uses.
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