Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
Discussions and questions and strong emotional conflicts happen often here based on the entire topic of scanning sheet film then applying the digital print making process post process.
Question is, why scan sheet film if the print making process is digital. Seems it would be easier and more productive to start with a large digital file created with a the very best current digital camera instead of scanning sheet film then feeding that data into the digital print process.
Does not appear to be the ideal print making process to combine a hybrid system where there appears to be better means of achieving high quality digital based prints today.
Done the sheet film scanning thing with an Epson 4990, never warmed up to the results or process, but that is likely just me.
~Discuss.
Bernice
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
I can’t believe that you just said it... and in writing. Yes, why?
Only reason I could propose is to utilize the perspective controls of a view camera and to benefit from the relative inexpensive film vs some sort of LF digital capture device... while still exploiting a path to digital manipulation and presentation.
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
Digital back on a digital specific view camera can easily achieve traditional view camera movements (perspective control, tilt-shift-swing-rise-drop and....) as needed.
Does not make rational sense to me to use a sheet film camera to produce a digital data file when high quality digital is easily available.
~I'm trying to understand this.~
Bernice
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BrianShaw
I can’t believe that you just said it... and in writing. Yes, why?
Only reason I could propose is to utilize the perspective controls of a view camera and to benefit from the relative inexpensive film vs some sort of LF digital capture device... while still exploiting a path to digital manipulation and presentation.
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bernice Loui
...why scan sheet film if the print making process is digital. Seems it would be easier and more productive to start with a large digital file created with a the very best current digital camera instead of scanning sheet film then feeding that data into the digital print process...
For color, there is no reason, unless one is enamored of spending time digitally spotting out dust. :)
For black and white, there's only one possible reason, namely, to take advantage of the extremely long life expectancy exhibited by polyester-based, properly processed and stored negatives. That's why HABS/HAER/HALS is willing to accept inkjet "contact prints" but still requires such negatives.
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bernice Loui
Digital back on a digital specific view camera can easily achieve traditional view camera movements (perspective control, tilt-shift-swing-rise-drop and....) as needed.
Does not make rational sense to me to use a sheet film camera to produce a digital data file when high quality digital is easily available.
~I'm trying to understand this.~
Bernice
Yes, of course. The operative word I was using and, perhaps, should have visually emphasized... inexpensive.
I’m not alone in having plenty of LF camera/film but not a single digital back/camera suitable for movements.
Not trying to be argumentative, Bernice, but just saying that “easily available “ might not be a universal assumption that can be made.
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
Reminds one of what happened with ToyStory.. They almost lost the data base.
https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/how...d-toy-story-2/
Difficulty with digital data files, they demand a matching digital system to access them. They are not accessible without the compatible digital data system. What happens to the data base if there are no compatible digital data systems?
Food for consideration:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-e...t-in-100-years
There are photographic plates, films and images that date back to the very beginnings of photography, they do not need any special hardware to view them. They contain the visual information in a format that is mostly agreeable with the human visual system.
Bernice
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sal Santamaura
For color, there is no reason, unless one is enamored of spending time digitally spotting out dust. :)
For black and white, there's only one possible reason, namely, to take advantage of the extremely long life expectancy exhibited by polyester-based, properly processed and stored negatives. That's why HABS/HAER/HALS is willing to accept inkjet "contact prints" but still requires such negatives.
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
Huge digital files scanned from large format negatives can duplicate view camera movements in Photoshop. The edited file can be archived in a long life digital print.
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
Great topic and thread!
I do shoot color with DSLR only and most of that output is only online, but some printed by Pro Digital shops' I gave up on my own digi printers, after throwing out piles of Epson printers and one expensive Canon printer. Enjoyed that insanity 1997 to 2012. Even my 10 year old Brother Laser B&W office model is now kaput. Not replacing it either.
I did scan or now DSLR copy LF negs 4X5 and above, 35mm was once done by a dead Coolscan NIkon scanner. Never again. Any tiny format will be optically enlarged.
Ditto for LF and ULF.
I have wrote here over and over again that traditional DR printing is far less environmentally hazardous vs digi printers. A couple massive factories making emulsions on film and paper, vs zillions of tiny cameras, crappy printers and ink carts.
Today I am copying my 1998 mounted 35mm enlarged prints with DSLR, as I just found them...
Re: Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.
For using soft focus or older lenses, there would be a need to have a sensor size like the size of the film. I use LF for the old lenses, not for the utmost image detail, though overkill is good with image detail.
So there is not an affordable 4x5" sensor to replace tmax 400 or FP4+. Even if it were $20000 like a nice MF system, it would not make sense for most of us shooting <$1000 film per year.
Some subjects I can make a nice digital inkjet print. Some subjects, I can do a better job in the darkroom. Many people are doing VERY NICE hybrid work, especially those doing alt-process with digital negatives to produce different curves for the same chemistry or different size prints other than contact prints.